Learn some Christmas Facts For Kids of all ages! We're sharing the holiday's history along with some other fun trivia questions and interesting facts.
These Christmas fun facts for kids are a great way to understand the history of Christmas as well as share some great Christmas trivia with friends and family over the holidays!
As the holiday season approaches, it's time to unwrap the gift of knowledge and celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with Christmas Fun Facts for Kids. From the history of Santa Claus to the magic of twinkling lights, this collection is here to make your Christmas season not only joyful but also full of fascinating insights.
Check out our 365+ Fun Facts For Kids
Want to save this project?
Enter your email below, and then we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus get awesome new projects from us each week.
Christmas Season
Christmas is one of the first holidays in the Winter season in the Northern Hemisphere, and the Summer season in the Southern Hemisphere.
There is also all kinds of Christmas fun for kids including a number of crafts, games, coloring pages, and art projects. We've included a number of those to celebrate all that is Christmas.
What is Christmas?
Christmas is the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Christians all around the world celebrate this holiday. Secular (non-Christians around the globe culturally celebrate Christmas.
When is Christmas?
December 24th is Christmas Eve. December 25th is Christmas Day. While the day of the week is not the same from year to year, the date remains the same.
Why Is It Called Christmas?
Christ is another name for Jesus. It comes from the Greek word Χριστός which means “Anointed One." The word Christmas comes from the Old English phrase Cristes maesse. Which translates to Christ's Mass. That was the name of the Christian worship service in honor of Jesus' Birth.
There is also the abbreviated word of Xmas. The use of Xmas dates back to the 16th century. It also comes from the first letter "X" from the Greek word for Christ, Χριστός, Modern Christians believed that using X, is taking the Christ out of Christmas.
Story of Jesus' Birth
More than 2000 years ago, God sent an angel, named Gabriel, to a young woman named Mary. The town of Nazareth is where Mary lived. She and a man named Joseph were engaged to be married. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph.
Gabriel told Mary that she would give birth to a son, he will be named Jesus and he will be the son of God. Gabriel visited Joseph too and told him the same thing.
The empire where Mary and Joseph lived ordered them to travel to Bethlehem to register their family, and so Mary and Joseph traveled over several days and 65 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, all the inns and beds were full and so they stayed with the animals in a stable or manger.
Mary gave birth to Jesus that night. That night in a field near Bethlehem, an angel appeared to some shepherds tending to their flock. The angel shared the good news that the Savior was born. They quickly went and found baby Jesus in the manger just as the angel had told them. They then spread the Good News to everyone.
Once Jesus was born, a bright star appeared in the sky. In some faraway countries, three wise men saw the star and after studying the stars knew that a new star meant that a great king was born. They set out to find the new king and bring him gifts!
When the wise men found Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, they brought him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
History of Christmas
In Ancient Cultures, there was a celebration of the winter solstice. The festival was held on December 25th. This was the shortest day of the year and was the sign of the start of winter. The people would celebrate that the days would start to get longer again.
According to the Bible, the story of the birth of Jesus to Joseph and Mary in the small town of Bethlehem is documented, but it doesn't say exactly when it happened.
In the 4th century AD, Pope Julius I of the Roman Catholic Church designated the day of Jesus' birth as December 25th. There is debate on why that date. It could be to counteract the non-Christians celebrating the winter solstice.
It is still debated on why that date, but some believe it was to increase the likelihood of Christian celebration over the Pagan (those from the Roman Empire that were non-Christians) winter solstice celebrations.
History of Christmas Trees
The Germans are credited with the first Christmas tree in modern times (the 16th century). They would first decorate fir trees with nuts and fruits. Later they would add candles, paper shapes, and sweet treats.
Historians believe the origins of the Christmas tree date back to the Ancient Egyptians and Romans. They would decorate evergreen trees and garlands as a symbol of eternal life.
The first record of Christmas trees inside people's homes in the United States date back to the late 18th century and early 19th century.
History of Santa Clause
Santa Claus is a legendary figure associated with Christmas time and is responsible for bringing Christmas gifts to children around the world. He and his wife Mrs. Claus live at the north pole along with this his elves and reindeer. He and the elves work throughout the year to make toys and gifts.
Santa Clause is based on the real person St. Nicholas. Saint Nicholas was a Bishop from the 4th century who gave away his large inheritance to the poor and needy. The name Santa Claus came from the Dutch word Sinterklaas which means Saint Nicholas.
On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus flies around the world on his sleigh pulled by his reindeer. He enters all the homes at night through the chimney and places gifts in stockings and in front of the Christmas tree.
Christmas Facts
- Candy canes came in only one color for over 200 years.
- “Jingle Bells” was originally a Thanksgiving song! The song was created in 1857 about children celebrating Thanksgiving. Not soon after was associated with Christmas and so two years later, the title was changed from One Horse Open Sleigh to Jingle Bells.
- Some believed it to have taken the wise men 12 days to find Jesus. The twelve days of Christmas or the Twelve Holy Days are celebrated from December 25 to January 6 which is called Ephiphany.
- The popular Christmas carol, ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ celebrates this time period with a series of gifts. Actually 364 gifts in total!
Holiday Trivia - More Fun Christmas Facts
- The world's largest Christmas stocking was a hand-sewn stocking by a group in Missouri. It was 177 feet tall, 72 feet wide, and weighed 820 pounds and took them about 3 months to make.
- The first Christmas cards produced in the US that were affordable for people to send, were in 1875 and had pictures of flowers, plants, and children on the front.
- In 1915 the Hall brothers who were printing postcards moved from postcards to Christmas cards. Their company, Hallmark, is still to this day one of the biggest car makers in the world.
- The number of Christmas cards sent each year in the US is over a billion and a half.
- In the tradition of the Christmas pickle, the first child to find the glass pickle hidden in the tree on Christmas morning either wins a prize or the privilege of opening the first gift.
- The holiday beverage of eggnog dates back to medieval times. It was enjoyed as a drink called posset and it was sweetened with spiced milk curdled with wine or ale.
- Silent Night is the most recorded Christmas song of all time with it being recorded over 750 times.
- There are 1.76 billion candy canes made each year and 90% of them are sold between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Christmas in America
- The US government declared Christmas a federal holiday in June 1970.
- Alabama was the first state in the United States to recognize Christmas as an official holiday in 1836.
- Oklahoma was the last state to recognize it as a legal holiday in 1907.
- The Statue of Liberty holds the record for the biggest gift ever given. France gave it to the United States as a friendship gift on Christmas Day in 1886.
- Texas housed the largest gingerbread house ever made. It was 160 feet long by 42 feet wide, and 10.1 feet tall. Using 1,800 pounds of butter, 7,200 eggs, 3,000 pounds of sugar, 7,200 pounds of flour, and over 22,000 pieces of candy to make it.
Around The World Christmas Facts
- In Canada, Santa's zip code is HOH OHO.
- Tom Smith of London invented the Christmas Crackers in 1840.
- The oldest Christmas Market dates back to the 1600s in Germany.
- Leaving Santa milk and cookies came from the Dutch.
- Over 3.5 million people in Japan eat KFC for Christmas.
- A puritan leader named Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas in England for 13 years.
- The largest bauble ornament according to the Guinness World Records was in the Dubai Mall and it stood over 15 feet high
Santa Claus Facts
- Santa Clause is known as Father Christmas in Britain, Père Noël in France, Le Befana in Italy, Kanakaloka in Hawaii, and Kris Kringle in the US.
- Santa's original suit was purple, green, and blue. Coca Cola created an advertisement in 1931 where his suit was red to match their brand. They helped to popularize the red suit and it's been red ever since!
- Kids all over the world write Santa a letter each year. Santa and Mrs. Claus' address is 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888.
- Santa's workshop isn't just at the North Pole? Some people believe it's in Lapland, a region in northern Finland. In Lapland, there's a place called Rovaniemi, known as the "Official Hometown of Santa Claus," where you can visit Santa's office, meet his elves, and even cross the magical Arctic Circle.
- Santa's list extends beyond kids, becoming a global tradition. In places like Japan, both children and adults write letters to Santa, each having a separate list, determining gifts or coal based on their behavior, making holiday behavior important for all ages.
Christmas Tree Facts
- Another name for Christmas trees is Yule trees.
- The trees typically used for Christmas trees are fir trees, pine trees, and spruce trees.
- The tallest Christmas tree on record was in Seattle in 1950 and it was a Douglas Fir tree that stood 221 feet tall.
- According to Easter European folklore, finding a spider or spider webs in your Christmas tree brings good luck and prosperity.
- Germany made the first artificial Christmas tree in 1800 made of dyed green goose feathers.
- The tradition of using Christmas lights dates back to the 17th century when candles were originally placed on Christmas trees. Today, millions of lights are used to decorate homes and streets, creating dazzling displays that can be seen from space!
- In 2007, Brazil set the record for the largest floating tree. It was a metal tree that was 278 feet and 10 inches tall. It had over three million lights on it.
- There are more than 630 Christmas tree varieties.
- All 50 states grow Christmas trees.
Reindeer Facts For Kids
- The first introduction to Santa's reindeer was in the poem 'A Visit from St. Nicholas'. That poem eventually changed its name to 'Twas the Night Before Christmas'.
- In the poem, Santa had eight reindeer. That was until the introduction of the ninth reindeer, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer.
- The names of Santa's reindeer are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph
- Donner and Blitzen's names were originally Dunder and Blixem. They evolved into the names they have today!
Christmas Traditions
There are many traditions around Christmas. There are religious based traditions as well as many traditions from different countries around the world.
Some Christmas traditions include decorating the tradition of Christmas trees, singing Christmas carols, hanging stockings, kissing under the mistletoe, baking Christmas cookies, sending Christmas cards, the Christmas pickle, and many more.
Do you have a tradition in your family? It is always fun to start a new one with your family and loved ones.
December Facts
There are lots of fun December Facts to explore including customs, and remarkable happenings that make this month of Christmas extraordinary.
- December marks the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the shortest day and longest night of the year. It's when the sun is lowest in the sky, and it's a special day for many cultures, celebrating the return of longer daylight hours.
- Some famous individuals were born in December, including Ludwig van Beethoven, the composer of beautiful classical music, and Walt Disney, the creator of beloved Disney characters like Mickey Mouse.
- Did you know that each snowflake is unique? In December, in many parts of the world, snowflakes fall from the sky, creating a beautiful white blanket on the ground, and no two snowflakes are exactly the same.
- December's birthstone is the beautiful blue topaz, symbolizing love and affection.
- The famous American poet Emily Dickinson was born in December, and she penned many beautiful poems, some of which capture the serene and wintry beauty of this month. Her works remain timeless and cherished in the world of literature.
Facts About Winter
- Winter officially begins with the winter solstice, usually around December 21st. It's the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
- The winter sky is home to some famous constellations like Orion the Hunter, which can be seen on clear, crisp nights. You can go stargazing and spot these celestial wonders in the winter sky.
- Winter is the season for sports like skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, and hockey. These activities take advantage of the snow and ice for thrilling adventures.
- Some animals, like bears, hedgehogs, and bats, hibernate during winter. They go into a deep sleep to conserve energy and survive the cold season.
Christmas For Kids
Christmas is a fun time to spend with family and friends and celebrate the season. We have many different activities that will be fun for the whole family this Christmas but especially for kids. Check out these Christmas for kids activities!
Christmas Crafts
We have a number of different crafts that are great for Christmas.
- Bible Crafts
- Printable Christmas Stocking Craft
- Kid's Ugly Christmas Sweater Craft
- Rainbow Painted Nutcrackers
Christmas Coloring Pages
- Coloring Pages of Christmas
- Mickey Mouse Christmas Ornaments
- Merry Christmas Coloring Pages
- Coloring Pages December
- December Color Page
Christmas Printables
We highlighted these Holiday Facts along with some other fun kid's crafts in our December Crafts along with our 101+ Easy Craft Ideas for kids.
Download Free Christmas Facts Infographic
Enter your first name and email address to download the free Christmas Facts pdf file.
Merry Christmas!
CONNECT WITH MADE WITH HAPPY!
Be sure to follow me on social media, so you never miss a post!
Facebook | Twitter | Youtube | Pinterest | Instagram
Find and shop my favorite products in my Amazon storefront here!
Christmas Facts For Kids
PIN IT TO YOUR DIY BOARD ON PINTEREST!
FOLLOW MADE WITH HAPPY ON PINTEREST FOR ALL THINGS HAPPY!
