The first places to have entered into Christmas were Samoa and Kiribati's appositely-named Christmas Island. A whole day later, Samoan Islands on the other side of the international Date Line will finally enter their own Christmas Day.
Santa usually starts at the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean and travels west. So, historically, Santa visits the South Pacific first, then New Zealand and Australia.
1510 – The first written record of a decorated Christmas Tree comes from Riga, Latvia. Men of the local merchants' guild decorated a tree with artificial roses, danced around it in the marketplace and then set fire to it.
Where did Christmas start? As outlined above, Christmas was first formally celebrated in Ancient Rome on 25 December 336 AD. Before this, the early beginnings of the Christmas spirit as we know it today could be found in the pagan rituals of Saturnalia and Sol Invictus.
An Unexpected Christmas Gift First Country to See the Sunrise on Christmas Day 2022
Which country will see Christmas Day first?
Interestingly enough, the first inhabited place in the world to see the sun rise on Christmas Day is Kiritimati, also known as Christmas Island. It's not to be confused with the other Christmas Island, which is hundreds of miles northwest of Australia.
The date of the birth of Jesus is not stated in the gospels or in any historical sources and the evidence is too incomplete to allow for consistent dating. However, most biblical scholars and ancient historians believe that his birth date is around 6 to 4 BC.
The German Christmas Market, or Krist Kindle Market (meaning Christ Child Market) looks to have had its start in the late middle ages. The Christmas Market in Dresden was first held in 1434 and is one of the oldest Christmas markets. There are hundreds of similar holiday markets all across Europe.
In Germany, it is still customary to put up real trees and decorate them with real candles. In the evening, the presents brought by the Christ Child or Father Christmas are traditionally placed under the Christmas tree. Then the presents are distributed.
The modern Christmas tree originated in Germany, where families set up a paradise tree in their homes on December 24, the religious feast day of Adam and Eve.
So, historically, Santa visits the South Pacific first, then New Zealand and Australia. After that, he shoots up to Japan, over to Asia, across to Africa, then onto Western Europe, Canada, the United States, Mexico and Central and South America.
Nicholas. He was the Bishop of Myra in the 4th century and his traditional robes were red and white. Nicholas was known for his generosity and kindness towards children. Some historians argue that he originally dressed in different colors, but after he passed away, his legend grew—including his scarlet apparel.
The origins of Sinterklaas can be found in the stories of St Nicholas, a 4th-century Greek bishop from Myra, now in modern-day Turkey. St Nicholas was credited with a wide variety of miracles.
Norway. Christmas is big in Norway, as you could probably imagine. Particularly, Christmas Eve. The celebrations start at 5 PM on this date, when the churches of the country ring their Christmas bells and the population eats dinner.
In the 19th century, German immigrants brought the Christmas tree to America, where it gained widespread popularity in 1846 after being depicted in a sketch featuring Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
New Year's Eve celebrations generally continue into New Year's Day, 1 January, past midnight. The local time zone determines the advent of the New Year; the first places to welcome the New Year are west of the International Date Line: the Line Islands (part of Kiribati), Samoa and Tonga, in the Pacific Ocean.
In its original Hebrew form, Jesus' name was Yeshua, a shortened version of Yehoshua (Joshua). The name carries the powerful meaning "Yahweh saves" or "Yahweh is salvation," or just simply, “salvation” emphasizing God's role as the Savior.
Who wrote the Bible? Its books have no bylines. Tradition long identified Moses as the author of the Pentateuch, with Ezra as editor. Ancient readers also suggested that David wrote the psalms and Solomon wrote Proverbs and Qohelet.
This is American Samoa. Located in the South Pacific, the island nation is the last inhabited land mass where the clock strikes midnight. Halfway between Hawaii in the north and New Zealand in the south, American Samoa is known for its rich blue hues, its historical sites, its beaches and its relationship with time.
The theory suggests the Catholic Church in Rome, Italy, began celebrating Christmas on December 25 in 336 CE to replace the pagan celebrations. However, several ancient manuscripts and theories reveal that the original celebrations of Christmas began even earlier than 336 CE.
In many European countries, including Slovakia, Czech Republic, Germany, France, and the Scandinavian nations, Christmas is traditionally celebrated on the evening of December 24th. This practice originates from the Christian tradition of holding a Christmas Eve commemorating Jesus Christ's birth.
The English folk figure "Father Christmas" originally wore green robes which eventually turned red over time. This was mainly due to St Nicholas, whose legend modern portrayals of Father Christmas are based on, often appearing in paintings and illustrations wearing red-coloured robes.
But in 1931, Coca‑Cola commissioned illustrator Haddon Sundblom to paint Santa for Christmas advertisements. Those paintings established Santa as a warm, happy character with human features, including rosy cheeks, a white beard, twinkling eyes and laughter lines.
