CHRISTMAS FACTS

• England has only known seven white christmases in the entire twentieth century.

• the definition of a white christmas in england is when one snowflake falls on the roof of the london weather centre in the 24 hours on 25th december.

• christmas pudding was first made as a kind of thick soup with raisins and wine in it.

• the queens speech was first televised in 1957

• each year between 34-36 million christmas trees are produced to cope with the holiday demand

• electric tree lights were first used three years after thomas edison had his first mass public demonstration of electric lights back in 1879

• thomas edison's assistant edward jonhson came up with the idea of electric lights for christmas trees in 1882.

• in 1895 ralph morris an american telephonist invented the string of electric christmas lights.

• in 1647 the english parliament passed a law that made christmas illegal. anybody caught celebrating christmas was arrested. the ban was lifted in 1660.

• postmen in victorian england were popularly called robins. this was because their uniforms were red. victorian christmas cards often showed a robin delivering christmas mail.

• All the gifts in the 12 days of christmas would equal 346 gifts one for each day of the year.

• in poland spiders or spider webs are common christmas tree decorations because according to legend, a spider wove a blanket for baby jesus. in fact polish people consider spiders to be symbols of goodness and prosperity at christmas.

• santa claus is based on a real person, st nikolas of myra who lived during the fourth century.

• The last white christmas, with snow falling across the UK was in 2004.

• 25th december was not celebrated as the birth of christ until the year ad440

• in 1843 the first christmas card was created on the instructions of an englishman sir henry cole. j.c. horsley designed the card and sold 1000 copies.

• in the nineteenth century the british post office used to deliver cards on christmas morning.

• the first christmas stamp was released in canada in 1898

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