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Christmas Facts & Worksheets

Christmas is celebrated by millions of Christians and non-Christians around the world every 25th of December. For Christians, it is the annual celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Many customs and traditions are practiced today to celebrate the Christmas season.

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Christmas is celebrated by millions of Christians and non-Christians around the world every 25th of December. For Christians, it is the annual celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Many customs and traditions are practiced today to celebrate the Christmas season.

See the fact file below for more information on the Christmas or alternatively, you can download our 39-page Christmas worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Christmas Facts

  • The word “Christmas” means Christian Mass. The Anglo-Saxons referred to the holiday as “midwinter” or “nativity.” The term Xmas is not irreligious because “X” means Christ in Greek.
  • For Christians, Christmas means the birth of Jesus. Jesus Christ is also known as the Messiah or Savior who was believed to be born between 7 and 2 B.C. But it was only in the 4th century that the Roman Catholic Church designated the 25th day of December to be Jesus’ birth date.
  • During the late 1300s, the word “noël” was used in the English language. Noël came from the Latin word “natalis”, which means “day of birth.”
  • Christmas wreaths originally symbolized Jesus’ crown of thorns. In addition, the colors red, green, and gold became the traditional Christmas colors. Red represents the blood of Christ, green symbolizes life, and gold stands for light and royalty.
  • The traditions of putting tangerines in stockings came from 12th century nuns who left socks filled with fruits and nuts at the doors of the poor.
  • During the early 16th century, the German Christians were the first to use trees inside their homes. Martin Luther was said to be the first person to use candles to decorate the Christmas tree.
  • St. Francis of Assisi started the custom of singing carols in church during the Christmas season. It came from the English tradition of wassailing. Wassailing was a tradition to toast for someone’s good life and health.
  • One of the most common Christmas figures is Santa Claus. He came from the legend of St. Nicholas, who was born in Patara, an ancient city in present-day Turkey.
  • St. Nicholas became the most famous non-Biblical saint of all time. There are more than 2,000 churches dedicated to him in Germany and France, and 400 in England.
  • In 1819, Washington Irving, author of the Headless Horseman, created the image of Santa Claus riding a sleigh.
  • In 1931, Coca-Cola advertisements solidified the image of Santa Claus that we know today of a jolly, fat man in a red and white suit.
  • The image of Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer, was used by the Montgomery Department Store for Christmas coloring books. The additional reindeer for Santa’s sleigh were later on named in Clement Moore’s poem.
  • Today, we know nine reindeer, namely: Rudolph, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Duner (Donner), and Blixem (Blitzen).
  • Dutch children usually leave milk and cookies out for Santa Claus.
  • Gift-giving is a tradition during the Christmas season. It symbolizes the gifts that the three kings/wise men/magi gave to baby Jesus. Frankincense, gold, and myrrh, the presents from the wise men, were to honor the coming of the king of Jews.
  • In 1857, James Pierpont wrote One Horse Open Sleigh for Thanksgiving, but it became famously known as Jingle Bells.
  • Bing Crosby’s White Christmas became the best-selling Christmas song of all time. It has sold 50 million copies around the world. Over 500 covers have been recorded by various artists in different languages.
  • In 1886, France gave the largest Christmas gift to the United States – the Statue of Liberty.
  • Christmas was declared as a federal holiday in the United States in 1870.
  • The first Christmas cards were produced by Hallmark in 1915.
  • There are two islands named after Christmas. One is the Christmas Island, formerly known as Kiritimati in the Pacific Ocean, and Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. In addition, there are three towns in the United States that are named after Santa Claus. They are in Arizona, Georgia, and Indiana.
  • In 1829, Joel Poinsett bought a flower to the United States that became the traditional Christmas flower. Poinsettia is native to Mexico, where it’s also known as the “Flower of the Holy Night.”
  • Christmas was once made illegal in England. In 1647, Puritan leader Oliver Cromwell considered feasting and other Christmas celebrations to be immoral. It was only lifted when Cromwell lost power over parliament in 1660.
  • Nova Scotia in Canada is the world’s leading exporter of Christmas trees.
  • Boar’s head and mustard were the traditional English Christmas fare before roast turkey – a bird native to North America.
  • Christmas is the most profitable holiday for businesses around the world.
  • Misa de Gallo, or Rooster’s Mass, is a Roman Catholic tradition of attending midnight mass on Christmas Eve. Countries such as the Philippines, Spain, and Portugal still practice this tradition.

Christmas Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Christmas across 39 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Christmas worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Christmas which is celebrated by millions of Christians and non-Christians around the world every 25th of December. For Christians, it is the annual celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Many customs and traditions are practiced today to celebrate the Christmas season.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Christmas Facts
  • The Birth of Jesus
  • Mapping Christmas
  • Santa Claus is Coming to Town
  • Christmas Traditions
  • Life of Jesus Christ
  • Christmas Symbols
  • Dia de Reyes
  • Statue of Liberty
  • Find the Reindeers
  • In the Name of Christmas
  • Famous Christmas Figures
  • Christmas Acrostic
  • Films For Christmas
  • Noche Buena
  • My Christmas Tree
  • Misa de Gallo
  • Christmas Around the World
  • Looking Back
  • A Christmas Carol
  • Merry Christmas

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Link will appear as Christmas Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, November 25, 2022

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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