Christmas is a holiday that many know and love. It includes fun traditions like hanging stockings, exchanging gifts, and decorating with red and green. But there are also a lot of things about Christmas that most people don’t know. Here are some fun facts about Christmas.

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and… Duner and Blixem? That’s right. Duner and Blixem were the original names of the reindeer now known as Donner and Blitzen. Poet Clement Moore named these two reindeer after the German words for thunder and lightning. And while the names of Santa’s reindeer sound male, male reindeer actually shed their antlers in winter, so it’s likely that the reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh are actually female.

In World War I, there was a truce between the British and the Germans on Christmas of 1914. Men from each side gave each other gifts, played football, and even decorated in order to make the trenches more festive. And, for their help in World War II, the people of London receive a Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square every year from Norway.

Every Christmas, you look forward to the gifts under the tree. But you can also count on getting small gifts and candy in your Christmas stocking. This tradition is actually because of a Dutch legend. “A poor man had three daughters for whom he could not afford to provide a dowry. St. Nicholas dropped a bag of gold down his chimney and gold coins fell out and into the stockings drying by the fireplace. The daughters now had dowries and could be married, avoiding a life on the streets. (The FACTfile)”. There’s another Christmas tradition started by the Dutch- giving Santa milk and cookies. Dutch children used to leave out food and drink to honor St. Nicholas. 

So, whether you celebrate Hannukah, Kwanzaa, or Christmas, here’s to hoping your holiday season is the best one yet.