Think you’re a Christmas expert? Don’t jingle your bells just yet. These festive facts might surprise you, impress you, or make you question everything you thought you knew about the holidays.
- Fake trees win. Since 1991, artificial Christmas trees have outsold real ones in the U.S. Today, over 80% of Americans go faux. The pine-scented candles industry thanks you.
. - George Washington’s vague eggnog recipe. The Founding Father included plenty of booze but forgot to mention how many eggs to use. He helpfully noted: “Taste frequently.” Maybe that’s why he forgot to list the number of eggs needed?
. - Dickens wrote fast and got roasted. “A Christmas Carol” was written in just six weeks. Mark Twain wasn’t impressed, calling it “glittering frostwork.” Mark needed George’s eggnog recipe.
. - Toxic tinsel. In the ’60s and ’70s, tinsel was made of lead foil (yikes). The FDA stepped in, and by the early ’70s plastic tinsel became the safer, sparkly norm.
. - Christmas went interstellar. In 1965, astronauts aboard Gemini 6A played “Jingle Bells” from space while pretending they’d spotted a UFO. NASA: festive and funny.
. - Japan + Christmas = KFC. A popular Christmas Eve tradition in Japan is eating fried chicken from Kentucky Fried Chicken. Because nothing says “holiday magic” like extra crispy.
. - Norway is the ultimate holiday neighbor. Every year, Norway gifts the UK a massive Christmas tree, which proudly stands in London’s Trafalgar Square. That’s next-level re-gifting.
. - Santa’s reindeer are all girls. Both male and female reindeer grow antlers—but males shed theirs before winter. Since Santa’s team still has antlers on Christmas Eve, the sleigh is officially powered by strong women.
. - Christmas was once illegal. From 1659 to 1681, Puritans banned Christmas celebrations in America. It didn’t become a national holiday until 1870. Puritans weren’t a lot of fun.
. - Santa cookies are relatively new. One of the first mentions of leaving cookies for Santa appeared in the 1870s. Before that, Santa apparently worked snack-free.
. - Mistletoe is NOT a snack. Eating it is extremely dangerous due to a toxin called phoratoxin. Kiss under it, don’t chew it.
. - How the Grinch stole the box office. In 2018, The Grinch dethroned Home Alone as the highest-grossing Christmas movie, earning nearly $513 million. Die Hard didn’t make the cut? And yes, it IS a Christmas movie!
. - Trees take patience. It can take anywhere from 4 to 15 years to grow a Christmas tree, with an average of 7 years. That’s commitment… for something you’ll toss by New Year’s.
. - Home Alone isn’t as real as it looks. The iconic house is in Winnetka, Illinois, but most of the movie was filmed on sets built inside a high school gym and pool. Movie magic strikes again.
. - The USPS goes into overdrive. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, about 15 billion pieces of mail and 800 million packages are delivered. Be nice to your mail carrier.
. - Santa breaks the laws of physics. To deliver gifts worldwide, Santa’s sleigh would need to travel six million miles per hour – fast enough for the reindeer to break the sound barrier. No wonder they’re legends.
. - Mariah reigns supreme. According to Billboard, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is the #1 holiday song of all time. Resistance is futile.
. - “Jingle Bells” wasn’t born Christmas-y. The Christmas classic was originally written for Thanksgiving. Talk about a seasonal glow-up.
. - The song that keeps on giving. The “Twelve Days of Christmas” adds up to 364 presents—one for every day of the year except Christmas. Someone call Santa’s accountant.
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