Merry Christmas Edhat Readers!

By edhat staff

Merry Christmas edhat readers! In true edhat fashion, here are some numbers about the Christmas holiday to fascinate you statisticians.

And of course a photo of one of the most brightly lit homes on the east side of Santa Barbara.

Christmas History

• Date of the first Christmas: December 25, 336 in Rome
• Year the first Christmas card was sent: 1611
• From 1647-1660, Christmas was banned in England by the Puritans
• Year that mistletoe was first associated with Christmas: The 18th century
• First time Christmas was a bank holiday: 1834 in the UK
• First US State to recognize Christmas: Alabama in 1836
• Year of the first commercial Christmas card: 1843
• Year Christmas became a US Federal holiday: 1870
• Year the candy cane was first associated with Christmas: 1874

Christmas Facts and Stats

Percentage of Americans that celebrate Christmas: 92%

Average amount Americans spend on holiday gifts: $663.96

Christmas Tree History

• First recorded Christmas Tree: 1576 in Turckheim, Alsace
• Year the Christmas tree was introduced in the UK: 1832
• Year the Christmas tree was introduced in the US: 1850
• Year of the first known electrically-lit Christmas tree: 1882
• Year of the first lit US National Christmas Tree: 1923
• Year of the first Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree: 1933

Christmas Tree Facts and Stats

Number of real Christmas trees sold in the US annually: 25-30 million

Number of Christmas tree farms in the US: 15,000

Number of Christmas trees growing in the us: 350 million

Percentage of Americans that put up a Christmas tree: 79%

Largest exporter of Christmas trees in the world: Canada

Santa Claus History

• When and Where did Saint Nicholas live: 4th century in Turkey
• First appearance of Father Christmas:16th century
• Year “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (Twas the Night Before Christmas) was first published: 1823
• Year that the name ‘Kris Kringle’ was popularized: 1845
• First use of the name “Santa Claus” in the American press: 1773
• First appearance of Santa Claus in a Christmas parade: 1890
• Year that the editorial “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” was first published: 1897
• First appearance of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: 1939
• Year that NORAD began tracking Santa Claus: 1955
• When was Mrs Claus popularized?1950’s and 60’s

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer History

• Rudolph’s first appearance: 1939 in a Robert May book.
• Year that Johnny Marks’ Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer song, sung by Gene Autry, was released: 1949
• Publication of Rudolph sequel Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Shines Again: 1954
• Year the Johnny Marks song Run Rudolph Run, sung by Chuck Berry, was released: 1958
• Year the Rudolph Little Golden Book was released: 1958
• Year the Rankin/Bass claymation Rudolph television special first aired:1964 on NBC
  • Subsequent Rankin/Bass Specials: Rudolph’s Shiny New Year (1976) and Christmas in July (1979)
• Year Rudolph first appears on a US postage stamp: 2014

Classic Christmas Movies With Release Dates:

• Babes in Toyland – 1934; 1961 (Disney version)
• Scrooge – 1935, 1951, 1970
• A Christmas Carol – 1938, 1971, 2009
• Holiday Inn – 1943
• The Bells of St Mary’s – 1945
• It’s a Wonderful Life – 1946
• Miracle on 34th Street – 1947
• White Christmas – 1954
• Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer –1964
• A Charlie Brown Christmas – 1965
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas – 1966
• The Little Drummer Boy – 1968
• Frosty the Snowman – 1969
• Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town – 1970
• The Year Without Santa Claus – 1974
• Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas – 1977
• A Christmas Story – 1983
• Mickey’s Christmas Carol – 1983
• Die Hard – 1988
• Scrooged – 1988
• National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – 1989
• Home Alone – 1990
• The Muppet Christmas Carol – 1992
• The Nightmare Before Christmas – 1993
• The Nutcracker – 1993
• The Santa Clause – 1994
• Dr Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas – 2000
• Elf – 2003
• The Polar Express – 2004

Read more at DMR.