25 Christmas Facts

1. The Germans made the first artificial Christmas trees out of dyed goose feathers.
2. Each year more than 3 billion Christmas cards are sent in the U.S. alone.
3. In A.D. 350, Pope Julius I, bishop of Rome, proclaimed December 25 the official celebration date for the birthday of Christ.
 
4. According to data analyzed from Facebook posts, two weeks before Christmas is one of the two most popular times for couples to break up. However, Christmas Day is the least favorite day for breakups.
5. The world’s largest Christmas stocking measured 106 feet and 9 inches (32.56 m) long and 49 feet and 1 inch (14.97 m) wide. It weighed as much as five reindeer and held almost 1,000 presents. It was made by the Children’s Society in London on December 14, 2007.
6. Christmas trees have been sold in the U.S. since 1850.
7. Christmas trees usually grow for about 15 years before they are sold.
8. The British wear paper crowns while they eat Christmas dinner. The crowns are stored in a tube called a “Christmas cracker.”
9. In Poland, spiders or spider webs are common Christmas trees decorations because according to legend, a spider wove a blanket for Baby Jesus. In fact, Polish people consider spiders to be symbols of goodness and prosperity at Christmas.
10. Alabama was the first state in the United States to officially recognize Christmas in 1836.
11. Christmas wasn’t declared an official holiday in the United States until June 26, 1870.
12. Oklahoma was the last U.S. state to declare Christmas a legal holiday, in 1907.
13. Mistletoe (Viscum album) is from the Anglo-Saxon word misteltan, which means “little dung twig” because the plant spreads though bird droppings.
14. Evergreens have been symbols of eternal life and rebirth since ancient times. The pagan use and worship of evergreen boughs and trees has evolved into the Christianized Christmas tree.
  
15. Santa Claus is based on a real person, St. Nikolas of Myra (also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker, Bishop Saint Nicholas of Smyrna), who lived during the fourth century. Born in modern-day Turkey, he is the world’s most popular non-Biblical saint.
16. Puritan Oliver Cromwell outlawed Christmas celebrations and carols in England from 1649-1660.
17. Christmas stockings allegedly evolved from three sisters who were too poor to afford a marriage dowry and were, therefore, doomed to a life of prostitution. They were saved, however, when the wealthy Bishop Saint Nicholas of Smyrna (the precursor to Santa Claus) crept down their chimney and generously filled their stockings with gold coins.
18. There are two competing claims as to which president was the first to place a Christmas tree in the White House. Some scholars say President Franklin Pierce did in 1856; others say President Benjamin Harrison brought in the first tree in 1889. President Coolidge started the White House lighting ceremony in 1923.
19. President Teddy Roosevelt, an environmentalist, banned Christmas trees from the White House in 1912.
  
20. The first person to decorate a Christmas tree was reportedly the Protestant reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546). According to legend, he was so moved by the beauty of the stars shining between the branches of a fir tree, he brought home an evergreen tree and decorated it with candles to share the image with his children.
21. Approximately 30-35 million real (living) Christmas trees are sold each year in the U.S.
22. In Germany,  Christmas Eve is said to be a magical time when the pure in heart can hear animals talking.
23. The earliest known Christmas tree decorations were apples.
24. The first Christmas card  was invented in 1843.
25. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), there are 2,106 million children under age 18 in the world. If there are on average 2.5 children per household, Santa would have to make 842 million stops on Christmas Eve, traveling 221 million miles. To reach all 842 million stops, Santa would need to travel between houses in 2/10,000 second, which means he would need to accelerate 12.19 million miles (20.5 billion meters) per second on each stop.