Did You Know?
A Quick Fact Guide to the Christmas Holiday
Did you know that Christmas is the largest card-sending holiday in the United States? More than 1.9 billion cards are sent to family and friends every year -- one billion more than the 192 million cards given or sent on Valentine's Day, the nation's second largest card holiday.
Did you know that December 19th is the busiest mailing day of the year? The U.S. Postal Service delivers some 20 billion letters, packages and cards between Thanksgiving and Christmas, with December 19th seeing double the number of parcels than any other day of the year.
Did you know that as many as 30 million live (real) Christmas trees are sold every year in the United States? In 2004, live Christmas tree sales amounted to more than $506 billion in revenue for America's 22,000 tree farms. The state leader in Christmas tree production is Oregon, with sales of $143 million.
Did you know that for every live Christmas tree that is harvested, three seedlings are planted in its place?
Did you know that it takes an average of seven years for a Christmas tree to reach six feet tall? Some trees take as long as 15 years to grow to their harvesting height; others reach it in as little as four years.
Did you know that China is the leading manufacturer of artificial Christmas trees? According to the U.S. Commerce Department, more than 80 percent of artificial trees are made in China.
Did you know that in 2005, Americans spent more money on Chinese-made Christmas ornaments ($561 million) than on Christmas trees grown in the United States?
Did you know that the character of Santa Claus is based on two Christmas legends: Saint Nicholas and Father Christmas? Saint Nicholas was the patron saint of children, who generously gave gifts to poor and orphaned young ones. Father Christmas was the spirit of good tidings.
Did you know that Santa Claus arrived in the United States in the 18th century via the Dutch founders of New York City? The Dutch introduced America to their "Sinterklaas" festivities. Sinterklaas is the Dutch name for Saint Nicholas.
Did you know that the first recorded mention of Santa Claus in the United States was in 1773? The New York press reported a story about a "St. A Claus."
Did you know that the tradition of giving gifts for Christmas is rooted in the story of the wise men, who gave costly gifts to baby Jesus without the expectation of receiving anything in return?
Did you know that in 2008, with an economic recession in full swing, the nation is expected to spend significantly less on Christmas gifts than in 2007? 46% of Americans say the will spend "less" than in 2007, which is the highest negative response to this question in two decades.
Did you know that during the Black Friday shopping weekend (the Thursday through Sunday after Thanksgiving), consumer spending rose 7% over 2007, to a total of $41 billion.
Did you know that American shoppers say they are planning to spend an average of $431 on gifts for the holiday season, down from $859 last year? During the Black Friday shopping weekend, the average person spent $372.57.
Did you know that the Monday following Thanksgiving is referred to as Cyber Monday and is a time when many on-line retailers offer deep discounts? In 2008, 36% of consumers said they would spend half of their Christmas shopping budget or more on-line.
Related Articles:
The Many Faces of Santa
Poinsettias: The Horticultural History of the Christmas Plant
The Story of Santa's Reindeer
Celebrating Christmas Around the World
The Story of the Christ Child and Christmas
The Faces of Santa | Christmas Eve | Christmas Traditions | Worldwide Christmas | The Christmas Tree
Santa's Reindeers | Christmas Stockings | The Poinsettia | Christmas Cards | Mistletoe | Advent Calendar
Advent Wreaths | 2008 Advent Calendar | Voices of Christmas | Holiday Shopping Tips | Christmas Stamp
Presidential Christmas | Christmas Blog | Christmas Recipes | Christmas Crafts | Christmas Color Pix
Christmas eCards | Christmas Blog | Holiday Picture Guide | Newsletter/Text Msg | Advertise With Us
Link to Us | Contact Us | Christmas Home
All images, animation, text, video, java, javascript, audio, html
© Copyright 1995-2009, Holidays on the Net
Reproduction or other use without written consent is illegal
