In Germany, Poland, and Ukraine, finding a spider or web on a Christmas tree is 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.
Nine days before Christmas 1965, astronauts aboard Gemini 6 told Mission Control they saw an “unidentified flying object” about to enter the atmosphere, traveling north to south. They interrupted NASA’s immediate and mounting concern with Wally Shirra playing “Jingle Bells” on a harmonica, while Tom Stafford rang bells he smuggled aboard.
Written in 1857 by James Lord Pierpont, “Jingle Bells” was written for Thanksgiving, not Christmas. It was supposed to be played during Thanksgiving to commemorate the famed Medford, Massachusetts sleigh races.
The image of Santa Claus flying his sleigh began in 1819 and was created by Washington Irving, the same author who dreamed up the Headless Horseman.
Tinsel was invented in 1610 in Germany and was originally spun from real silver,
Ever wonder about the string on a box of animal crackers? Introduced around Christmas in 1902, the string was intended to be used to hang the cracker boxes on your Christmas tree.
Brenda Lee was 13 years old when she recorded “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” in 1958.
VISA cards are used 5-6,000 times every minute during the Christmas season. Probably buying some of the 28 sets of LEGOS sold every second during the season.
Before turkey and gravy, the traditional Christmas meal in England was a pig’s head and mustard.