🎅 Christmas Facts & History 🎄

Christmas was first celebrated on December 25th in the year 336 AD in Rome. However, the tradition of celebrating mid-winter festivals dates back to ancient times, with Christians choosing December 25th to coincide with pagan winter solstice celebrations.

The exact date of Jesus' birth is not known. December 25th was chosen by early church leaders, likely to replace pagan winter solstice celebrations. The timing also roughly corresponds to the Roman holiday of Saturnalia.

The first Christmas celebration in the White House was hosted by John Adams in 1800. However, Christmas wasn't declared a federal holiday until June 26, 1870, by President Ulysses S. Grant.

The modern Christmas tree tradition began in Germany in the 16th century. The custom was brought to England by Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, in the 1840s, and it became wildly popular worldwide.

If you were to receive all the gifts mentioned in the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas," you'd receive 364 gifts total - one for every day of the year except Christmas!

In different countries, Santa has different names: Père Noël (France), Father Christmas (UK), Kriss Kringle (Germany), Ded Moroz (Russia), and Papá Noel (Spain and Latin America).

"Jingle Bells" was written by James Lord Pierpont in 1857 and was originally titled "The One Horse Open Sleigh." It was meant for Thanksgiving, not Christmas!

The tradition of hanging stockings comes from the Dutch custom. Children would leave their wooden shoes filled with straw for Santa's reindeer, and Saint Nicholas would leave treats in return.

In 1947, the Statue of Liberty was given to the United States as a Christmas gift from France. The statue itself arrived in pieces and was reassembled in New York Harbor.

While December 25th is the most common date, different countries celebrate on different dates. Orthodox Christians celebrate on January 7th (Julian calendar), and some countries have traditions spanning from December 6th (St. Nicholas Day) to January 6th (Epiphany).

In Australia and New Zealand, some people celebrate "Christmas in July" to enjoy the winter celebration during their actual winter months, since December is summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Philippines holds the longest Christmas season in the world, starting as early as September and lasting through Epiphany in January. Christmas songs can be heard throughout this entire period.

In Iceland, there's a tradition called "Jólabókaflóð" (Christmas Book Flood) where people exchange books on Christmas Eve and spend the evening reading and drinking hot chocolate.

The Christmas shopping season accounts for about 20% of all retail sales in the United States each year. The holiday shopping period typically begins in November with Black Friday.

Americans spend an average of $800-1000 per household on Christmas gifts, decorations, and celebrations. This number has been steadily increasing over the years.

Since 1955, NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) has tracked Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, beginning with a typo in a newspaper ad that gave Santa's "hotline" to NORAD's operations center.

Approximately 25-30 million Christmas trees are sold in the United States each year, with Oregon, North Carolina, and Michigan being the top producing states.