"He sees you when you're sleeping"

Three weird things I've learned about Christmas:

1. The song "Jingle Bells" was written in 1850 or 1851 by a guy named James Lord Pierpont, in Medford, Massachusetts. He was the music director of a Unitarian Church in Boston and wanted to have something to play for THANKSGIVING at his Sunday school class. He wrote it one afternoon while he was at a bar called the Simpson Tavern. Which may explain why he didn't remember when it was written. The kids liked it, the adults liked it but they decided to change a couple of words and use it as a Christmas song. It was published in 1857, but he never really made any money from it.

2. Mistletoe plants attract a bird called the Mistle Thrush. The Mistle Thrush eats the berries, swallows the seeds and then leaves droppings containing the seeds which grow into more mistletoe plants. Which is why the word "mistletoe" came from an old German word meaning "dung on a branch". So, kiss away lovers.

3. In the country of Iceland, they have 13 Santas! They are called the "Yuletide Lads". (Yeah, I'm going to say someone is sending the elves to do Santa's job) Their Christmas season last 26 days, and a different "lad" shows up every night with presents. The story goes that their mom - a woman named "Grýla", used to kidnap kids who were naughty. So kids, hate to have to send you to Iceland, but if you keep screaming in the mall.....

 

More From 100.7 WITL