Alumawood Presents: Holiday Myths

The holidays are full of traditions, but along with those traditions come holiday myths. Some are superstitions, some are believed as fact, and some are downright silly! Read on to see if the things you believe about the holiday season are true or false.

• May the Force re-gift you. There is a rumor floating around among Star Wars fans that a holiday special once appeared, based on the popular science-fiction films. This one happens to be true! It appeared on CBS around Thanksgiving of 1978, but was made without the full cooperation of George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars. Mr. Lucas reportedly hated the seasonal special so much that he bought the rights to it and would destroy every copy of it, if he could. Bootleg copies do exist, but they are extremely rare.

• Poinsettias are poisonous. This one is false! It has long been widely reported that poinsettias will kill pets or children who decide to sample them for a holiday treat. While it is not advisable to eat poinsettias, since they do contain toxins that will probably make you sick, there is no reason to avoid bringing their gorgeous blooms into your home.

• Christmas trees spark allergies. This is another persistent but false rumor. In fact, the Christmas tree industry runs a special campaign each year to dismiss this and other falsehoods about their cheery evergreens. Some people are allergic to tree pollens, but pine pollens are not a known allergen. Even if they were, Christmas trees are extremely unlikely to produce pollen during the month of December, so feel free to visit a tree farm for a fun outing with your family!

• There are many Christmas superstitions, of which you may not even be aware. Did you know that it used to be considered a bad omen to kiss under the mistletoe? Fortunately, we have not seen any evidence to back that up, so smooch away! Bringing greenery into the house was once thought to be a way of ensuring new growth the following year. There is no evidence to support that either, but it is still a nice tradition to bring the outdoors in for a while, so this is one of the holiday myths we do not mind believing.

Whatever your holiday traditions, we at Alumawood hope you have a warm and wonderful season. Once the weather warms up again, and your thoughts turn to lounging on your patio, check out our website to see how we can help! For a deeper connection, join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Happy holidays!

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