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Christmas market in Frankfurt, 20 December 2014Reuters 
Santa Clause shape decoration at the Silverado manufacture of hand-blown Christmas ornaments in the town of Jozefow outside Warsaw December 2, 2014Reuters 
Figures are pictured at a so-called "Lichterhaus" (light house) with Christmas decorations and lights in Berlin, December 10, 2014. Every year hundreds of houses across Germany are decorated by their owners with lights ahead of Christmas.Reuters 
A house in the town of Stolberg near the western German city of Aachen is decorated for Christmas with some 200,000 LED lights December 16, 2014Reuters 
Christmas lights in Berlin, December 19, 2014Reuters 
Three illuminated reindeer are seen at an decorated Christmas house in the town of Stolberg near the western German city of Aachen December 16, 2014Reuters 
A house and garden is illuminated ahead of Christmas in Olching near Munich December 11, 2014.Reuters 
People dressed as Santa Claus and the Russian equivalent Father Frost warm up near a Christmas tree before running in a charitable race on the embankment of the Moskva river in Moscow, December 21, 2014. Five hundred runners took part in the event titled "Happy Run" held to provide seriously ill children with financial aidReuters
People all over the world are busy decorating their houses with cribs and Christmas trees, awaiting the arrival of Santa Claus.
But there are a few facts that one may not know known about the winter season festival.
- One has been taught from childhood that Christmas day is the birth of Jesus Christ and thus we celebrate his birthday. But the Holy Bible does not mention about 25 December. Apparently, some historians have a belief that He was born during the spring.
- It was the Germans who originally brought the idea of a Christmas tree. They used bring these trees home in their holidays and used to decorate them.
And when the German Prince Albert married Queen Victoria of Great Britain, the country welcomed the tradition as well. The couple's sketch in front of the Christmas tree made it popular. - Santa Claus didn't always have a beard. According to a book, "One-Night Stands with American History", 17th century Dutch settlers brought the image of jolly fat man as 'tall, slender and very dignified' without his trademark beard.
- From AD 1659 to 1681, the people of Boston were fined, if they were caught celebrating Christmas. There it was announced illegal during this period.
- Santa Claus comes from St Nicholas, a Christian bishop, who lived in Turkey in the fourth century AD. He had inherited a great deal of wealth, which he used to give away to the needy.
- Santa Claus' traditional red outfit eventually came into existence from the 1930s through a Coca Cola ad. Initially, he was seen in blue, white and green robes.
- The "Silent Night" song is the most recorded Christmas song in history with over 733 different versions.
- The famous "Jingle Bells" was actually composed as a Thanksgiving song, but it turned out to be the most popular Christmas rhyme.
Check out the above slideshow of Christmas decorations all over the world.
