Oh, Christmas — the time of year for festive cheer, smiles, and big, extravagant events. While the presents, family parties, and Christmas lights are all good fun I find it so hard to ignore the fact that this time of year can be really tough. In the run up to Christmas, in the rare quiet moments I find myself wondering why is my mental health worse at Christmas? There isn’t any other time of the year that I put so much pressure on myself to spend money I probably can't really spare on gifts I'm desperate for family and friends to love. Many people continue to work full time up until the big day itself yet also have to manage to fit in Christmas lunches, work nights out, and all of the Christmas shopping. Heaven forbid you be the kill joy that rejects an invitation out even if it is the fourth festive event in your calendar this week.
This time of year comes loaded with a hell of a lot of expectation and whilst you can try and ignore it, opting to have your own, stress-free style of Christmas it still manages to creep in. There is so much emphasis on all of the great things about Christmas that it is easy to lose track of when your mental health is really starting to suffer. I’m not a scrooge, believe me I love a Christmas market as much as the next overexcited, mulled wine enthusiast. But it is too difficult to ignore the fact that a time of year that is supposed to make us really happy, can also leave my mental health shot.
1Money
This time of year is expensive. No matter how many secret Santa's you enter, how strictly you stick to Black Friday shopping, and how much your relatives insist “it’s the thought that counts” you still feel like you’re left a little out of pocket by Jan. 1. Mental health charity, Mind conducted a study into why people struggle with Christmas. Of the 1,100 people surveyed, 81 percent said they found the time of year stressful and 41 percent attributed their negative feelings with worries that they would get into debt.
2A Jam-Packed Schedule
It feels silly to say that my mental health suffers because I am invited to different Christmas occasions, but I feel ashamed to admit that I need some down time which can lead me to spiral. I definitely recharge alone rather than in big groups. During the rest of the year it can be easier to maintain your boundaries — knowing when to go out and when to stay in, run a bubble bath, and listen to Stephen Fry read the Harry Potter audiobook. This seems to go out of the window at Christmas with full-time work and a jam-packed schedule taking precedence over self-care. The Mental Health Foundation offers the super simple tip of “balancing your sense of social obligation with your need for self-care.” This is so much easier said than done but if you can keep your FOMO in check and recognise the value of a quiet evening purely for yourself you may come out feeling all the better for it.
3Social Media & Expectations
Instagram comes into its own at Christmas. Shots of beautifully, colour co-ordinated Christmas trees, perfect looking couples snuggled up in matching jumpers by the fire, and food upon food fill up my feed throughout December. It's difficult not to get caught up in how much fun other people are having or how perfect they have managed to craft their Christmas. Even if you know deep down that Instagram puts a rose-tinted filter on real life, it's still easy to get lost in it. You end up miserably swiping under a blanket wondering what the point is. In a statement, head of information at Mind, Stephen Buckley said, “If you find Christmas a particularly difficult time to manage your mental health try to take time out to do something you enjoy, whether it's reading a book, painting, crafting, phoning a friend, relaxing or doing physical exercise.”
4The Focus On Food & Drink
For anyone with a complicated relationship with food or alcohol, Christmas can be particularly difficult. The season is essentially focused on how many mince pies you can eat and pub sessions can you fit in before Dec. 25. A spokesperson for eating disorder charity B-Eat told the Independent, “Christmas and New Year can be an incredibly difficult time for someone struggling with their eating disorder. It is a time where food is central to any social calendar which can cause increased anxiety, pressure and feelings of guilt that they can’t ‘join in’ like they hoped.”
5Winter Weather
The last thing that can leave me feeling incredibly down is the weather between November and March. The fact that it is dark by 4 p.m. means that many of us go into work in the morning and leave work in the evening in complete darkness. It is difficult to motivate yourself to do anything when it feels like night time is upon you by tea time. This means that exercise schedules often take a bit of a hit and whilst it is difficult to make it out the front door to go for a run in the pitch black (believe me, I know) you will always feel a little bit better for it. The NHS website describes Seasonal Affective Disorder as "winter depression" and states the symptoms can be a persistent low mood, feeling lethargic or sleeping longer than normal, and a loss of pleasure in everyday activities.
It seems that maintaining as much of a normal schedule with time for self-care could be the key to managing metal health over Christmas as best you can. While some things are out of your control Anxiety UK offers helpful tips including making time for yourself, moving at your own pace, knowing where you can get support from, and keeping active. While it's so important to have fun and celebrate this time of year, good mental health is key. I know I am going to try and stop beating myself up this year for not feeling 100 percent all of the time.
Drinking a glass of orange juice every day could significantly lower your risk of getting dementia, a study suggests.
Researchers tracked almost 28,000 men for two decades to examine how their fruit and vegetable consumption affected their brain power.
They found men who drank a small glass of orange juice were 47 per cent less likely to have difficulty remembering, following instructions or navigating familiar areas.
Lapses in memory, understanding and episodes of confusion can be early signs of brain decline which can ultimately lead to life-threatening dementia.
An estimated 46.8million people are living with dementia worldwide – 850,000 within in the UK, and five million in the US.
There is no cure for the condition but scientists have been trying to find a cure for the memory-robbing disorder for years.
This new evidence reiterates the importance of a healthy diet in staving off the degeneration of the brain which comes with old age.
'Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins and nutrients, including antioxidants, that can help protect the brain,' said Dr Hannah Gardener, a researcher at the University of Miami, who wasn't involved with the research.
These health-giving benefits can protect the brain from a build-up of unwanted molecules and maintain a healthy blood supply to the brain.
Lead study author Changzheng Yuan said long-term intake of veg, fruit and orange juice 'may be beneficial' for maintaining cognitive function.
Participants in the Harvard University study answered questionnaires about what they ate every four years.
The researchers sorted the men - aged 51 on average at the start of the study - into five groups based on their intake of fruit and veg.
The group with the highest consumption ate about six servings of vegetables a day, compared to two servings for the group with the lowest consumption.
A serving of vegetables is considered one cup of raw vegetables or two cups of leafy greens.
For fruits, the top group ate about three servings per day, compared to half a serving in the bottom group.
A serving of fruit is considered one cup of fruit or a half-cup of fruit juice.
To measure how this affected brain health, the researchers took tests of thinking and memory skills when the men were 73 years old, on average.
The tests asked things such as whether the men could remember recent events or items on shopping lists.
Overall, 6.6 percent of men who ate the most veg developed poor cognitive function and performed badly on the tests, compared with 7.9 percent of men who ate the least.
Fruit consumption, overall, didn't appear to influence the risk of moderate cognitive problems.
But drinking orange juice did, according to the research, published in the journal Neurology.
Just 6.9 of people who drank orange juice every day went on to develop poor cognitive function.
In comparison, the figure was 8.4 per cent of men who drank orange juice less than once a month.
'The protective role of regular consumption of fruit juice was mainly observed among the oldest men,' Ms Yuan said.
'Since fruit juice is usually high in calories from concentrated fruit sugars, it's generally best to consume no more than a small glass (four to six ounces) per day.'
The study didn't intend to find the link between a healthy diet and memory, however.
Therefore it lacked data on participants memory skills at the beginning of the study, which would have shown how their diet might have influenced this over time.
Dr Hannah Gardener added: 'Fruit and vegetable consumption may be a piece of the puzzle to maintaining cognitive health and should be viewed in conjunction with other behaviors believed to support cognitive health.'
It's the time of year to get cosy indoors with an open fire and candles.
While both may sound appealing, the pollutants they produce when burning pose risks to our airways - sometimes life-threatening.
The same goes for drying clothes over a radiator, as studies show moisture in the air creates more mould, which can have damaging effects.
Children are the most at risk, according to first aid expert Emma Hammett, who reveals that dust mites in the home are a leading trigger for asthmatics.
Drying clothes on radiators
Medical experts have issued a health warning about the dangers of regularly drying your clothes indoors on a radiator.
One study in Scotland revealed 30 per cent of indoor moisture came from drying clothes indoors.
The problem comes when damp air allows mould to thrive and creates conditions for a fungal condition called Aspergillosis.
Normally this mould isn't harmful.
However, those with asthma are more at risk. It's estimated that around 1 in every 40 people with asthma may be affected by allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), typically causing wheezing, shortness of breath, a cough with mucus and sometimes blood.
Aspergillosis can become potentially life-threatening for those with the weakest immune systems, such as those who have had cancer or a organ transplant, or those with a lung condition such as cystic fibrosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
It can cause coughing, breathlessness, tiredness and weight loss or coughing up blood. If left untreated, the mould can spread in the blood to places such as the kidneys or brain.
According to Asthma UK, 42 per cent of people with asthma report mould and fungi as known triggers of their asthma.
The best practice is to dry clothes outdoors if possible, otherwise in a well-ventilated utility room. Although expensive, a tumble dryer is the healthier option.
If it is unavoidable to dry clothes indoors, then make sure a window is open to keep the area well ventilated. Less humidity results in less mould spores.
You can also buy heated drying rails with a cover that turns them into an airing cupboard.
Good to know: Mould spores are at their highest in autumn and winter. If your house is damp, be aware that there will be an increase in indoor spores when the central heating is turned on.
Scented candles and incense
Nothing says Christmas more than the smell of a spicy scented candle.
However, be aware that candles and incense let off particles such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) - compounds that easily become vapours or gases.
VOCs are released from burning fuel such as gasoline, wood, coal, or natural gas as well as from many consumer products such as cigarettes, scented candles and solvents.
Carpets, vinyl flooring, cleaning products, cosmetics, hairsprays, paint, heating and cooking fuel all cloud household air with VOCs.
VOCs are blamed by numerous studies for triggering asthma in children and worsening it in adults, and raising the risk of heart disease.
Breathing in the irritant can inflame the eyes, nose and throat, cause difficulty breathing, nausea, and damage the central nervous system.
Candles also let off formaldehyde when they burn, a pollutant which is known to be harmful to health over the long term.
Formaldehyde was first classified as a probable human carcinogen in 1987 by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Since then, some studies of humans have suggested that formaldehyde exposure is associated with certain types of cancer, leading to it being named as a known carcinogen in 2011, by the National Toxicology Program.
One study at York University discovered a commonly used ingredient in citric-scented scented candles called limonene reacts with the air creating formaldehyde.
The study revealed concentrations of limonene in scented candles were up to 100 times higher than previously thought.
The study warned fragrance chemicals could completely dominate the inside of our homes, meaning more exposure to formaldehyde.
The study concluded with the recommendation of opening doors or windows after burning a scented candle or spraying air freshener.
On top of this, incense sticks give off 100 times the amount of fine particles as a scented candle.
The British Lung Foundation advises you don't light several scented candles or incense sticks in a confined space such as a bathroom. However occasional use is okay.
Good to know: Houseplants such as geraniums, lavender and types of fern would found to remove formaldehyde from the atmosphere.
Burning wood and coal
Nothing conveys cosy better than a blazing fire. However having an open fire or stove that burns wood or coal releases particulate matter that can give you breathing problems, or cause your existing symptoms to worsen by inflaming your airways.
Around 10 per cent of UK homes have an open fire or wood-burning stove, and open fires produce greater emissions than stoves.
In urban areas, wood burning is thought to increase particulate matter to levels comparable to those from traffic pollution.
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, wood smoke contains at least five cancer-causing chemicals.
They issued a report in June that warned smoke from trendy outdoor fire pits and BBQs can cause heart disease, lung disorders and cancer.
Studies show our homes can be affected by smoke from a neighbour's wood fire, too.
Burning wood and coal can release carbon monoxide and lead to poisoning – ensure you have a working alarm that is regularly serviced. Get flues and chimneys cleared annually and know the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning.
The Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, is currently in plans to restrict sales of wet wood and phase out coal for domestic burning in a crackdown on air pollution.
Good to know:
Dust mites
According to Asthma UK's annual survey, 64 per cent report their asthma being triggered by dust mites. Thanks to central heating, dust mites can multiply in winter.
These tiny mites live in the cushions and throws we may use more in winter, as well as pillows, mattresses, and bedroom carpets.
Dust mites feed on dead skin and live in the dust that accumulates in our houses. Keeping your home well ventilated can reduce humidity which allows dust mites to thrive.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that regular cleaning, investing in air filters and washing clothes and bedding at 60 degrees can reduce dust mites.
However Asthma UK reports no consistent evidence that this is the case and suggests taking regular preventer medicine to manage asthma symptoms.
If you do this your airways will be less inflamed, and less likely to react to any of your asthma triggers, including dust mites.
You must ensure you have your reliever inhaler with you at all times.
One study found children using dust mite proof covers on their bedding – e.g. mattress, duvet and pillowcase – resulted in the children being less likely to be hospitalised due to an asthma attack. However, Asthma UK wanted more research to confirm this was the case.
Fa la la la! It’s the most wonderful time of the year–and our favorite part of the season! We get to head out with our family and wander amongst all the beautiful types of trees, looking for just the right one.
As you’re searching, do the fresh test! Run your fingers along the needles, grab the branches and bounce the tree a little. If many needles fall off, the tree was cut long ago and has not gotten enough water, so find another!
Also, the hunt for the perfect tree will go much smoother if you already know the type of tree you want. Without further ado, here are the pros and cons of the top 10 most common live Christmas tree types.
What are the advantages and drawbacks of the most common Christmas tree types?
1. Balsam Fir Christmas Trees
Pros: Classic, strong Christmas tree scent that lasts; doesn’t lose its dark-green needles; perfect, symmetrical pyramid shape
Cons: Not great for heavy ornaments because of its flexible branches
2. Douglas Fir Christmas Trees
Pros: Super easy to find; beautiful light or blue-green needles that are soft to the touch and sweetly scented; very affordable; rarely drops needles (unless it runs out of water)
Cons: Can’t hold heavy ornaments well; a shorter, more compact tree
3. Fraser Fir Christmas Trees
Pros: Very fragrant all season; great at holding onto its dark-green needles; can hold heavy ornaments thanks to its sturdy limbs
Cons: Looks dense and compact
4. Noble Fir Christmas Trees
Pros: Lasts all season; great at holding heavy ornaments; classic looking and smelling tree
Cons: Shorter limbs and needles
5. White or Concolor Fir Christmas Trees
Pros: Blue-green, citrus-scented needles that smell all season; soft-to-the-touch needles that don’t fall off
Cons: Can be more expensive because it takes a long time to grow
6. Blue Spruce Christmas Trees
Pros: Beautiful silvery-blue needles; incredibly symmetrical tree shape; holds onto its needles; great at holding lots of heavy ornaments; doesn’t drop many needles (unless the room is too warm)
Cons: Sharp needles; not much fragrance, unless the needles are broken then they’ll smell unpleasant; smaller in size
7. Norway Spruce Christmas Trees
Pros: Gorgeous forest-green needles; mild, pleasing scent; cone-shaped tree
Cons: Loses sharp needles easily
8. White or Black Hills Spruce Christmas Trees
Pros: Gray-green needles that hold much better than other spruces; holds heavy ornaments
Cons: Still drops some needles; needles smell bad, like a skunk or cat pee, when crushed
9. Scots or Scotch Pine Christmas Trees
Pros: One of the most popular Christmas trees; holds needles well; long-lasting pine scent
Cons: Lack-luster color; crooked trunks are common
10. White Pine Christmas Trees
Pros: Blue-green needles that are soft to the touch; doesn’t drop many needles; affordable; good tree for those with sensitive noses or allergic reactions to strong pine scents; very tall, making it great for rooms with high ceilings
Cons: Slight (almost no) scent; can’t hold heavy ornaments; can wilt if lacking water
Christmas is celebrated in many countries all over the world and in a wide variety of ways. Many of the customs and decorations we use to make the holiday special have developed in interesting ways and their origins may be hidden in history. With these interesting facts about Christmas, test your knowledge of Christmas trivia as you read through.
1. The image of Santa Claus flying his sleigh began in 1819 and was created by Washington Irving, the same author who dreamt up the Headless Horseman.
2. The Montgomery Ward department store created Rudolph the Reindeer as a marketing gimmick to encourage children to buy their Christmas coloring books.
3. The original Rudolph did not have a red nose. In that day and age, red noses were seen as an indicator of chronic alcoholism and Montgomery Ward didn’t want him to look like a drunkard. To complete the original picture, he was almost named Reginald or Rollo.
4. Clement Moore’s poem introduced eight more reindeer for Santa’s sleigh and their names were Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Duner and Blixem (for the German words for thunder and lightning). These later evolved into Donner and Blitzen.
5. Most of these names are male-sounding names. Male reindeer shed their antlers in winter, however, so the reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh are more than likely female or castrated.
6. Some leave food out for Santa Claus’ reindeer as Norse children did, leaving hay and treats for Odin’s eight-legged horse Sleipnir hoping they would stop by during their hunting adventures. Dutch children adopted this same tradition, leaving food in their wooden shoes for St. Nicholas’ horse.
7. Dutch children also left out food and drink for St. Nicholas himself to honor him on his feast day. Today we leave milk and cookies out for Santa, continuing this very old tradition.
8.America’s first batch of eggnog was made in the Jamestown settlement in 1607. Its name comes from the word “grog”, meaning any drink made with rum. Non-alcoholic eggnog is popular as well.
9. Want to know a useful way to recycle your Christmas tree? Some zoos take donated Christmas trees and use them as food for the animals.
10. Between the 16th and 19th centuries global temperatures were significantly lower than normal in what was known as a “little ice age”. Charles Dickens grew up during this period and experienced snow for his first eight Christmases. This “White Christmas” experience influenced his writing and began a tradition of expectation for the holidays.
11. The Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square is donated to the people of London every year by the people of Oslo, Norway in thanks for their assistance during World War II.
12. Since 1918 the city of Boston has received a giant Christmas tree as a giftfrom the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Boston lent considerable support to the city of Halifax during their 1917 explosion and subsequent fire disaster.
13. In 1914 during World War I there was a now famous Christmas truce in the trenches between the British and the Germans. They exchanged gifts across a neutral no man’s land, played football together, and decorated their shelters. (Read more about it in the book “Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce” by Stanley Weintraub.)
14. In 2010 during the Christmas season, the Colombian government decorated jungle trees with lights. The trees lit up when the guerrillas (terrorists) walked by and banners appeared asking them to surrender their arms. The campaign convinced 331 guerillas to re-enter society and also won an award for strategic marketing excellence.
15. Bicycle, the U.S. playing card company, manufactured cards to give all the POWS in Germany during World War II as Christmas presents. These cards, when soaked in water, revealed an escape route for POWs. The Nazis never knew.
16. The Christmas wreath was originally hung as a symbol of Jesus. The holly represents his crown of thorns and the red berries the blood he shed.
17. The three traditional colors of most Christmas decorations are red, green and gold. Red symbolizes the blood of Christ, green symbolized life and rebirth, and gold represents light, royalty and wealth.
18. In Poland spiders are considered to be symbols of prosperity and goodness at Christmas. In fact, spiders and spider webs are often used as Christmas tree decorations. According to legend, a spider wove baby Jesus a blanket to keep him warm.
19.Tinsel was invented in 1610 in Germany and was once made of real silver.
20.The tradition of hanging stockings comes from a Dutch legend. A poor man had three daughters for whom he could not afford to provide a dowry. St. Nicholas dropped a bag of gold down his chimney and gold coins fell out and into the stockings drying by the fireplace. The daughters now had dowries and could be married, avoiding a life on the streets.
21. The old English custom of wassailing was to toast to someone’s long life at Christmastide and was the forerunner for the tradition of Christmas caroling. In the 13th century St. Francis of Assisi began the custom of singing carols in church.
22. “White Christmas”, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, “Winter Wonderland”, “The Christmas Song” and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” plus the melody for “O Holy Night” were all written or co-written by Jews.
23. Brenda Lee recorded “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” when she was only 13 years old.
24. Famous saxophonist Boots Randolph played the saxophone solo on “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”.
25. Paul McCartney’s Christmas song is widely regarded as the worst of all the songs he ever recorded yet he earns $400,000 a year off of it.
26. If you gave all the gifts listed in the Twelve Days of Christmas, it would equal 364 gifts.
27. In Dublin in 1742 the Christmas oratorio, “The Messiah”, by George Frederick Handle was first performed.
28. NORAD’s “Santa Tracker” was born from a misprint in the newspaper. A 1955 Sears ad was supposed to print the number of a store where children could call and tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas. The number printed was to the hotline of the Director of Operations for the U.S. Continental Air Defense. Colonel Shoup ordered his staff to give the children updates on the flight coordinates of Santa.
29. A tradition began and continues until this day. NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) continues to provide flight updates on local news, the Internet, and even a special iPhone application every Christmas.
30. The oldest artificial Christmas trees date back to the late 1800s and were made of green raffia (think grass hula skirts) or dyed goose feathers. Next the Addis Brush Company used their machinery that wove toilet brushes to create pine-like branches for artificial Christmas trees that were less flammable and could hold heavier decorations.
31. You would have to use your artificial tree for more than 20 years for it to be ‘greener’ than buying a fresh-cut tree annually.
32. Nova Scotia is the world’s leading exporter of Christmas trees.
33. Since Denny’s restaurants in the U.S. were originally designed to be perpetually open their buildings were built without locks. This became a problem when they decided in 988 to close on Christmas Day for the first time.
34. Almost 28 sets of LEGO are sold every second during the Christmas season.
35. The Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg,Germany was first held in 1570 and isone of Europe’s oldest Christmas markets. It is also the largest in Europe. Folks from all over the world visit it annually.
Facts about Christmas song, Santa Claus, Christmas trees, cards and more…
36. Christmas is celebrated on the 25th of December, which marks the birth of Jesus Christ (P.B.U.H). However, the exact date and month of Jesus’ birth are unknown.
37. And interestingly, even though the majority of the population believes that Jesus (P.B.U.H) was born on this day, they spend more time visiting shopping malls than studying the life of the messenger.
38. ‘Jingle Bells’ – the popular Christmas song was composed by James Pierpont in Massachusetts, America. It was, however, written for thanksgiving and not Christmas.
39. ‘Jingle Bells’ – was the first song sung by astronauts Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra in space, on December 16, 1965.
40. Christmas might be a public holiday; however, it is not a biblical holy day. The Bible does not say anywhere to keep Christmas as a holy day.
41. Our modern day Santa Claus has to travel at more than the speed of light to deliver gifts to all the kids in the world and he would have 31 hours (considering all the times zones) on the Christmas day to get his favorite job done.
42. Coca-Cola was the first company that used Santa Claus during the winter season for promotion.
43. There is also a website – Christmas.com. However, the site is a commercial space on the web. You can shop a variety of things and products related with this giant festival celebrated in various parts of the world.
44. A law in Britain to this day forbids you from not visiting church on Christmas day. And you cannot visit the church on a vehicle. However, this law is just sitting on a piece of paper and is not followed actually.
45. The Statue of Liberty was gifted to the US by the French on Christmas day in 1886. It weighs 225 tons and thus you could consider it as the biggest Christmas gift in the world.
46. Did you know that the first Christmas was celebrated on December 25, AD 336 in Rome?
47. Other names of Christmas from the old times include – ‘Midwinter’, ‘Nativity’ and ‘Yule’.
48. More than 3 billion Christmas cards are sent in the U.S. alone, every year. The business of ‘Christmas cards’ is huge, if you are looking for one.
49. The other name of ‘Christmas Tree’ is Yule-tree.
50. Did you know that Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states including Hawaii and Alaska?
51. Hallmark introduced their first Christmas cards in 1915.
52. Christmas tree decoration is believed to have originated in the 16th century in Germany.
53. The ‘X’ in X-Mas, as we all use today, comes from the Greek meaning of ‘X’ i.e. Christ.
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.
The largest floating Christmas tree in the world – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Image credit – Leandro Neumann Ciuffo
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.
The first United States Christmas stamp was issued in 1962 and featured a candle and wreaths in green and red (Scott 1205). Image credit – 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
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.
