Written in 1850 by the American James Pierpoint, this tune is now popular all over the world. But not many people know that Mr. Pierpoint originally wrote Jingle Bells as a winter song for Thanksgiving in November. People enjoyed it so much they started singing it at Christmas as well.  The song is about enjoying a sleigh ride in winter down the streets of Boston. The sleighs would have bells on their sides to act as a warning to pedestrians.

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It wouldn´t be Christmas without hearing this magical composition or going to see the famous ballet it is part of. At the very least, you will certainly hear it in one of the many Christmas adverts on T.V.

And who's that guy over on the right? Oh, that's just the man himself hangin' about.  Looks like he's got some sort of a problem... Who? Why, Tchaikovsky, of course!  

Over a hundred years after Wesley wrote the lyrics, Mendelssohn composed a cantata to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Guttenburg's Printed Press. However, the piece was soon chosen to replace the original sombre music of Hark the Herald Angels Sing and give it a much more upbeat tempo. It was adapted to fit the lyrics perfectly. The chap in the photo above is Mendy himself.

Leroy Anderson was an American musical genius and composer of light orchestral music which is often classified as “easy listening”. It has also been referred to as Elevator Music (derogatorily, methinks) since where one would usually hear it was in an elevator (lift) in Amercian department stores like Macy's and Sears as background music on your way up or down.
It was most popular, after the second world war and throughout the fifties. 

Curiously, Sleigh Ride was not intended by Anderson as a Christmas piece but as a work that described winter. It reached the Billboard American Top 20 charts in 1949, played by the famous Boston Pops Orchestra.

Father Christmas lives in the North Pole in his secret workshop with his dedicated elf helpers.

As we're talking about The North Pole, may I just digress a little...

Unlike The South Pole, The North Pole consists only of a giant floating piece of ice, there is no land underneath. Although the area was first explored  in the 19th Century by the British Navy, the territory is divided between Russia, Canada, Norway, Denmark and the U.S.A. But nobody ever found Santa Claus there. Mmm...I wonder why ;-)

Boxing Day, or St. Stephens Day as it is known in most Catholic countries, is the 26th of December. It is traditionally celebrated in England. The name has nothing to do with the sport of boxing; men and women don't go out into the snow  and start hitting each other. Instead, the name has its origins in the early Middle Ages as a day for giving money or gifts to the poor. Throughout the year people used to put money in Church donation boxes and on December 26th these boxes would be opened and the money inside would be given to those who needed it most. But the servants of the upper classes also received a Christmas box with a present inside on December 26th (see next edition of The Moonday Times).

The people of Norway very generously donate a Christmas tree to London. It's not just any tree but a high quality Norwegian Spruce more than 20 meteres tall and at least 50 years old. This tradition has been in place since the end of the Second World War. It is a symbol of thanks for the British Army's military support in the defence of Norway. You can see the Christmas tree proudly displayed in Trafalgar Square and it is lit on the first Thursday of December by the Lord Mayor.

Many people think that St. Nicholas, aka Santa Claus, was Dutch (from Holland). However, he was born in the 4th century in a city called Myra, which now forms part of Turkey. They say he was a rich man who gave money to many of the poor people in his area. In the late Middle Ages, the Dutch took this story and converted him into a legendary figure they called 'Sinterklaas'.  Children left their clogs (wooden Dutch shoes) outside their front doors at Christmas so that Santa Claus would put coins in them.

In most living rooms in Britain, people decorate their Christmas trees with a star at the top. However, some families use an angel instead. The star represents the one that shone over Bethlehem when Jesus was born there. It was this star that the three wise men followed to find Jesus. When a family decorates a Christmas tree, the star is always the last ornament put on because it is considered the most important one.

Many of the Christmas traditions in England today come from pagan traditions that have existed in Europe for thousands of years. Singing Christmas Carols is one of these traditions. People have sung songs during the Winter Solstice to bring life and happiness into their homes during the darkest and coldest time of the year. However, they have changed a little as religious culture has evolved. Christmas Carols nowadays celebrate Jesus, Mary and some saints as well as joy, hope and new opportunities. They were originally written in Latin and later changed into English so that everyone could enjoy them.  Some of the most famous include: Good King Wenceslas, I Saw Three Ships and The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is the story of a cruel old man who is taught to change his ways by the three ghosts of Christmas. It is a world-famous Christmas story. The book focuses on  a miserable old man who never wants to spend or share his money and hates Christmas. But after visits from various spirits he sees that Christmas should be celebrated together and he becomes a kind loving man. Christmas was experiencing a renaissance in England at the time of this book's release and people began sending cards to each other. A certain Prince Albert introduced the Christmas tree to England. As England was becoming less Puritan, this book inspired people to spend more money and time enjoying Christmas with the people they loved the most.

In 1622 Gerard Van Hornthorst finished painting Adoration of the Shepherds, a scene that has been commemorated by many different artists down through history. Painting the nativity scene was very common during the renaissance as it was a popular story. It allowed the artists the opportunity to recreate the birth of Jesus in different settings with different people. In this painting, the characters look more like people from the north of Europe than Jerusalem.

The birth of Jesus Christ is agreed to have happened in 0 A.D in Bethlehem, which today is in Palestine. This point in history divides how we view past events. B.C. means "Before Christ"  and A.D. means "Anno Domini" the year of our lord (i.e. After Christ).

Christmas Pudding, or Plum Pudding, is a special English dessert that comes from the early Middle Ages. It consists of dried fruits, eggs, flour, alcohol  and spices such as cinnamon and  ginger. The pudding can be made up to a year before it is eaten as the alcohol perserves it. For good luck every member of the family must stir the pudding mixture before it is cooked. When served on Christmas day, it is decorated with holly leaves and berries, covered in brandy and set on fire. It is normally served with rum butter, custard or cream.

On 25th December 1066, William the Conqueror, aka William of Normandy was crowned. He became the new King of England, but, ironically, he couldn't speak English! For the early part of his reign he had to show his authority everywhere in the country, demanding the loyalty of all English people. William and his barons built many castles and fortresses in the north and south of England,  including the Tower of London. Any rebellions against him were punished harshly, usually by beheading the offenders.

Isaac Newton, the father of gravity, was born on this day. The story goes that Sir Issac was sitting under a tree (not a Christmas tree) and an apple fell from above hitting him on the head. This was the inspiration for his theory explaining why objects will always fall to the ground from an elevated position.

Hey, when I come to think of it, even my canary could have worked that one out. He's always faling off his perch and he never falls up!