6 Fun Facts about Winter holiday lingo

It's that time of year where the big man in red, with the frosty white beard, stealthily slides down your chimney with a ho-ho-whole lot of presents to put under that Christmas conifer (er, I mean tree) in the spacious living room of yours. Just don't forget to set out a plate of cookies au lait (what I mean is with milk... sorry) to say “gracias” (which means “thank you”... here we go again) for the well-deserved gifts. Take a look at the unique and somewhat unusual origins and history behind some of the popular lingo you will surely hear about during the Winter holiday season.



What is a holiday party without some phoradendron – or in plain terms – mistletoe ! This feisty little sprig of green shrubbery has the unexplained power to make almost anyone within inches of each other (and under the mistletoe) want to lock lips during the holiday season. Maybe it won't seem as romantic to know that mistletoe is actually poisonous to humans if consumed, but it provides nutritious food for creatures like birds and butterflies. Mistletoe also provides an important source of pollen and nectar for bees. It still makes a great centerpiece of a room, don't you think?



Sometimes, we just need to laugh with a “ha ha ha” (typical laughter), “hee hee” (giggle), “teehee” (cute giggle), or a “muahaha” (very evil laughter). But you might get a strange look if you laugh aloud with a “Ho Ho Ho” . Only Santa can pull this off! The term “ho” is actually used to call or attract attention to oneself, sometimes used after a word referring to land. For example, sailors in the olden days are said to have hollered phrases like: Eastward ho! or Land ho! During Christmas, however, jolly old Santa Claus supposedly “ho ho ho's” heartily as an exclamation or expression of amusement as found in many 19th century representations of the cheery man. There are many ways to laugh, but Santa probably does it best!



With Rudolph's nose so red and bright, can he and his brethren really fly? Well, only during Christmas Eve it seems... but normally, reindeer are excellent swimmers (at about 4-6 mph) and fast runners with their hooves acting like snowshoes for extra traction. More interesting is that both male and female reindeer have antlers! The origins of the word 'reindeer' come from ancient languages: 'deer' originates from the Middle English word 'der' meaning “beast” and from the Old English word 'dor'. The origins of 'rein' comes from the Old Norse word 'hreinn'. Far from being beastly, reindeer are said to be gentle animals, nice enough that they won't make fun of you or other reindeer!



The holiday season just doesn't seem complete without some festive food and drinks. One of the most traditional (and likely creamiest) beverages during Christmas time is eggnog , which is typically made of cream, milk, sugar, raw eggs (lots of it), cinnamon, and nutmeg. While this beverage supposedly originated in Norfolk, England as a strong ale, the word 'eggnog' comes from a Middle English term which literally means: eggs inside a small, wooden, carved mug that is used to serve alcohol. The actual 'nog' is defined as “any beverage made with beaten eggs, usually with alcoholic liquor.” However, most of the 'nog' served at holiday parties seem to lack the booze altogether, but no complaints.

...PART 2 in the next post!...