General Christmas Facts, Figures and Trivia

General Christmas Facts, Figures and Fun

"Hot cockles" was a popular game at Christmas in medieval times. It was a game in which the other players took turns striking the blindfolded player, who had to guess the name of the person delivering each blow. "Hot cockles" was still a Christmas pastime until the Victorian era.
"Wassail" comes from the Old Norse "ves heill"--to be of good health. This evolved into the tradition of visiting neighbors on Christmas Eve and drinking to their health.
1 in 3 men will wait until Christmas Eve to finish their shopping.
1 in 6 men would like to get rid of all the "gift-giving nonsense."
A Christmas club, a savings account in which a person deposits a fixed amount of money regularly to be used at Christmas for shopping, came about around 1905.
According to a 1995 survey, 7 out of 10 British dogs get Christmas gifts from their doting owners.
An artificial spider and web are often included in the decorations on Ukrainian Christmas trees. A spider web found on Christmas morning is believed to bring good luck.
Australian priests suggest saying 'Happy Christmas' instead of Merry Christmas since 'merry' often referred to drinking alcohol.
Based on a 1999 estimated population count of North America and Europe, on Christmas Eve of that year Santa Claus had to visit 42,466,666 homes in a 12-hour period - that's 983 homes per second.
Based on previous surveys, 17 percent of you will embarrass yourselves in some way at your office Christmas party.
Bethlehem is not only a town in Israel, but is also located along the banks of Afon Tywi in Carmarthenshire, Wales
Candy canes began as straight white sticks of sugar candy used to decorated the Christmas trees. A choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral decided have the ends bent to depict a shepherd's crook and he would pass them out to the children to keep them quiet during the services. It wasn't until about the 20th century that candy canes acquired their red stripes.
Christmas crackers were invented by Thomas Smith. He had imported some French novelties to sell as Christmas gifts, but these were not popular until he wrapped them up and added a snapper.
Christmas Day in the Ukraine can be celebrated on either December 25, in faithful alliance with the Roman Catholic Gregorian calendar, or on January 7, which is the Orthodox or Eastern Rite (Julian calendar), the church holy day.
Christmas is a summer holiday in South Africa. Children are fond of the age-old custom of producing pantomimes - for instance, "Babes in the Wood," founded on one of the oldest ballads in the English language. Boxing Day on December 26th, when boxes of food and clothing are given to the poor, is observed as a holiday.
Christmas presents were known in antiquity among kings and chieftains, especially on the European continent. However, they have been common among ordinary people in Iceland only during the past 100 or so years.
Christmas stockings - When Santa lived in Turkey, he secretly gave money to three daughters by dropping it down the chimney. It landed in their stockings which were drying by the fire.
Christmas themed place names around the UK include Christmas Common (Oxfordshire), Holly Green (Buckinghamshire), Turkey Island (West Sussex) and Cranberry (Staffordshire)
During the Christmas/Hanukkah season, more than 1.76 billion candy canes will be made.
Electric Christmas tree lights were first used in 1895. The idea for using electric Christmas lights came from an American, Ralph E. Morris. The new lights proved safer than the traditional candles.
England has only known seven white Christmases in the entire twentieth century. According to the records of the Meteorological Office in London, snow fell on Christmas Day only in 1938 and 1976. (The definition of a white Christmas in England is when one snowflake falls on the roof of the London Weather Centre.)
Father Christmas - He was apparently born in Turkey in the fourth century, but no-one is sure when he moved to the North Pole.
Father Christmas always has a Nordmann fir.
Father Christmas has two addresses, Edinburgh and the North Pole. Letters addressed to 'TOYLAND' or 'SNOWLAND' go to Edinburgh, but letters addressed to 'THE NORTH POLE' have to be sent there because there really is such a place!
Formally called Kiritimati, Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean is 52 square miles.
Frankincense is a sweet smelling gum resin derived from certain Boswellia trees which, at the time of Christ, grew in Arabia, India, and Ethiopia. Tradition says that it was presented to the Christ Child by Balthasar, the black king from Ethiopia or Saba. The frankincense trade was at its height during the days of the Roman Empire. At that time this resin was considered as valuable as gems or precious metals. The Romans burned frankincense on their altars and at cremations.
Greeks do not use Christmas trees or give presents at Christmas. A priest may throw a little cross into the village water to drive the kallikantzari (gremlin-like spirits) away. To keep them from hiding in dark, dusty corners, he goes from house to house sprinkling holy water.
Hallmark introduced its first Christmas cards in 1915, five years after the founding of the company.
In 1937, the first postage stamp to commemorate Christmas was issued in Austria.
In Austria & Germany during the seventeenth and eighteenth enturies, the tops of evergreens were cut and hung upside down in a living room corner. They were decorated with apples, nuts and strips of red paper.
In Germany, Twelfth Night is known as 'Three Kings Day'.
In Mexico, the poinsettia plant is called 'Flower of the Holy Night'.
It is not until Twelfth Night (the Feast of the Epiphany) that the figures of the Three Kings are supposed to be added to the Christmas crib.
Italian children are brought gifts by a friendly witch, as well as Santa Claus
Kris Kringel, a man in his 40s, lives in North Pole, Alaska, and delivers pizzas for a living. He drives a 1984 Ford Tempo.
Mistletoe - We kiss under the mistletoe because in Scandinavian legends it was the symbol of love.
Mistletoe myth states should a woman appearing under the mistletoe not receive a kiss, she will not marry the following year.
More diamonds are purchased at Christmas-time (31 percent) than during any other holiday or occasion during the year.
Myrrh is an aromatic gum resin which oozes from gashes cut in the bark of a small desert tree known as Commifera Myrrha or the dindin tree. The myrrh hardens into tear-dropped shaped chunks and is then powdered or made into ointments or perfumes. This tree is about 5-15 feet tall and 1 foot in diameter. Legend says Caspar brought the gift of myrrh from Europe or Tarsus and placed it before the Christ Child. Myrrh was an extremely valuable commodity during biblical times and was imported from India and Arabia.
Oklahoma was the last state to proclaim Christmas day as a legal holiday in 1907.
On average, each person will spend Ł330.00 on Christmas gifts, and around 125,000 tonnes of plastic packaging are thrown away over Christmas.
On Christmas Eve in 2001, the Bethlehem Hotel had 208 of its 210 rooms free.
Presents - We give gifts because the three wise men brought baby Jesus three presents - gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Queen Elizabeth's Christmas message to the nation was televised for the first time on December 25, 1957
Santa Claus has many different names around the world including Father Christmas in the UK, Pere Noel in France, Kriss Kringle in Germany, La Befana in Italy, Julinesse in Denmark, Dedushka Moroz (meaning Grandfather Frost) in Russia and the Three Kings in Spain and Mexico. The typical image we have of Santa Claus dressed in red clothes with white fur trim, is an amalgamation of cultural input over many years. Some people claim the image of Santa we know today is from Coca-cola advertising, but this simply isn't true. The standard Santa garb was well established by the 1920s and it wasn't until the 1930s that Coca-cola first used the Santa Claus design in their advertising.
Santa has a calculated 31 hours to thanks to the different time zones and the rotation of the earth, assuming he travels east to west.
The abbreviation of Xmas for Christmas is not irreligious. The first letter of the word Christ in Greek is CHI, which is identical to our X. Xmas was originally an ecclesiastical abbreviation that was used in tables and charts.
The actual gift givers are different in various countries: England: Father Christmas; France: Pere Noel (Father Christmas); Germany: Christkind (angelic messenger from Jesus) She is a beautiful fair haired girl with a shining crown of candles; Holland: St Nicholas; Italy: La Befana (a kindly old witch); Spain and South America: The Three Kings; Russia: In some parts - Babouschka (a grandmotherly figure) in other parts it is Grandfather Frost; Scandinavia: a variety of Christmas gnomes. One is called Julenisse.
The average person in Britain sends 50 Christmas cards
The Christmas tree outside No. 10 Downing street is presented by the winning grower of the British Christmas Tree growers association's "best Christmas Tree" competition.
The colours in Santa Claus’ suit, red and white, were the creation of artist Haddon Sundblom. Sundblom was commissioned by the Coca-Cola Company to redesign Santa Claus, although, Thomas Nast was the first artist to illustrate Santa Claus.
The first Christmas stamp was released in Canada in 1898.
The red stripe in the candy cane was intended by the inventor as the blood of Christ.
The tradition of hanging stockings over the fireplace derived from Dutch children placing their shoes next to the fireplace on Christmas Eve. Stockings later replaced the shoes.
The tree in Trafalgar Square, London is the only un-milled tree over 12 feet allowed be imported into the country.
The UK is now self-sufficient in producing trees.
The USA has banned the importation of artificial trees from China because they are concerned about the importation of pests.
Thomas Edison's assistant, Edward Johnson, came up with the idea of electric lights for Christmas trees in 1882.
Tinsel became a popular Christmas tree adornment after a mythical spider created sprawling webs from branch to branch. It is believe the Christ Child changed the webs to a silver colour.
What are the names of Santa's reindeer? Father Christmas' reindeers are called Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner/Donder, Blitzen, and Rudolph. Eight of these names are taken from Clement C. Moore's "A Visit From St. Nicholas," and the ninth from the song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (NB. Donder is also known as Donner.)
When Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island, died on December 4, 1894, he willed his November 13 birthday to a friend who disliked her own Christmas birthday.

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