Oftentimes people forget or perhaps aren’t even aware that Christmas is a sort of Christian “rebranding” of Saturnalia, the Roman holiday celebrating the winter solstice. Both gift-giving and some decorations were, reportedly, part of this holiday long before it was associated with the birth of Christ.

The Romans weren’t the only culture to celebrate the winter solstice, for example, the Germanic people had the concept of Yule, a word which we still use today. Similarly, the Celts understood the significance of this time of year and would even decorate trees in its honor. All in all, some form of “Christmas” can be found all over the world. 

Indeed, the tree is perhaps the most enduring symbol of Christmas. Its current incarnation, as an evergreen tree with some decorations most likely originated with Protestant Germans in the 15th century in North Eastern Germany or in what is now the Baltic States. The rest of the decorations would evolve over time as various craftspeople tried their hands at making something unique. 

For example, possibly the most iconic Christmas decoration, the glass ornament, is relatively modern, first being created in 19th century Germany. In a curious twist of fate, the decorations were discovered by Frank Winfield Woolworth, of Woolworth's fame, who brought them to the United States. 

One of the most wonderful parts of Christmas is just how festive everything begins to look. If you are lucky, many public spaces will be lit up and decorated to brighten up the longer winter nights. Flashing lights, candles, and banners all play their part in turning a normally gray and somewhat depressing time of year into something much more enjoyable. 

If you live in North America, it can often feel like you don’t even get a break from the festivities. Between Halloween, Thanksgiving, and then Christmas, there is always something going on, from events to just decorations all over the place. It might not be to everyone’s taste, but it can be a nice way to spice things up visually. 

Traditionally, most places are decorated by or around the first advent, but sometimes Christmas starts to “creep into” the end of Thanksgiving. Which can be quite jarring, for example, walking into a mall at the end of November and catching those first notes of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”

At the same time, depending on one's religious denomination, the exact date of Christmas will vary. This can even extend to when one opens gifts. In much of Latin America, one might open them on Christmas Eve. The Easter Church, which operates on a different calendar, doesn't even celebrate Christmas until January 7th. 

So if you have “accidentally” left your decorations this late, just say you are embracing everybody's Christmas. Some superstitions, particularly in the UK, state that if you don’t take down your decorations by the 6th of January (the twelfth night) you then have to leave it up until the following twelfth night, which just sounds like an excuse made up by a lazy dad. 

The first electrically lit-up Christmas tree originated in the United States, which had 80, hand-wired light bulbs, in red white, and blue. Its creator, Edward H. Johnson, who set it up in 1882 was ignored at first. But within two decades, electric lights on trees, windows, and practically everything else had become the norm in the US. 

Since then, material innovations, disposable income, and accessible tutorials have all “banded together” to allow people with that spark for DIY to impress the internet. So if you are interested in more clever Christmas ideas, Bored Panda has you covered, check out our articles about the best creations for Christmas of 2022 and 2021.