Holiday Facts

Sir Henry Cole commissioned the first commercial Christmas card, featuring a family drinking wine together.

Before electric lights, people used real candles to decorate Christmas trees, which was quite dangerous.

He's called Père Noël in France, Sinterklaas in the Netherlands, and Father Christmas in the UK.

It was displayed in Seattle in 1950 and required a helicopter to place the star on top.

Early Christians celebrated Christmas on various dates until Pope Julius I declared December 25th in 350 AD.

In the 1800s, Germans created artificial trees using dyed goose feathers attached to wire branches.

According to legend, Saint Nicholas threw gold coins down a chimney, and they landed in stockings hung to dry.

Created in 2001 in London, it required 50 people to pull it apart and contained 1,000 gifts.

Many Christmas carols have pagan origins and were adapted by Christians to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

German immigrants brought the tradition to America, and it became popular after Queen Victoria's tree was featured in a newspaper.

The ancient Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year to pay debts and return borrowed objects.

The first New Year's Eve ball drop in Times Square was made of iron and wood, weighing 700 pounds.

Due to time zones, New Year is celebrated at different times around the world, starting with Kiribati in the Pacific.

Many hospitals offer prizes and gifts to the first baby born on New Year's Day, including college scholarships.

The Chinese invented fireworks using bamboo and gunpowder, originally to scare away evil spirits.

Easter is calculated as the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox.

The tradition of the Easter Bunny bringing eggs was brought to America by German immigrants in the 1700s.

Early Christians dyed eggs red to represent the blood of Christ, symbolizing his resurrection.

It was made in Italy in 2011 and stood 34 feet tall, requiring 200,000 chocolate bars.

In Australia, the Easter Bilby replaces the Easter Bunny, and in France, church bells bring the eggs.

The ancient Celts believed that on October 31st, the boundary between the living and dead became blurred.

The tradition began with 'souling' where poor people would go door-to-door asking for food in exchange for prayers.

Originally, people carved turnips, potatoes, and beets. Pumpkins became popular in America because they were larger and easier to carve.

In ancient Egypt, black cats were revered and considered good luck. The superstition about bad luck came much later.

After Christmas, Halloween generates the most retail sales, with Americans spending over $9 billion annually.

The 1621 celebration in Plymouth included 50 Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag Indians and featured games and feasting.

The feast likely included venison, fish, lobster, clams, and waterfowl, but probably not turkey.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving to the third Thursday in November to extend the Christmas shopping season.

Originally called the Macy's Christmas Parade, it featured live animals from the Central Park Zoo.

Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday in October, marking the end of the harvest season.

It's named after Saint Valentine, but there were multiple saints named Valentine, making the true origin unclear.

Charles, Duke of Orleans, sent the first Valentine's Day card to his wife while imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1415.

In Japan, women give chocolate to men, and men return the favor on White Day (March 14th).

The traditional heart shape is based on the shape of silphium seeds, an ancient contraceptive plant.

Americans spend approximately $20 billion on Valentine's Day gifts, with men spending twice as much as women.

Roses became associated with love and romance, with red roses symbolizing deep love and passion.

Women give chocolate to men on February 14th, men return gifts on March 14th (White Day), and singles celebrate Black Day on April 14th.

The card, written in 1415, is housed in the British Museum and was sent by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife.

St. Patrick was born in Britain around 385 AD and was kidnapped by Irish raiders at age 16.

Green became associated with Ireland and St. Patrick's Day during the Irish independence movement in the 18th century.

In 1762, Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City to celebrate their heritage.

Since 1962, Chicago has been dyeing the Chicago River green using 40 pounds of vegetable-based dye.

It became an official public holiday in Ireland in 1903, and the first parade was held in Dublin in 1931.

The harp is Ireland's official national symbol, though the shamrock is widely associated with Irish culture.

It was adopted on July 4th, but most signatures were added on August 2nd, 1776.

The second and third presidents died within hours of each other on the 50th anniversary of Independence Day.

Philadelphia celebrated with bonfires, bells, and fireworks, establishing traditions that continue today.

That's enough hot dogs to stretch from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles more than five times.

The bell cracked in 1846 and has been silent ever since, though it remains a symbol of freedom.

Congress made it an unpaid federal holiday in 1870, and it became a paid holiday in 1941.

The festival of lights spans five days, with each day having its own significance and rituals.

The festival celebrates Lord Rama's return to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile and his victory over the demon king Ravana.

It comes from the Sanskrit word 'deepavali,' referring to the rows of oil lamps lit during the celebration.

Each region has its own traditions, with some celebrating the victory of different deities and legends.

The tradition of fireworks symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and good over evil.

It's celebrated as a public holiday in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, and other countries with significant Hindu populations.

The holiday commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabean Revolt.

This commemorates the miracle of the oil that lasted eight days when there was only enough for one day.

The Hanukkah menorah (chanukiah) has eight branches for the eight days plus a helper candle (shamash).

The date is determined by the Hebrew calendar, which is lunar-based, so it changes each year.

The letters stand for 'A great miracle happened there' (Nes Gadol Hayah Sham).

The story is found in the Books of Maccabees, which are part of the Apocrypha.