I Didn't Know That!

It's the beginning of the Christmas season and in stores you'll find Poinsettias of all colors, Christmas trees of all varieties, wreaths of all descriptions and songs that are only played pretty much during one month of the year. From a variety of traditions, we hope you enjoy the following interesting facts about Christmas!

~ In 1836, Alabama was the first state in the USA to declare Christmas a legal holiday.

~ Real Christmas trees are an all-American product, grown in all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. Most artificial trees are manufactured in Korea, Taiwan, or Hong Kong.

~ The use of a Christmas wreath as a decoration on your front door, mantel or bay window symbolizes a sign of welcome and long life to all who enter.

~ "Yuletide" for "Christmastime" is a term derived from the Yule log, which in olden days was a huge log used as the foundation of the holiday fires. Up until the 19th century the custom of burning the Yule log flourished in England, France, and Germany. Families carved a heavy, wood block out of Oak and placed it into the floor of their hearth, where it glowed throughout the year under the flames of household fires.

~ Today, Poinsettias are the most popular Christmas plant and are the number one flowering potted plant in the United States.

~ The biggest selling Christmas single of all time is Bing Crosby's White Christmas.

~ The story of Rudolf appeared, out of nowhere, in 1939. Santas at Montgomery Ward stores gave away 2.4 million copies of a booklet entitled "Rudolf the Red-Nose Reindeer." The story was written by a person in the advertising department named Robert May. The original name of the reindeer was not Rudolf - it was Rollo, but executives did not like that name. The name Rudolf came from the author's young daughter! In 1949, Gene Autry sang a musical version of the poem and it was a run-away best seller. The Rudolf song is second only to "White Christmas" in popularity.

~ Stockings hung on the mantel? According to a very old tradition, the original Saint Nicholas left his very first gifts of gold coins in the stockings of three poor girls who needed the money for their wedding dowries. The tradition of a lump of coal in the stockings of naughty children comes from Italy.

~ For every real Christmas tree harvested, 2 to 3 seedlings are planted in its place. Each hectare (approx. 2.5 acres) provides the daily oxygen requirements of 45 people.

~ In America in 1822, the postmaster of Washington, DC complained that he had to add 16 mailmen at Christmas to deal with cards alone. He wanted the number of cards a person could send limited by law. "I don't know what we'll do if this keeps on!" he wrote.

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OLM, Inc.
975 Cobb Place Blvd.
Suite 304
Kennesaw, GA 30144

Call us: (770) 420-0900

E-mail: newsletter@olminc.com
Online: www.olminc.com

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