If you've ever watched Clark Griswold decorate his house in Christmas Vacation, that probably doesn't come as much of a surprise. It measured 221 ft. tall. In 2018, total retail sales in November and December hit a staggering $717.45 billion. 01 The first Christmas happened in 336 AD in Rome. 30 Interesting Christmas Facts to Impress Your Friends and Family. Generous old St. Nick (remember, that's his trademark!) 1. “Jingle Bells” was written for Thanksgiving, not Christmas. Well, back in the nineteenth century postmen wore red tunics and were nicknamed ‘Robin Postmen’. 15 Shocking Facts About Holiday Shopping iStock The holidays bring out shoppers like no other time of the year, and if you get a little overwhelmed by the commercial bonanza, you’re not alone. We tend to think of Christmas dinner as rather set, sticking to a tried-and-true formula; a roast of some kind, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, … The Jamestown settlers created the first American batch of eggnog, although it may not have tasted quite the way we know and love today. If your enquiry is regarding your entry or an event you are trying to enter, please contact the event organiser directly. In fact, he bestowed eight tiny reindeer on the big man. Everyone loves Home Alone, but did you know that Daniel Stern, the actor who played the baddie Marv, didn’t like spiders? Are you sure you want to re-subscribe? You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, Your Favorite Fast Food Spots Are Open on Xmas, Put These Sweet Sentiments in Your Christmas Cards, Phew! The tradition of Christmas trees goes all the way back to ancient Egyptians and Romans, who marked the winter solstice with evergreens as a reminder that spring would return. Green symbolizes eternal life. That includes gifts for faraway loved ones, cards, letters to Santa and those dreaded credit card bills after we put our holiday purchases on plastic (oops). Random/Interesting Christmas Facts . After the Revolutionary War, the day was so unimportant that Congress even held their first session on December 25, 1789. The researchers found that in order to deliver all of his presents on Christmas Eve Santa would need to travel at 650 miles per second and visit 822 homes a second – no wonder he needs to eat so many mince pies. Christmas as a "day off" is a recent innovation. We are not allowed to re-subscribe you via any of our sites, you can re-subscribe via our newsletter provider (Mailchimp) using their form, by Pucker up! Alabama became the first US state to declare Christmas as a legal holiday in 1836 and the last was Oklahoma, in 1907.. 55. Written in 1864, Hanby was inspired Clement Moore's 1823 poem "A … Christmas songs have a way of giving us that warm, festive feeling. Although ludicrous, this shocking Christmas fact is real. In reality, Xmas is just as Christian as the longer version. Pew Research found 81 percent of non-Christians in America celebrate Christmas, including 87 percent of the religiously unaffiliated.. 2. Good Housekeeping participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Here are some jolly Christmas facts that will arouse your interest : The traditional colors of Christmas decorations are red, green and gold. The store had been giving away coloring books for years, and decided to make its own to save money. Turns out, we were originally dashing through the snow for an entirely different holiday. Christmas Trees have been sold in the U.S. since 1850. For many years, this was the common theme for the jolly old man at the North Pole. Please try again later/, 5 Easy Ways To Shed Post-Christmas Pounds, Top 10 Ways To Beat The Post-Christmas Blues, 12 Days Of Christmas Health And Fitness Guide. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports, Artificial Christmas trees that look real, Shop these Black-owned businesses to spread the wealth, 25 Fun Facts You Never Knew About Thanksgiving, 35 Trivia Facts You Definitely Didn't Know, 10 Random (But Fun!) The tallest Christmas tree ever displayed was in Seattle Washington in 1950. By Asher Fogle. Grandmas who still dole out sweets during droning sermons, you've got history on your side. Want to contact us? You might want to brew a cup o' tea when trimming your tree this year to pay homage to its origins. By Arun Sharma • 9 min read Every year, the December chill brings with it the warmth of Christmas infused with the gift of piety. Even though most of us over-indulge and enjoy a few too many feasts studies have found that we don’t actually put on as much as we think. I love Christmas and ever since I was a child my family has celebrated it as a religious holiday. The National Confectioners Association says a choirmaster originally gave the candies to young children to keep them quiet during long church services. They interrupted the tense report with the sound of “Jingle Bells,” as Wally Schirra played a small harmonica accompanied by Tom Stafford on a handful of small sleigh bells they had smuggled aboard. Christmas is the time to indulge in the festive spirit and unleash the the jovial and the merry one within you. That all came much later. Each year more than 3 billion Christmas Cards are sent in the U.S. alone. The first song to be sung in space was Jingle Bells. US scientists calculated that Santa would have to visit 822 homes a second to deliver all... Myth-busting Christmas facts. His name was Sinter Klaas in Dutch, which later morphed into Santa Claus. Well, hopefully hearing this shocking Christmas fact will help you... 2. He loved Santa Claus so much that in 1835, he helped found the Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York, serving as its secretary until 1841. We tend to think of Christmas dinner as rather set, sticking to a tried-and-true formula; a roast of some kind, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, … Here we reveal how to eat a Christmas tree, how Christmas is celebrated in space plus some other surprising and shocking facts. Go to more holiday facts Dried-out Christmas trees spark about a hundred fires each year, cause an average of 10 deaths, and result in $15.7 million in property damage, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reports. A drawing of the couple in front of a Christmas tree appeared in Illustrated London News in 1848 and as we say, the idea went viral. And his birthday itself didn't become the official holiday until the third century. As festive tracks are on every radio station and music channel at the moment, we here at The List Love thought we’d provide 10 crazy Christmas song facts you won’t have heard. The word nog comes from the word grog; or any drink made with rum. The Pew Research Center found that fewer people think of Christmas as a religious holiday these days. Some people want to escape from Christmas, but this Christmas fact shows us that Christmas is almost inescapable as carols have even been sung up in space. Did you think that eating satsumas was the most festive way to get your hit of Vitamin C? The present swap involved 1,270 people and took place in 2008. Christmas is the time of year when everyone gets together to really appreciate each other and celebrate this festive period with gifts and food. Two astronauts back in 1965 reported seeing a UFO. Here are some interesting Christmas facts for you and your child. Christmas is many people’s favorite holiday, yet most don’t know exactly why we celebrate the way we do. Think again. Bizarre Christmas Traditions Facts 1. Christmas is just around the corner and we are all busy with shopping, buying gifts decorations etc. Check out our 5 festive movie favourites. Give your friends the gift of knowledge this Christmas by telling them about these top ten highly unusual and amusing Christmas facts. You might want to know what you're getting yourself into. Almost 8 in 10 Americans say Christmas should be more about Jesus, according to LifeWay Research.They also found 70 percent believe “Christmas would be a better experience if it had a more Christian focus.” However, you should still use caution if you have pets or small children, since it's still harmful if swallowed. Mistletoe, open fires and endless parties is the perfect mix to get close to your other half, yet by looking at Facebook posts researchers has discovered that lots of couples break up two weeks before Christmas. Now, kids won't get nightmares when they dream of Christmas eve. Dried-out Christmas trees spark about a hundred fires each year, cause an average of 10 deaths, and result in $15.7 million in property damage, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reports. Below is given a compendium of reflective quotes that you will surely love to browse through. According to legend, the fourth-century Christian bishop gave away his abundant inheritance to help the needy and rescued women from servitude. Curl up by the fire with a … So why are they so popular at Christmas? RELATED: Shop these Black-owned businesses to spread the wealth. Download the new 'myrealbuzz' app and start tracking! Amusing and interesting, these facts are fragments of folklore that have survived the ravages of time. He didn’t want to do the infamous tarantula scene, but agreed to the filming as long as it was completed in just one take. Robins are a Christmas card favourite and you’re likely to receive several glittery Christmas cards with a robin emblazoned cheerily on the front. Santa Claus did not always dress up in red clothes. That's where the gold ended up, and how the tradition began. The letter X is a Greek abbreviation for Christ. Also Read: Fun Christmas Party Games for Kids 5. With only a few days to go for Christmas, the spirit of festivity, humanity and togetherness is already in the air. The Christmas wreath originated as a symbol of Christ. The jury's still out on whether people prefer ham or turkey sandwiches the day after, though. As if they Yule Lads weren’t creepy enough, Icelanders also tell children about … So keep that in mind next time someone jokes about meeting you under the mistletoe. Christmas stockings were traditionally filled with food to eat, and sometimes small gifts. Christmas is the time to indulge in the festive spirit and unleash the the jovial and the merry one within you. Be it the blue colour of Stilton cheese or candy canes being invented for keeping children quiet, we bring you some food facts that you should know about before feasting! You have previously unsubscribed from this newsletter. In fact this period is the second most common time of the year for couples to split. dropped a bag of gold down their chimney one night, where the girls had hung their stockings to dry. … The U.S. government once banned tinsel because it contained poisonous lead. Some families cook up a turkey for Christmas dinner, others go for ham, and still more go rogue and stick a leg of lamb or another protein in the oven. X, or Chi, in Greek is the first letter of "Christ" and served as a symbolic stand-in. You probably already knew that the idea of Santa Claus came from St. Nicholas, but the real saint wasn't a bearded man who wore a red suit. Facts About Christmas, 10 Fun Facts About Crayons to Delight Your Kids With. RELATED: Artificial Christmas trees that look real. In 1551, the holiday was called "Xtemmas" but eventually shortened to "Xmas." International Christmas Dinner Facts. Well, hopefully hearing this shocking Christmas fact will help you feel a little better about your Christmas spending splurge. If the video at the bottom doesn’t load for what ever reason, the facts are written below! 62. 02 It came from a mix-up of Christian connotations, pagan traditions, and the confusion of pioneers making their own... 03 The word Christmas traces its old English roots back in 1038 from “Cristes mæsse”. RELATED: Best Christmas ham recipes to try. Therefore putting a robin on a Christmas card was in fact a joke. Between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day last year, the U.S. Simply fill in the form below to submit your query. Mistletoe means something very unromantic in German. Do you send Christmas Cards? In Japan, Christmas day is a day to indulge on Kentucky Fried Chicken and Strawberry Shortcake. You may know Washington Irving best for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and his headless horseman, but he wrote a lot about St. Nicholas, too. The song was written in 1857 by James Lord Pierpont and published under the title “One Horse Open Sleigh”.It was supposed to be played in the composer’s Sunday school class during Thanksgiving as a way to commemorate the famed Medford sleigh races. Over half of American pet owners will buy gifts for their furry friends this Christmas, spending an overage of $46. Fact 9 Every year more than 3 billion cards are sold during the Christmas holidays. Christmas has its roots in pagan festivals such as Saturnalia (December 17-December 23), the Kalends (January 1 -5, the precursor to the Twelve Days of Christmas), and Deus Sol Invictus or Birthday of the Unconquerable Sun (December 25). 10 Festive Facts about Christmas Norwegian scientists have hypothesized that Rudolph’s red nose is probably the result of a parasitic infection of his respiratory system. Here are 25 Interesting Christmas Facts. And, this year is no different. Yet not everyone marks this day in the same way. Individual cards peeled apart when moistened, to reveal maps of escape routes. So many of our Christmas symbols have origins in … Interesting Facts on Christmas . Fact 10 “Silent Night” was written when a choir's organ broke down. 64. They then claimed that the UFO had one main command module and eight smaller modules in front and that the pilot was wearing a red suit. Think you’ve overstretched your budget this year? 1-5 Interesting Facts About Christmas 1. 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