Christmas
Facts Examined
1.
Bert and Ernie are the policeman and the taxi driver who are friends
of George Bailey.
2.
In 1931, artist Haddon Sundblom began an extensive series of paintings
for advertisements depicting Santa Claus with a bottle of Coca
Cola. He clothed the old saint exclusively in the company colors
of red and white. Up until then, Santa had been portrayed in a
variety of colors. These ads, promoted world-wide, changed Santa's
image forever.
3.
The first publication of the poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas"
used the Dutch "Dunder and Blixem" (meaning thunder and lightning)
as the names for two of the tiny reindeer. Some 21 years later,
when Clement Moore placed the poem in a book among some of his
works, he changed the pair's names to "Donder and Blitzen." "Blitzen"
is the German word for lightning, but "Donder" is meaningless.
The name "Donner," the actual German for thunder wasn't used until
1949, when the song, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, was
written.
4.The
song was based on a children's booklet, titled Rudolph, the
Ninth Reindeer, written in 1939 as a promotion for Montgomery
Ward's department store. The booklet's author, Robert L. May,
first tried to name the hero of his story "Rollo" and then "Reginald"
but both names were rejected by the client. Then May's daughter
suggested "Rudolph" and everyone was happy.
5.
Actually, artificial trees made of feathers and other natural
materials were introduced in Europe not long after Christmas trees
became popular. Nevertheless, the first commercial artificial
trees that could hold heavy ornaments were manufactured by the
Addis Brush Company using machines that were designed to make
toilet-bowl brushes.
6.The
fact that "Five gold rings" refers to gold-ringed pheasants has
escaped the attention of many music publishers who seem not to
have questioned the insertion of jewelry in a sequence of bird
gifts.
7.
According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, both male
and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer. Each year, male
reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter. Female
reindeer, however, retain their antlers until after they give
birth in the spring. Therefore, any reindeer having antlers at
Christmastime – as Santa's crew are generally depicted – must
be female.
8.
"Colly" is an English term for a blackbird. Many music publishers
mistakenly have substituted "calling." There is no such thing
as a "calling bird."
9.
"Plum" meant "plump" or "swell" – which is what the raisins did
when the pudding was cooked.
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