Trivia Question: Groundhog Day was originally what Christmasie Day?
look under the Snowman below for the answer

Christmas Traditions & Trivia T - Z

Teddy Bear - One of the most popular gifts since it's creation and the most popular stuffed toy ever, not only for Christmas, but birthdays, sickness, or as a pick me up or comfort gift.
No one is real sure when the first stuffed bear was made, but we're pretty sure of the first "Teddy Bear". It was made shortly after President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt settled a border dispute between Mississippi and Louisiana in November of 1902. Roosevelt went bear hunting while in the area, but seen no bears, so on the last day of the hunt his aides captured and tied up a bear cub to a tree. Roosevelt ordered the cub untied and rode his horse back to the camp and awaiting reporters. Papers carried the story of Roosevelt saving the bear cub's life.
Russian immigrant Morris Michtom seen a political cartoon of the president and asked his wife Rose to make a toy bear to put in his candy store display window. Rose used brown mohair plush and stuffed it with fine wood shavings called excelsior. People crowded to see the bear with candy heaped all around it in the stores' window. Morris worried about the attention it was drawing, and packed it in a box and sent it to the president with the note "Dear Mr. President, I do not wish to seem disrespectful, but I would like to call my toy, 'Teddy Bear.'" Roosevelt replied Morris that he could use it, but couldn't imagine what good his name would do for it.
Morris set up making bears to sell in 1904 and quickly it became the most requested gift by all.

Three Kings of the Orient - Appears in a Carol written in 1857 with a verse for each King, probably inspired by a Greek manuscript (see Magi)for much, much more and from an interpretation of Ps. 72:10-11.

Christmas Tree - No one knows for sure when the first use of Christmas tree started, but an early legend has it that an early Christian missionary St. Boniface who attempting to win over the pagan Germans on Christmas Eve, came upon a human sacrifice taking place under a sacred oak tree. Boniface took an ax and with one blow toppled the tree and at foot was a tiny evergreen, pointing at the tiny fir he explained Christ was like this tree, bringer of life and evergreen. This started a revival among the German pagans.
The Medieval church celebrated Adam and Eve day of Dec. 24th and used the evergreen tree with apples hung on it to represent the "paradise tree or tree of good and evil". Dec. 24th celebrated the fall of the first Adam and on Dec. 25th celebrated the birth of the second Adam with candles being added to the tree to represent Christ the "Light of the World".
Another legend gives Martin Luther the credit for the first Christmas tree in 18th century. While he was walking in an evergreen forest, on a Christmas Eve, he looked up at the stars in the sky that were twinkling among the trees, impressed he went home and decorated a tree with candles. He cited Isa. 60:13 as his Biblical authority for it.
Be sure and note Jer. 10:2-6, many believe this is a direct description of heathens putting up “Christmas Trees”.
Of note, hired Hessians were thought to have brought the Christmas tree tradition to the United States in 1776 [see Twelve days of Christmas]. It became popular among the English when Prince Albert, the German husband of Queen Victoria brought the tradition to England in 1841, which then followed the English immigrants to America.
“The National Christmas Tree Association” started the annual presentation of a Christmas tree the First Family, where it is displayed in the White House's Blue room. President Lydon B. Johnson being the first to receive in 1966.
The Douglas fir, Balsam fir and Scotch pine are the most popular of the types of evergreens sold in the U.S. for Christmas trees today. Most fragrant are the two firs, the Scotch pine is popular because it can be neglected and not drop many needles.

Twelve Days of Christmas – The Western churches’ date for Jesus’ birth was Dec. 25th, the Eastern churches’ date was Jan. 6th and in the late 4th century they adopted one another’s dates. Christmas now started with Dec. 25th and ended with Epiphany, Jan. 6th, thus giving 12 days of Christmas. Starting in medieval times, Christmas feasting developed into a time of unequaled revelry, mainly in England, where Kings and Bishops tried to out do each other in the splendor of their apparel, entertainment's, pageantry, tournaments, and banquets. Finally in 1647, the celebration of Christmas was outlawed by the Puritan’s Lord Olivar Cromwell. After years of outcry by the people it was restored in England in 1660, but in America it was not restored until the State of Alabama did in 1836 with Oklahoma being the last state to restore it in 1890.
By the way, Gen. Washington and 2,500 continental soldiers crossed the Delaware river on Christmas night in 1776 and caught the German Hessians by surprise, they were still celebrating Christmas. The Americans didn't observe Christmas at this time.
Another note, on Christmas, in 1914 the Germans started singing carols and putting up make-shift Christmas trees in their trenches, the British recognized the tunes and joined in, soon soldiers from both sides were out of the trenches giving presents of anything they had to the 'enemy', even playing football together. The war was back on the next day.

The Twelve Days of Christmas Song, No one seems to know who wrote what seems to be a nonsensical song, but legend has it as being written during the period of time when Roman Catholics in England were not allowed to practice their faith without punishment (which would explain why no one credits themselves for penning it), the song was to help children to remember the tenets of their faith. Many consider this another urban legend though, mainly because everything in the song goes along with both the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church doctrine. And that it seems to have a French origen, not English.
The true love was God Himself.
The me was any baptized person.
The partridge in a pear tree was Christ and may of referred to Matt. 23:37 and Luke 13:34.
The 2 turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
3 French hens stood for faith, hope and love. (1 Cor. 13) The Theological Virtues
The 4 calling birds were the 4 gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Four Evangelists
The 5 golden rings recalled the Torah or law; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. The Law or Pentateuch.
The 6 geese a laying were the 6 days of creation.
The 7 swans a swimming were the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 7:30) The 7 Sacraments.
The 8 maids a milking were the eight Beatitudes. (Matt. 5-6).
The 9 ladies dancing were the 9 truths of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5).
The 10 Lords a leaping were the 10 Commandments.
The 11 pipers piping were the 11 faithful apostles.
The 12 drummers drumming symbolized the 12 points of belief in the Apostle Creed.
Note: In the original version the first 5 gifts were all birds, 1st day = Partridge, 2nd day = 2 Turtle Doves, 3rd day = 3 French Hens, 4th day = 4 Colly Birds (Blackbirds) not Calling birds, and on the 5th day = 5 Golden Rings (referred to ring-necked pheasants) not jewelry. You can see and hear the The 12 days of Christmas here

Wreaths - In ancient Rome, people hung decorative wreaths as sign of victory. The hanging of Christmas wreath seems to have derived from this. Denoting the victory of God over Satan with Jesus' birth into the world.

Wassail - Means “be well”, originally a pagan ritual of saluting fruit trees in the dead of winter by sprinkling a mixture on the roots of select trees and wishing it good luck. The wassail mixture is usually of what's handy like cider, apples and eggs mixed. The wassail procession eventually left the orchards and became a strolling Christmas party with caroling, visiting different houses and being invited in for punch.

Xmas – (abbreviation for Christmas) The Greek letter C, c (pronounced “chi” and looks like the Roman letter X) was a popular abbreviation of the name Christ for the early persecuted Christians, X or “chi” is the first letter of Christ when written in Greek and also resembled the cross. Xmas appeared in use by early Christians. It would not be pronounced Ex-mass, but Christmas. Also common was Xian, abbreviation for Christian. Now most Christians (justified or not) unfamiliar with the Greek reference see it as being disrespectful and an attempt to “X” Christ out of Christmas, which sometimes now is just that.
(ichthys) – means fish in Greek, originally used by early Christians and put inside a shape of a fish, contains the 1st letters of the Greek words, which translates; - Jesus, - Christ, - of God, - Son, - Savior. Many of the 1st and 2nd centuries Christians used the sign to secretly identify themselves to one another and identify safe places for Christians. see pic here

Yule - A very old Germanic feasting time, celebrated when the first snow came. A harvest type of feast, fellowshiping with neighbors for the last time that year before the hardship of winter set in.

Yule log - Burning of fires and bonfires was an important part of the Yule festivals. When Christmas replaced Yule festival the Yule log carried over. It was selected on Candlemas and obtained strictly by the family itself. It had to be lit 12 days before Christmas by a piece of last years Yule log and last until Christmas where it was put out and a piece saved for lighting the next year’s log. Many superstitions surround the Yule log.