Trivia Question: The 12 days of Christmas begin when? a. Dec.1st, b. Dec.13th, c. Dec.25th
look under the Snowman below for the answer

Christmas Traditions & Trivia R - S

Reindeer and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – Reindeer are a large sub-arctic deer, inhabiting Northern America, Asia and Europe, associated with pulling Santa’s sleigh by William Gilley’s and Clement Moore’s poems [see Santa Claus] in the 1820’s. Some have been domesticated and used to draw sleighs, and provide meat and leather, like livestock. Both the male and female have antlers, with the males dropping theirs between late November and December, the females will keep theirs until after calving in the spring.
So does that mean all of Santa's reindeer are female? Yelp, if they still have their antlers on Christmas, they're females.
I've heard that's the reason they can make all the stops, if they get lost they'll get directions, if they were males would just wonder around all night refusing to admit their lost.

Santa Claus, St. Nicholas – (Historically St. Nicholas.) A real man born in AD280 in Asia Minor, became bishop of Myna, (now Demre, Turkey). It’s not sure that what all we know about him is 100% accurate and true. It’s said he was born in a wealthy family and upon inheriting his father’s fortune he gave it all away to the poor. It’s been claimed that he was present at the 1st Council of Nicaea AD325. Was imprisoned by Emperor Diocletian for being a Christian. And later released by Emperor Constantine and died in AD343, with Dec. 6th being the date observed for his death. He was noted for his begging money for the needy and also disguising himself from being recognized, (since he was a very popular Bishop of the church), then going around villages and giving to the poor children. Many stories and legends have sprung up about him. Since after his death it has always been quite popular to dress like him and give out gifts to children at Christmas time. More European churches are named after him than any other patron saint.
The Dutch pronounces St. Nicholas as Sinter Klaas our Santa Claus. Until the 1800's the most common description of him would have him looking like Pope. In 1809 Washington Irving wrote “A History of New York, by one Diedrich Knickerbocker” in which he made fun of the Dutch traditions. In it he included St. Nicholas and added a revision in 1812 of Nicholas “riding over the tops of the trees, in that selfsame wagon wherein he brings his yearly presents to children.”. In 1821, ”Santeclaus” a poem by William Gilley described him dressed in fur and driving a sleigh pulled by one reindeer. In 1822 or 1823 Clement Moore wrote a poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" having him flying though the air with a sleigh and 8 reindeer. (Note it's disputed whether Clement Moore actually wrote "A Visit from St. Nicholas", many credit it to Dutch immigrant Henry Livingston for various reasons. No one ever claimed credit for until 1844, when Clement Moore included it in his book. See Reindeer Names for more.) In 1866 Thomas Nast gave him the appearance we know now in a Harper's Weekly.
By the early 1900’s Santa Claus had become a favorite in Christmas cards and advertising and in 1927 the New York Times described him in detail; the pack full of toys, dressed in red, with white whiskers, ruddy cheeks and nose, and of course jolly. In 1931 Haddon Sundblom an illustrator for Coca-Cola created at least one Santa Claus advertisement every year. The widespread popularity of the Coca-Cola advertising firmly planted the image we now have of Santa Claus.

The commercialism of Santa Claus has all but erased the earlier images and story of St. Nicholas. See also Kris Kringle and Father Christmas. If I remember right the first mention of Mrs. Claus was in a Rankin/Bass productions, "Christmas special Santa Claus is Coming to Town", in which they gave her the name of Jessica.

Christmas Seals - Originated by a Danish postmaster, Einar Holboll, in 1903. Selling them and giving the proceeds to charities. Emily Bissell introduced Christmas seals in the U.S. with the Red Cross as benefactor in 1907. In 1919 the Nat'l Tuberculosis Assoc. (now the American Lung Assoc.) became the sole sponsor.

Shape Notes - Designed as a help for common people to learn to read music. Letter notes or Old English System appeared in 1698 Bay Psalm book. Wm. Little devised a 4 shape note system called Fasola and appeared in The Easy Instructor, in 1801, Wm. Walker used 7 shapes in his 1866 Christian Harmony. 1930's Convention Singing became popular by Southern Quartets, all using the new 7 shape note songbooks (notable, Stamps-Baxter song book & Stamps Quartet). The shape notes became popular in sacred song and Christmas carol songbooks, some of which are still being published.

Stockings - May originate from an old St. Nicholas legend of the 3 doweryless girls, in which each time St. Nicholas threw the bag of gold down the chimney, it landed in a stocking that happened to be hanging to dry. Note, St. Nicholas is often pictured with 3 gold bags or balls, and the early day pawn shops derived their symbol of 3 gold balls from this. In Holland the tradition arose of St. Kicholas “Sinter Klaas” coming around and putting gifts in children's wooden shoes, this may have developed in the filling of hanging stockings drying in front of the fireplace.

Sugar Plums - Still exist, though not called that anymore. They are chocolate candies with fruit preserves, cream or other sweet filling in middle.

Stamps - On Christmas day 1898, Canada started its Penny Postal System and issued a stamp to commemorate Christmas, this proved very popular and many other countries have since done also.