45 Amazing Christmas Facts You Need to Know

In case you were not able to view the above facts in it’s image form, please see all 45 Christmas facts below!

1. The tallest christmas tree ever displayed was in Seattle, Washington. It measured 221 ft. tall.
2. Buying all the gifts from the “12 Days of Christmas” would cost you a ton of money. The most expensive being “Swans a Swimmin” — about $6,300.
3. When the Candy Cane was invented in Germany, it was made into a J for Jesus. The red stripes symbolize his blood.
4. Black Friday is not the busiest shopping day of the year. The two days right before Christmas are.
5. ⅓ of the 20 highest grossing movies were released during the Christmas season, proving that going to the movies after opening gifts is a popular tradition.
6. It is a tradition in Japan to eat KFC for Christmas. Orders must be placed two months in advance.
7. Jingle Bells was originally a song about Thanksgiving in 1857. It was also the first song ever played in space by astronauts, Walter Schirra Jr. and Thomas P. Stafford.
8. 1 in 3 men wait until Christmas Eve to do their shopping.
9. Christmas came from the words Cristes Maesse meaning “mass of Christ.”
10. Christmas trees usually grow for close to 15 years before they can be sold.
11. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer got his start as an advertising gimmick for Montgomery Ward in 1839.
12. Paul McCartney earns $400,000 a year from his “Wonderful Christmastime” song, which is widely regarded as the worst song ever recorded.
13. More than 400,000 illnesses are caused by spoilt Christmas leftovers.
14. Christmas used to be illegal. Oklahoma was the last U.S. state to declare Christmas a legal Holiday in 1907.
15. Christmas is not Christ’s birthday as many believe. According to the bible, Christ was actually not even born in the winter.
16. The original location for the 1947 Miracle on 34th Street movie was the N.Y. Macy’s in Herald Square. However, for the remake in 1994, Macy’s refused to participate therefore the fictional store Cole’s was created.
17. Toys for Tots was founded in L.A. 5,000 toys were collected during the first drive in 1947. A handmade doll was the first donation.
18. Bing Crosby’s version of “White Christmas” is the highest-selling single of all time.
19. It only took six weeks for Charles Dickens to write “A Christmas Carol.”
20. Americans purchase 1.6 billion Christmas cards every year.
21. Visa cards are used about 6,000 times every minute during the Christmas season.
22. Franklin Pierce was the first President who put up an official White House Christmas tree.
23. December 25th was likely chosen because it coincides with the pagan festival Saturnalia where there was partying, gambling and gift giving.
24. Christmas lights were so expensive that they used to be rented rather than sold. An electrically lit tree was a status symbol in the early 1900’s.
25. Treasure Island writer, Robert Louis Stevenson willed his November 13th birthday to the daughter of a friend who hated her Christmas birthday.
26. The first Salvation Army collection kettle took place in San Francisco’s Oakland Ferry at the foot of Market St. It was a large crab pot with a sign that read “Keep The Pot Boiling.”
27. A Facebook study in 2010 revealed that two weeks before Christmas is the most popular time for couples to break up.
28. In Asia, White Elephants were considered holy but pricey to keep. Ezra Corness adapted that term to gifts at Christmas gatherings – no value to the owner but may have value to others.
29. In 2012 there were more than 15,000 holiday decorating injuries during November and December. The most common being falls, 34% of all injuries.
30. The biggest display of lights ever made is in Australia. It has 1,194,380 LEDs covering 3,865 sq. meters. David Richards has used his home to raise $20,000 for SIDS and Kids ACT since 2011.
31. The top six Christmas tree producing states are Oregon, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Washington and Wisconsin.
32. The city of Vancouver, Canada claims to be the birthplace of the first “ugly Christmas sweater” party.
33. From performers to maintenance workers, approximately 220 people are hired for the Disneyland Christmas Parade.
34. The first Christmas celebrated on American Land was in 1539 in Tallahassee, Florida. There were no trees or presents, just a religious mass.
35. The word “Merry” in Merry Christmas was not always accepted because being merry used to signify slight intoxication.
36. The highest grossing movie about Christmas since 1980 is Jim Carrey’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” It came out November 2000 and pulled in $260,044,825.
37. The Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School in Midland, MI hosts 130 Santas each year where they gather and learn about the history of St. Nick, popular toys and Santa etiquette.
38. In 1980, the highest selling Christmas toy was a Rubik’s cube for $1.99. It now retails for $10.
39. The abbreviation X in X-Mas is not an abbreviation. It actually stands for “Chi”, meaning Christ in Greek.
40. The first batch of eggnog originated from medieval Britain’s drink “Posset” — a hot milky ale-like drink.
41. The most popular theory of why we leave cookies and milk out for Santa is because Dutch children would leave food and drink out for St. Nicholas on his feast day.
42. The concept of caroling had nothing to do with Christmas. Medieval carols were liturgical songs in the 12th century, while traveling to different homes came from a tradition in England of wishing good fortunes to your neighbors in exchange for gifts.
43. The Ancient Greeks considered the mistletoe and aphrodisiac, which is probably why kissing under the mistletoe will bring you luck in your love life.
44. The reason we give presents during Christmas is to symbolize the gifts given to Jesus by the three wise men.
45. Krampus is a demonic character that wanders the streets with chains and bells looking for misbehaving children. This is one of the scariest Central European Christmas traditions.

One More Fact: Everyone Loves a Christmas Treat

Now that you’ve learned that most men wait until Christmas Eve to buy a present, you may just want to make it easier on your guy and drop a hint. Send him your delicious dipped Christmas wish list! And don’t forget to treat your friends and family to a few personalized stocking stuffers or personalized ornaments. The 1-800-Flowers.com gift guide is also full of great ideas.

Do you know any amazing facts we missed? Tell us in the comments below!