It's Christmas - Make a wish!

Everything good this season has to offer; may all be yours this Christmas! Merry Christmas! So, why do we say Merry Christmas? Although we do not know for sure why and how people started to use Merry Christmas, historians believe that the greeting dates back to 1534 in London when bishop John Fisher, in a letter to Henry VIII's chief minister Thomas Cromwell wrote these words! A few scholars have also noted that the phrase was also used in the 16th century English carol "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."

Is Santa real?
Yes, Santa is real in the sense that he was an actual person. The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back to the



3rd century. His actual name was Saint Nicholas and was born 280 A.D. in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey. According to historians, he was very kind to others and often gave gifts to people in need. Santa Claus (a phonetic derivation of "Sinterklaas" in Dutch), also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa
, is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Christmas Eve of toys and candy or coal or nothing, depending on whether they are "naughty or nice". Many studies from the United States and around the Western world show that the kids stop believing in Santa Claus when they attain the (average) age of 8.

Who sent the first official Christmas card?
It is believed that Queen Victoria was the first "official" person to send a Christmas card. However, the first commercial card came in 1843 when Sir Henry Cole produced 1000 and sold them for one shilling each. There are currently only 12 of these cards left in the world. A few years ago, one of them fetched £30,000 in an auction!

Why do we say Merry Christmas?
The merrymaking of the holiday like in the classic Christmas Carol ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’ may have motivated people to use the term "Merry" instead of Happy and since then they communicated irrespective of belief systems to spread the messages of love, joy and well wishes.

It's Christmas - Make a wish!