8 Myths About Christmas That Some People Really Believe

Many traditions surrounding the Christian religious holiday of Christmas are newer than we thought. It is surprising that the traditions we tell each other are mixed up. There are many myths about Christmas stories and traditions.

Christmas may be a day for celebrating the birth of Jesus, but that doesn't mean he was born on the 25th. There is no universally accepted date of birth for the guy, even if he was a historical figure. He wasn't born in the year 0. According to the story, King Herod tried to kill Jesus in the 4th century BC. If the king became a zombie after his death, that detail would have been mentioned.

What about the 25th of December? It was decided to honor Jesus's birth centuries after the fact. shepherds weren't likely to have had their sheep out in the fields in December and censuses were done in the fall.

It would be pretty cool if it was true. The story goes that the shamans wore red and white in order to match the colors of the mushrooms they sold. They were unable to make their door-to-door sales in the winter because many doors were blocked by snow. The mushrooms were hung to dry on the branches of the tree.

The details don't look right. Houses and yurts of the area weren't built in ways that would block the inhabitants in the winter, there was no documentation of mushrooms being distributed this way, and Santa's red outfit came from a different European.

There is a Swedish tradition of using red and white mushrooms for religious visions and as medicine. The shaman might climb up an indoor tree to the smoke hole to see out. While parts of the story may sound familiar, inviting a shaman to go on a mushroom trip is not a Christmas ritual.

The Dutch call the person Santa Claus because he is the reincarnation of Saint Nicholas. In early December, the saint will deliver coins and candy to children's shoes or socks.

The tradition is based on a legend in which the saint saved three girls from being slaves or sex workers by dropping off gold coins at their house. He resurrected three boys who had been dead. We don't reenact that one either.

The poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas" combined the saint with Christmas celebrations. Some families still have children put their shoes out for treats on December 6 as a way of getting ready for the gifts later in the month.

Many of the details of artworks and nativity scenes don't come from biblical descriptions, but from guesses at the bare bones of the story in the text. One of the two biblical versions of the story has wise men bearing gifts in one of them. Three people are depicted with one gift. The names of the three kings were given in later depictions.