Balls on the Christmas Tree and Other Fun Stuff
Ever wonder why there are balls on the Christmas tree, or why you say bless you when someone sneezes? Well I'm going to share my knowledge about that and more. But first, some other pointless things you may or may not find interesting.
The money I see in Iowa while taking change at Wendy's is crazy. I have found more wheat pennies, old dimes, and Canadian money here than anywhere else, and I'm not entirely sure why. I lived in northern Idaho for a few months, and was a cashier at Safeway, and even there, being just a couple hours south of Canada, I did not come upon as much Canadian change as I do here, in central USA. Crazy money!
The game 'ring around the rosies' was created with inspiration from Europe's great black plague that swept across the continent back in the day. "Ring around the rosies, pockets full of posies" refers to the roses and posies that plague stricken victims would keep in their pockets to help hide the awful smell of their decaying and dying bodies. And in one version, the words "ashes, ashes" refer to the form of body disposal one would receive if the black plague took one's life. The plagued bodies were burnt to help stop the disease from spreading. In the other version, the words are "achoo, achoo" which is in reference to the fateful sneeze many victims would spew moments before their death. And of course "we all fall down" ties in with the actual dead part. What a great little song to teach children, eh?
So you read about the achoo, achoo part? Good. That pretty much explains why people say bless you when we sneeze. It first came about during that same black plague, when someone would sneeze. Because there would often be a sneeze just a moment before death, people started saying bless you, and its stuck ever since.
For those who actually celebrate Christmas for what it is, the celebration of the believed time of the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ, you might want to reconsider hanging those ball ornaments on your Christmas tree this winter, no matter how cute they may be or how nice they make the tree look. The origin of the balls not only has nothing to do with Christmas, but is pretty much evil and represents the opposite of what Christ taught the people of this world. There are two parts to this tale, so let part one begin....now,
Back in the day, in England, when kings and queens still ruled, there was a monarch who was forcibaly removed from their position of power by others in the royal family and network of nobles associated with the crown. I dont remember who it was, but I'm sure someone could look it up, it is true and can be found I'm sure. Maybe it was one of the King Carles', or one of the James'. Whoever it was, they were forced out and someone's royal cousin, who was actually a prince or something of Germany, was invited to take the crown. When he arrived in England he brought along some of his German customs, which included the Christmas tree.
Okay, that first part is important, because you need to learn that the Christmas tree was a German concept that reached the rest of the civilized world through way of English adoption of the concept. Now that you know that, here's the exact history of these balls. Now back before Germany had borders and was an actual country, there were many "tribes" or german groups who lived, spread across the area of what became Germany. Often times, these tribes would war with each other, or the Romans, or other enemies. One common practice, as you may now have guessed, was chopping heads off of their enemies in combat and hanging them up on trees as a show of power and intimidation. Now somewhere along the line, some genius thought it would be a good idea to make ornaments resembling these heads, and it eventually evolved into the present day Christmas tree decoration you can pick up at almost any store. This is not urban legend, and you can now make an informed decision.....is Christmas about you and a pretty Christmas tree...or about the celebration of our Holiest brother and most awesome son of God, Jesus Christ?
And my closing statement: You are a big fat jerk if you go to any non fast- food establishment and order something within ten minutes of closing. With fast food restaurants its okay, because that food can be made quickly and its no bother. But in a regular restaurant or food department, going to eat minutes before they close can cause several people to have to stay quite a while longer. Sometimes up to an hour....so dont be a jerk, eat earlier.
The money I see in Iowa while taking change at Wendy's is crazy. I have found more wheat pennies, old dimes, and Canadian money here than anywhere else, and I'm not entirely sure why. I lived in northern Idaho for a few months, and was a cashier at Safeway, and even there, being just a couple hours south of Canada, I did not come upon as much Canadian change as I do here, in central USA. Crazy money!
The game 'ring around the rosies' was created with inspiration from Europe's great black plague that swept across the continent back in the day. "Ring around the rosies, pockets full of posies" refers to the roses and posies that plague stricken victims would keep in their pockets to help hide the awful smell of their decaying and dying bodies. And in one version, the words "ashes, ashes" refer to the form of body disposal one would receive if the black plague took one's life. The plagued bodies were burnt to help stop the disease from spreading. In the other version, the words are "achoo, achoo" which is in reference to the fateful sneeze many victims would spew moments before their death. And of course "we all fall down" ties in with the actual dead part. What a great little song to teach children, eh?
So you read about the achoo, achoo part? Good. That pretty much explains why people say bless you when we sneeze. It first came about during that same black plague, when someone would sneeze. Because there would often be a sneeze just a moment before death, people started saying bless you, and its stuck ever since.
For those who actually celebrate Christmas for what it is, the celebration of the believed time of the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ, you might want to reconsider hanging those ball ornaments on your Christmas tree this winter, no matter how cute they may be or how nice they make the tree look. The origin of the balls not only has nothing to do with Christmas, but is pretty much evil and represents the opposite of what Christ taught the people of this world. There are two parts to this tale, so let part one begin....now,
Back in the day, in England, when kings and queens still ruled, there was a monarch who was forcibaly removed from their position of power by others in the royal family and network of nobles associated with the crown. I dont remember who it was, but I'm sure someone could look it up, it is true and can be found I'm sure. Maybe it was one of the King Carles', or one of the James'. Whoever it was, they were forced out and someone's royal cousin, who was actually a prince or something of Germany, was invited to take the crown. When he arrived in England he brought along some of his German customs, which included the Christmas tree.
Okay, that first part is important, because you need to learn that the Christmas tree was a German concept that reached the rest of the civilized world through way of English adoption of the concept. Now that you know that, here's the exact history of these balls. Now back before Germany had borders and was an actual country, there were many "tribes" or german groups who lived, spread across the area of what became Germany. Often times, these tribes would war with each other, or the Romans, or other enemies. One common practice, as you may now have guessed, was chopping heads off of their enemies in combat and hanging them up on trees as a show of power and intimidation. Now somewhere along the line, some genius thought it would be a good idea to make ornaments resembling these heads, and it eventually evolved into the present day Christmas tree decoration you can pick up at almost any store. This is not urban legend, and you can now make an informed decision.....is Christmas about you and a pretty Christmas tree...or about the celebration of our Holiest brother and most awesome son of God, Jesus Christ?
And my closing statement: You are a big fat jerk if you go to any non fast- food establishment and order something within ten minutes of closing. With fast food restaurants its okay, because that food can be made quickly and its no bother. But in a regular restaurant or food department, going to eat minutes before they close can cause several people to have to stay quite a while longer. Sometimes up to an hour....so dont be a jerk, eat earlier.