Last updated on August 17th, 2024
54. Alabama became the first US state to declare Christmas as a legal holiday in 1836 and the last was Oklahoma, in 1907.
55. Christmas trees were first decorated with fruits (mainly apples), and then later on people started using candles, and then electric lights (1895) to decorate these trees.
Facts about Christmas tree tradition, electric lights for Christmas trees, Christmas islands, floating Christmas tree etc
56. Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition.
57. The Friday and Saturday before Christmas are the busiest shopping days and not the Black Friday.
58. California, Oregon, Michigan, Washington, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina are the top Christmas tree producing states from the U.S.
59. Thomas Edison’s assistant came up with the idea of electric lights for Christmas trees (though we are not sure).
60. In the world, there are two islands that are named ‘Christmas’ – one is in the Pacific Ocean and the other in the Indian Ocean.
61. The largest floating Christmas tree in the world — 278 feet tall — is in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
62. Christmas trees are sold in the US since 1850, and on an average, it takes 6-8 years for a Christmas tree to be fully grown, although it can take 15.
63. Once a Christmas tree is harvested, two to three are planted in its place because it takes many years for the trees to be fully grown before they can be harvested.
64. The tallest living Christmas tree is believed to be the 122-foot, 91-year-old Douglas fir in the town of Woodinville, Washington.
65. Christmas season sales account for almost 1/6 of all retail sales in the US.
66. According to a survey, it is expected that in the 2015 Christmas season, $830 billion will be spent alone in the US towards Christmas gifts and 47% of these shoppers will buy gifts online.
67. A Christmas tale from old wives believes that if you bake bread on Christmas Eve, the bread will stay fresh forever. However, there is no evidence to prove that this tale is true as nobody has tried keeping the bread up that long.
68. In 1962 – the US issued the first Christmas postage stamp.
69. Christmas trees were banned–due to environmental concerns–in the White House in 1901–by the then President Teddy Roosevelt.
70. Franklin Pierce was the first president to place a Christmas tree in the White House.
71. In Italy, Christmas dinner can last for more than 4 hours. Yes that’s right. Most of the Italian families have more than 7 courses for the dinner.
72. Japanese spend their Christmas Eve eating in KFCs. This is a popular tradition in Japan so much that customers have to book their seats 2 months in advance.
73. Approximately 35 million Christmas trees are produced during the Christmas season to keep pace with the demand.
74. In Guatemala, adults do not exchange Christmas gifts until New Year’s Day.
75. In 1843, one thousand copies of the first Christmas cards were sold. A civil servant Sir Henry Cole in London is credited with making the initial sales of the cards.
76. ‘White Christmas’ by Bing Crosby is the best-selling Christmas song ever. It has sold more than 50 million copies around the world.
77. Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, and Christkind, are associated with bringing gifts to children during the Christmas season. Though these figures are closely related and are often interchangeable.
78. December 25 – January 5 is referred to as ‘Christmastide’ or ‘Twelve Holy Days’.
79. King William I of England was crowned on Christmas Day 1066.
80. On a Christmas feast in 1377, hosted by King Richard II of England, twenty-eight oxen and three hundred sheep were eaten.
81. Between 1640 and 1958, the Parliament of Scotland officially abolished the observance of Christmas.
About Christmas meals, Christmas in 1539, Santa’s postal address, shopping during the festive season and more…
82. Christmas was much popular in Germany than in America during the 18th century.
83. Charles Dickens has written a novel on Christmas – ‘A Christmas Carol’. And it became very popular and it took him 6 weeks to write this novel.
84. Kids did you know that in Hawaii, Santa is called Kanakaloka?
85. Before turkey, the traditional Christmas meal in England was a pig’s head and mustard.
86. In 2014, approximately 10 million Turkeys were consumed in the U.K. during the Christmas.
87. Different names of SANTA CLAUS around the world include: Kriss Kringle in Germany, Le Befana in Italy, Pere Noel in France and Deushka Moroz (Grandfather Frost) in Russia.
88. A movie titled ‘The Santa Clause’ was released in 1994. A man in the movie inadvertently killed Santa and was magically recruited to take the place of Santa. You can watch this movie on YouTube and iTunes store for a small fee.
89. Santa has a real postal zip code – H0H 0H0. Every year millions of letters are addressed to Santa from kids all over the world. The postal workers at the Canadian Post Office also started answering some of these letters.
90. Christmas is celebrated to represent the ‘spirit of giving’ which is why so many gifts are exchanged on the occasion. It is also important to remember and help people that are less fortunate than us.
91. In the U.K. only, 2.4 billion Pounds is spent on uneaten, discarded food and unwanted gifts as per a survey by The Money Advice Service. This is a huge amount, which if put to other useful purposes, can break or make the future of those people who are underprivileged.
92. The bizarre Catalonian tradition of caga tió(or “defecating log” in English) involves creating a character out of a small log – often complete with a grinning face and hat – which sits on the dining room table during the fortnight leading up to Christmas. It has to be fed every day with fruit, nuts and sweets, and then – on Christmas Eve – the entire family beats the log with sticks, while singing traditional songs, forcing the log to excrete its treats. You couldn’t make it up.
93. The most expensively dressed Christmas tree–valued at $11,026,900–was seen in the United Arab Emirates last year.
94. And the most lights lit on simultaneously on a Christmas tree is 194,672.
95. 1/3rd of the 20 highest grossing movies were released during the Christmas.
96. Visa cards are used 5-6 thousand times every minute during the Christmas season.
97. The first Christmas was celebrated in America in 1539 and a bunch of people gathered for the celebration devoid of any gifts or trees.
98. The Rubik was the highest selling Christmas toy in 1980. That time it sold for $1.99 and today it retails for $10.
99. Gifts are shared during the Christmas season to symbolize the gifts given to Jesus (P.B.U.H) by the three wise men.
The 12 Days of Christmas song has always been perceived as a love song, but did you know the lyrics have hidden meanings? So before you start humming this mellow tune, let’s start by understanding the 12 days of Christmas and their meaning.
It might come as a shock to many, but the 12 days in the lyrics are not the days that come before Christmas but are days that come after it. That is because Christmas runs from the 25th of December to the 5th of January. The song started as a memory song for kids in 1800. That is why it seems to go round in circles. Let’s learn what happens in each of the 12 days of Christmas and its significance.
The First Day of Christmas
The first day of Christmas is the 25th, and it’s one of the most anticipated days. According to the lyrics, true love sends a Partridge in a pear tree representing Jesus Christ. It also marks the birthday of Jesus and the purpose of Christmas celebrations. That explains why many choose to spend time showing some love on this day.
The Second Day of Christmas
The second gift presented on the second day of Christmas is two turtle-doves that present The Old and the New Testament. According to Christians, the birth of Jesus brought new beginnings in the world as people would no longer speak to God directly like in the Old Testament ages. Instead, now with Jesus, people would connect to God through Jesus. So it is no wonder that the birth of Jesus ends the Old Testament and begins the New one.
The Third Day of Christmas
The gift given on the third day was three French Hens. The hens symbolize the three theological virtues, which are Faith, Charity, and Hope. These are important virtues in Christianity, and those who believe in Christ need to have them. 27th is a good day to give out to friends, family, and the less fortunate as you show some love.
The Fourth Day of Christmas
During the 4th day, the true love in the lyrics gifts four Calling Birds. The four calling birds symbolize the four Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The evangelists helped Jesus accomplish His mission on earth. Participate on this day and let people know your stand in society.
The Fifth Day of Christmas
The other gift given on the fifth day was five golden rings. These rings represent the five books of the Old Testament that show humans falling from the grace of God. They are a great gift because God still sends His only Son to ensure humans don’t perish despite man’s weakness.
The Sixth Day of Christmas
As the gifting countdown continues, the gift offered on the sixth day is six geese a-laying. The geese represent the six days that, according to Genesis, are the number of days God used for creation. On this day, just do anything for fun and love.
The Seventh Day of Christmas
The seventh day’s gift is seven swans swimming. This gift represents the other part of God which is the Holy Spirit and the Seven Sacraments. Many continue to value this day.
The Eighth Day of Christmas
The gift on the 8th day is eight maids symbolizing the eight beatitudes. The beatitudes are important as they help Christians know how to live their lives better to be blessed by Christ. There’s no better way than Christians’ co-existence and love.
The Ninth Day of Christmas
The other gift that was given, according to the lyrics, is nine ladies dancing. The ladies in the songs represent the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The fruits are important to Christians as it helps them lead a better life here on earth and ensure that they lead their lives according to the word of God.
The Tenth Day of Christmas
Still doing the countdown of the Christmas gift, the tenth-day present is ten Lords a-leaping. These lords symbolize the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mt. Sinai. The gifts show that even though Jesus brings changes, Christianity’s basis, the Ten Commandments, is still important and relevant.
The Eleventh Day of Christmas
The eleventh day of Christmas gift is the eleven pipers piping used to represent the eleven apostles of Jesus. Though Jesus has twelve disciples, one of them betrayed him, and the gift in the song only highlights the eleven who were faithful to Him.
The Twelfth Day of Christmas
As we complete the festivities on the 5th of January, the twelfth gift given was the twelve drummers drumming, which represents the twelve doctrines in the Apostle Creed.
Conclusion
Christians celebrate twelve days of Christmas since they believe that the wise men took twelve days to travel to Bethlehem to see Jesus and proclaim that He was indeed the son of God. So next time you hum this tune, you can appreciate it more for what it symbolizes.