Here are 15 surprising facts about Christmas that you probably haven’t heard before…
1- White Christmas is the best-selling Christmas song of all time.
Written by Irving Berlin in 1942, the song, performed by Bing Crosby, has sold over 100 million copies worldwide and has become one of the most popular songs in history.
2- Before the 20th century, trees were lit by candles!
3- The tradition of decorating trees at Christmas is thought to have begun in Latvia in 1510.
4- It’s a common tradition to watch Donald Duck cartoons before Christmas in Sweden.
5- The most expensive Christmas tree in history was exhibited in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates
The tree, which was decorated in 2010 and displayed at the Emirates Palace, was worth more than $ 8 million.
6- The record for the fastest time to decorate a Christmas tree was broken in the UK in 2013
It took only 36.89 seconds for a woman named Sharon Juantuah to decorate the tree.
St. Nicholas, who inspired Santa Claus, is thought to be a tough and disciplined person with a stick.
7- The first Christmas-themed postage stamp in history was produced in the United States in 1962.
8- An average of 3 billion Christmas cards are sold each year in the United States.
9- Flying reindeer first appeared in 1819
10- Santa’s outfit wasn’t red in the past
This character, inspired by a historical personality, was mostly represented by blue, green and white clothes in the past.
11- The iconic song “Jingle Bells” was originally made for Thanksgiving
12- It is thought that the first celebrations in history were held in York, England, in 521 BC.
13- Electric tree lights, one of the symbols of today’s celebrations, were invented in 1882 by an American inventor named Edward H. Johnson.
14- The world’s first “Christmas card” was made in England in 1843 by a man named Henry Cole.
15- According to one calculation, Santa must move at a speed of 7,919,904 kilometers per hour to deliver gifts to every home in the world!
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