50+ Lifestyles

December History

By Jennifer Kohel

December 1 World Aids Day
December 3 International Day of Disabled Persons
December 5 Bathtub Party Day
December 6 Coats and Toys for Kids Day
December 6 St Nicholas Day
December 7 National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
December 11 UNICEF Birthday
December 16 National Chocolate-covered anything Day
December 17 Wright Brothers Day
December 24 Christmas Eve
December 25 Christmas
December 26 Boxing Day(Canada)
December 31 New Year’s Eve

Weekly Observations
Cookie Cutter Week December 1-7
Human Rights Week December 10-17
Hanukkah(Chanukah) December 12-19
Gluten-free Baking Week December 14-20
It’s About Time Week December 25-31
Kwanzaa December 26-January 1

December Fun Facts

Christmas Pig or Boar
Do you know the real tradition is to have a boar(pig) for Christmas and not a Goose or Turkey? This dates way back to the Norse folklore where boar was served in Valhalla, the mythical hall where Odin received the souls of heroes who had fallen in battle.

Having a Christmas Ham is about as close as we get to this old custom today.

Christmas Cards
The first Christmas card printer was Lewis Prang in Roxbury, Massachusetts, and the artwork featured biblical nativity scenes as well as characters like Santa Claus and social events like shopping and hanging stockings.

Christmas Trees
The Christmas Tree came to the U.S. from Germany. However, the origin is not in Germany, but is actually from Egypt. The Egyptians held a mid-winter festival in honor of their god Horus, and they used a palm tree with 12 shoots(one for each month).

Some Christmas Phobias

Ochlophobia or Agoraphobia Fear of Crowds
Katagelophobia Fear of ridicule or embarrassment
Mythophobia Fear of making a false statement
Pogonophobia Fear of Beards
Pediophobia Fear of Children or Dolls
Dronophobia Fear of Driving on Expressways