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Fun facts about Christmas

MI5
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O2 Community Advent Calendar 2019

 

An Internet collection of fun and interesting facts around Christmas.

 

Santa stretches time in order to deliver all the gifts in one night. According to the United Nations children's Fund (UNICEF), there are 2,106 million children under age 18 in the world. If we assume that each household has in average 2.5 children, Santa would have to make 842 million stops on Christmas Eve, traveling 221 million miles. Given the different time zones, Santa has 36 hours to deliver gifts, therefore his average speed would be approximately 650 miles per second. It is less than the speed of light (therefore, it’s, theoretically, doable but still quite hard for a chubby old man). 

 

Rudolf's red nose is probably the result of a parasitic infection of his respiratory system. However, Rudolf's relationship with his parasite is symbiotic: after all, the red nose illuminates the path through the winter night for the whole reindeer team.

 

“Jingle Bells” was written for Thanksgiving, not Christmas.The song was written in 1857 by James Lord Pierpont and published under the title “One Horse Open Sleigh”. It was supposed to be played in the composers Sunday school class during Thanksgiving as a way to commemorate the famed Medford sleigh races. “Jingle Bells” was also the first song to be broadcast from space.

 

In Germany, Poland, and Ukraine, finding a spider or a spiders web on a Christmas tree is believed to be a harbinger of good luck. According to one legend, a spider wove a blanket for Baby Jesus, according to the other – a spider web on the Christmas tree turned silver and gold once the sunlight touched it. One way or another, decorating a Christmas tree with artificial spiders and spider webs will inevitably bring you luck and prosperity!

 

The first commercial Christmas cards were commissioned by civil servant Sir Henry Cole in London in 1843. Featuring a family drinking wine, one sold for £8,469 in 2014.

 

The Christmas cracker was invented by a London sweet shop owner called Tom Smith. In 1847, after spotting French bonbons wrapped in paper with a twist at each end, he sold similar sweets with a “love motto” inside. He then included a little trinket and a “bang”. His “Bangs of Expectation” included gifts such as jewellery and miniature dolls. By 1900, he was selling 13 million a year.

 

It's technically illegal to eat mince pies on Christmas Day in England. In the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas pudding, mince pies and anything to do with gluttony. The law has never been rescinded.

 

Holly and Ivy have been used to decorate homes since the 9th century because they symbolise everlasting life. The holly represents Christ's crown of thorns and the berries his blood.

 

What fun facts do you know of ?

 

I have no affiliation whatsoever with O2 or any subsidiary companies. Comments posted are entirely of my own opinion. This is not Customer Service so we are unable to help with account specific issues.

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TallTrees
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Thanks @jonsie
Yes birds are dinosaurs they are great survivors.
Didn't know about the link to the wishbone but makes sense. 🦜🦆🦢🐤🐓🐦🕊🐧☃️🎅


HAPPINESS IS BEE SHAPED

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TallTrees
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Actually @Mi-Amigo
Turkey is still quite expensive to-day.
Thanks for the information.


HAPPINESS IS BEE SHAPED

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Mi-Amigo
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@TallTrees wrote:
Actually @Mi-Amigo
Turkey is still quite expensive to-day.
Thanks for the information.

@TallTrees 

So is my veggie alternative from Wiltshire Farm Foods joy Pleased you liked the info slight_smile

animated-elephant-image-0327



Girl in a jacket


Some people see things as they are and ask "Why?"; I dream of things that never were and ask "Why not?"
Robert Kennedy.

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Anonymous
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There is nothing fun about Christmas..
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TallTrees
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Well @Anonymous
I suspect you are right in the main.


HAPPINESS IS BEE SHAPED

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jonsie
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Christmas is so stressful now for parents of youngsters. It;s all too much peer pressure.

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welshsteve76
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The greedy retail industry has ruined Christmas.   It's way too commercial these days.  I know as you get older and your kids get older it's not the same, but there is nothing nice about going into a shop at Christmas anymore.

 

I popped into Sainsbury's on my way to work this morning just to pick up one thing to add to my lunch.  It was jam packed, with people getting in eachothers ways, the shelves obliterated etc.  I mean, the damn shop is only closed for ONE DAY!!!!!  What's wrong with people?

 

Apparently they opened at 6am and there were 100s of people waiting to get in there.  Absolutely ridiculous.  Half the stuff will be thrown away, when it could have gone to homeless charities or food banks.

Thanks

Steve
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jonsie
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I find shopping very stressful at Christmas . People are like vultures and you would think there is a war and rationing looming. In my local tesco it's usually full of Asian shopkeepers emptying the shelves of bread and milk because of course they don't close for Christmas.

One of the reasons I now order online for a lunchtime delivery.

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welshsteve76
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@jonsie wrote:

I find shopping very stressful at Christmas . People are like vultures and you would think there is a war and rationing looming. In my local tesco it's usually full of Asian shopkeepers emptying the shelves of bread and milk because of course they don't close for Christmas.

One of the reasons I now order online for a lunchtime delivery.


Yeah, shopkeepers buying up the bread and milk shouldn't be allowed.  There should be a limit.  The stores know they're doing it

Thanks

Steve
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