Christmas Trivia

Your friend knows every Christmas carol ever sung by heart. They have seen Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and the Charlie Brown Christmas special so many times they can recite every line. Santa doesn’t even bother to check his naughty and nice list when he receives their letters. 

Think they know everything about Christmas? Here's some trivia you might surprise them with:

• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was created by Robert L. May in 1939, as an assignment for Montgomery Ward department store, who wanted to create an original coloring book to sell. May wrote a poem, which his brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, then adapted into a song.
• The first movie to feature Mrs. Claus was Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964).
• A spider web found on Christmas morning is supposed to bring good luck.
• Animal Crackers in the circus style box were designed with a string handle so they could be hung on Christmas trees.
• The first tree put up at the Rockefeller Center was during its construction in 1931. Workers were celebrating the fact that they had a job during the Depression and decorated the tree with paper garlands, cranberries and tin cans. Two years later the first “official” Christmas tree was installed.
• “Jingle Bells” was the first song broadcast from space, by the Gemini 6 astronauts on December 16, 1965.
• Christmas trees—pines, spruces, and firs—are edible. The needles are a good source of vitamin C.
• Red apples were one of the very first Christmas tree decorations.

The first artificial Christmas trees were made in Germany during the 19th century. They were made using goose feathers which were dyed green.
So find your friend and see how much they really know about Christmas.  Happy Holidays!