Snowmen
Nothing may be more representative of holidays, winter, and inclement weather than the snowman.
- In 2009, the scientists at the National Physical Laboratory in West London used the tools and knowledge at their disposal to create the tiniest snowman known to man. Their creation stood at only 0.01mm tall and used technology that was created for nano-particle manipulation.
- In 2008, the people of Bethel, Maine, made a colossal effort to top their previous record-holding snowman, “Angus,” and built “Olympia” as a result. At over 122 feet tall, she still holds the world record today for the tallest snowman. Made with over 13,000,000 pounds of snow, she required materials such as tires, full-size trees, and wreaths for her face and buttons.
- Snowmen were a form of entertainment popular during the Middle ages.
- In Japanese, snowmen are called “Yukidaruma.”Christmas Gnomes
- They originated out of Scandinavian folklore. Gnomes are some of the oldest and most popular fairy-tale creatures in Scandi culture.
- In Scandinavia, the gnome usually has the name “Tomte” in Swedish or “Nisser” in Norway. In Finland, the name for the gnome is Tonttu.
- The folklore traces back to the late 18th and 19th centuries when gnomes were believed to be household spirits responsible for the care and prosperity of a farm or family. According to some Scandinavian people, gnomes originally come from the soul of the first person to own the homestead.
- The legend goes that Swedish gnomes are small elf-like creatures that often live around houses and in barns. The Tomte are fond of caring for children, and if you befriended one of these creatures, they would help protect you against misfortune. Swedish gnomes were often said to be particularly active at night when people were asleep. If you kept your home clean and left a bowl of Christmas porridge out for your Swedish gnomes On Christmas Eve, they might reward you with gifts, according to the legends. One way to irk a Swedish gnome is to change something. A massive change in your house would generally upset these traditional creatures. The other way to upset the Tomte is to be rude, mistreat an animal, or disrespect the farm.
Poinsettias
- Poinsettias didn’t arrive in the United States until the 19th century.
- The plant is named for the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, who introduced America to the poinsettia in 1828 after discovering it in the wilderness in southern Mexico.
- A Mexican legend tells of a girl who could only offer weeds as a gift to Jesus on Christmas Eve. When she brought the weeds into a church, they blossomed into the beautiful red plants we know as poinsettias, known as Flores de Noche Buena in Mexico.
Gingerbread
- Gingerbread and ginger root originated in the Middle East and migrated to Europe during the eleventh-century Crusades.
- June 5th and November 21st are National Gingerbread Day.
- According to Swedish tradition, you can make a wish using gingerbread. First, put the gingerbread in your palm and then make a wish. You then have to break the gingerbread with your other hand. If the gingerbread breaks into three, the wish will come true.
- Nuremberg, Germany, has the title “Gingerbread Capital of the World.”
- The word “gingerbread” comes from the Old French “gigembras,” which means “gingered food.”