Interesting Christmas facts

You wait the entire year patiently for the arrival of Christmas. But, don't you 

want to know the interesting facts related to this beautiful festival? Here are 

incredible Christmas facts for you to explore.

Interesting Christmas facts

• The word Christmas is Old English, a contraction of Christ's Mass.

• ‘The Nutcracker' is the most famous Christmas ballet.

• The famous ‘Jingle Bells' song was first written for Thanksgiving and then became one of the most popular Christmas songs.

• Do you know - If you received all of the gifts in the song ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas,' you would receive 364 gifts?

• The poinsettia plant was brought into the United States from Mexico by Joel Poinsett in the early 1800's.

• In 1843, "A Christmas Carol" was written by Charles Dickens in just six weeks.

• The first state to recognize the Christmas holiday officially was Alabama.

• Christmas became a national holiday in America on June, 26, 1870.

• Clearing up a common misconception, in Greek, X means Christ. That is where the word "X-Mas" comes from.

• Traditionally, Christmas trees are taken down after Epiphany.

• 25th December was not celebrated as the birthday of Christ until the year AD 440.

• The Queen's Christmas speech was televised for the first time in 1957.

• Christmas crackers were invented by Thomas Smith. He had imported some French novelties to sell as Christmas gifts, but these were not popular until he gift wrapped them up using color papers and added a snapper.

• Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are more likely to have a white Christmas than England.

• England has only known seven white Christmases in the entire twentieth century. According to the records of the Meteorological Office in London, snow fell on Christmas Day only in 1938 and 1976.