Christmas Facts
England has only known seven white Christmases in the entire twentieth century. According to the records of the Meteorological Office in London, snow fell on Christmas Day only in 1938 and 1976. (The definition of a white Christmas in England is when one snowflake falls on the roof of the London Weather Centre.)Christmas crackers were invented by Thomas Smith. He had imported some French novelties to sell as Christmas gifts, but these were not popular until he wrapped them up and added a snapper.
Postmen in Victorian England were popularly called "robins". This was because their uniforms were red. Victorian Christmas cards often showed a robin delivering Christmas mail.
Silent Night was written in 1818, by an Austrian priest Joseph Mohr. He was told the day before Christmas that the church organ was broken and would not be prepared in time for Christmas Eve. He was saddened by this and could not think of Christmas without music, so he wanted to write a carol that could be sung by choir to guitar music. He sat down and wrote three stanzas. Later that night the people in the little Austrian Church sang "Stille Nacht" for the first time.
Santa's Reindeers are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen.
Due to the time zones, Santa has 31 hours to deliver gifts? This means that he would have to visit 832 homes each second!
A very British tradition, nothing quite like it is found elsewhere in Europe or America. The word is made up of two Greek words, "panto" means all kinds and "mimos" is a type of silent acting which we still know today as mime. Originally it was an entertainment without words, in which actors - including men dressed as women, and women dresed as men - took part. These silent comedies were enjoyed particularly during the Roman Saturnalia festivities. The Roman tradition of mime was brought to Britain during the Roman occupation.It was during the Victorian age that pantomime as we know it became the most popular of all Christmas entertainment for children. Many of today's pantomimes are from very old stories. Babes in the Wood first appeared in England about 500 years ago. Puss in Boots and The Sleeping Beauty are over 450 years old. In 1717 The Arabian Nights stories were translated into English and some became pantomimes, including, Aladdin and His Magic Lantern, Sinbad the Sailor, and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. Dick Whittington, Robinson Crusoe, and Robin Hood are all Victorian creations.
posted by Londons Premier Tour Operator @ 9:23 AM
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