19 Christmas Traditions With A Surprising History

Christmas, for those of us who don’t work retail, is a joyous time of year, full of food, drink, and festivity. As a holiday that’s grown (with the helpful nudge of old-fashioned capitalism) into a bonafide industry, it comes with a bonafide truckload of traditions, old and new. Some, like the Elf on the Shelf, have been quietly terrifying ever since their inception. However, some traditions that at first glance are as wholesome as an unlikely animal friendship actually have a much more unsettling past.

Read on for 19 Christmas tradition facts guaranteed to bum out any group of carolers that knocks on your door!