Holiday Myths: Fact or Fiction?

The holiday season is coming to a close with only the New Year remaining. This time of year is rife with rumors and old wive’s tales from poisonous poinsettias to curing holiday hangovers. But what is fact and what is fiction? We’ll break down some holiday myths so you don’t have to.

Holiday Myths: Fact or Fiction?

Myth 1: Are Poinsettias Poisonous?

Poinsettias are a Christmas staple here in the US, but that wasn’t always the case. They became popular in the 1800s after Joel Poinset, the US Ambassador to Mexico, began collecting and propagating the red blooms. These flowers occupy a place in the Christian holiday because of a sweet Mexican legend. According to the story, a little girl presented the humble gift of a bouquet of weeds she gathered a the roadside to the church on Christmas Eve. Because it was all she had to give and she gave it willingly, the weeds burst into beautiful red flowers in a Christmas miracle. To this day the bright blooms are often a holiday staple! Now for the myth surrounding them: you may have seen warnings about keeping Poinsettias out of your winter decor because of the potential for accidental poisoning. This myth is resoundingly false. The sap is mildly irritating (it’s also the basis for Latex!) and may cause a rash, and if you chew on the leaves you’ll probably get sick, but they aren’t deadly or even significantly harmful to humans or pets.

Myth 2: More Booze Cures Holiday Hangover

If you’ve ever had a bad hangover, you may have been told to drink a beer or a bloody mary to cure your queasiness. While this old wives’ tale does seem to be effective, the science behind what’s happening is more complicated. By drinking more alcohol to soothe your symptoms, it’s actually just medicating a mild withdrawal from a substance with more of the offending substance. You’ll feel better short term, but later you’re going to have an even worse hangover. Alcohol is dehydrating and sugary, so the best way to recover from too much fun is drink lots of water throughout the night while you’re drinking, and lots of water both before bed and as soon as you wake up. But if we’re being candid, the best way to avoid a hangover is moderation. This myth is false!

Myth 3: People Put on the Pounds During the Holidays

Most of our New Year’s Resolutions will contain a clause about working off that holiday weight we put on, but is this a scientific phenomenon? Well, yes and no. People do tend to eat more and eat less healthily during the holidays, but the actual amount of weight we gain as a nation is hard to pin down. There is definitely a trend of excess that leads to minor weight gain, but it is the repetition year in and year out that causes more harm. The consensus seems to be that moderation is important, and an extra slice of pie or two won’t kill you. This myth is half-true.