Andr-Tech uk666 Posted January 4 Author Andr-Tech #101 Posted January 4 Did you know… The largest gingerbread house ever made was as big as a real house. In November 2013, a group from Traditions Club in Bryan, Texas, constructed a gingerbread house that was 160 feet long, 42 feet wide, and 10.1 feet tall. Made with a wood base, it reportedly took 1,800 pounds of butter, 7,200 eggs, 3,000 pounds of sugar, 7,200 pounds of flour, and over 22,000 pieces of candy to cover the record-breaking structure! 1 1
Andr-Tech uk666 Posted January 5 Author Andr-Tech #102 Posted January 5 Did you know… An anonymous buyer paid £20,000, for the first Christmas card ever sent. Making it the most valuable Christmas card in the world. On Nov. 24, 2001, a Christmas card was sold at auction in Devizes, Wiltshire, UK. For £20,000, or $28,158, making it the most valuable Christmas card in the world. That's because it was "considered the world's first Christmas card," according to Guinness World Records, which notes that it "was sent by Sir Henry Cole, a Bath-born businessman, to his grandmother in 1843 and is hand-coloured by the London illustrator John Calcott Horsley." The lithographed illustration depicts a multigenerational family enjoying a Christmas party. Only 12 of the original 1,000 cards are still in existence. 1
Andr-Tech uk666 Posted January 6 Author Andr-Tech #103 Posted January 6 Did you know… Christmas Day boasts the lowest number of relationship breakups. The holidays aren't always easy on romantic relationships, but if you and your significant other make it to Christmas Day, you can probably take the day off from worrying that you'll break up. A 2010 study conducted by Facebook found that Dec. 25 had the fewest number of breakups. 1 1
Andr-Tech uk666 Posted January 7 Author Andr-Tech #104 Posted January 7 Did you know… A record number of babies are conceived around Christmas. Studies have shown that September is the most popular time for babies to be born in the U.S. and the UK. While Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day all had the lowest numbers of births. Explanations include couples spending more time together. 1
Andr-Tech uk666 Posted January 7 Author Andr-Tech #105 Posted January 7 Did you know… The Grinch is the highest-grossing Christmas movie of all time. 2018's Dr. Seuss' The Grinch is the highest-grossing Christmas movie of all time, raking in $526.7 million worldwide. It's followed by Home Alone ($476.6M), Home Alone 2 ($358.9M), and 2000's Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! ($345.8M). 1 1
Andr-Tech uk666 Posted January 9 Author Andr-Tech #106 Posted January 9 Did you know… The biggest elf gathering ever included over 1,700 of Santa's helpers. You might think that Santa's little helpers would be busy making toys for children all year long. But on Nov. 25, 2014, 1,762 elves came together in Bangkok, Thailand, to set the record for the largest gathering of Santa's elves ever. 1 1
Andr-Tech uk666 Posted January 9 Author Andr-Tech #107 Posted January 9 Did you know… You can recycle your Christmas tree by donating it to elephants. When the holidays are over and it's time to get rid of your Christmas tree, you could drag it to the curb, or you could donate it to a zoo so that it can be fed to a hungry elephant. Zoos around the world, including The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, USA, accept evergreens, which are enjoyed by the giant herbivores as a seasonal snack. 1 1
Andr-Tech uk666 Posted January 10 Author Andr-Tech #108 Posted January 10 Did you know… Poinsettias have been a symbol of Christmas for over a century. These beautiful red and green flowering plants have been associated with Christmas for over 100 years. Back in 1828, the American minister to Mexico, Joel R. Poinsett, brought a poinsettia home to the U.S. from his post down south. Getting their name from Poinsett, the plants gained popularity in the U.S. after stores in New York began to sell them at Christmas in 1870, and by the 20th century, "they were a universal symbol of the holiday." 1 1
Andr-Tech uk666 Posted January 12 Author Andr-Tech #109 Posted January 12 Did you know… You can visit Santa's village all year round in Canada. Santa's Village is a festive theme park that's open 365 days a year in Canada, so you can visit during the winter months or camp there during the summer. Many movies have also been filmed at the seasonal location. 1 1
Andr-Tech uk666 Posted January 13 Author Andr-Tech #110 Posted January 13 Did you know… People in Japan eat KFC on Christmas. In America, families who celebrate Christmas might enjoy a turkey or ham for their holiday dinner. But in Japan, modern holiday festivities often involve eating KFC at Christmas. According to the BBC, it's estimated that 3.6 million Japanese families enjoy the fast-food chicken on Dec. 25. The credit goes to Takeshi Okawara, the manager of the first KFC in the country, who overheard a couple of foreigners talking about missing turkey on Christmas while in his store after it opened in 1970. "Okawara woke up at midnight and jotted down an idea that came to him in a dream: a 'party barrel' to be sold on Christmas," according to the BBC. He "hoped a Christmas dinner of fried chicken could be a fine substitute, and so he began marketing his party barrel as a way to celebrate the holiday." 1 1
Andr-Tech uk666 Posted January 14 Author Andr-Tech #111 Posted January 14 Did you know… The author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is credited with creating the modern view of Christmas. While he is most famously associated with Halloween thanks to his creepy classic, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Washington Irving was actually partially responsible for shaping the Christmas traditions we know and love today. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is an 1820 short story by American author Washington Irving contained in his collection of 34 essays and short stories titled The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. Irving wrote the story while living in Birmingham, England. "Among Irving's biggest contributions to Christmas in America was his promotion of St. Nicholas as a beloved character, laying the groundwork for the figure we'd eventually embrace as Santa Claus," the National Endowment for the Humanities notes. 1 1
Andr-Tech uk666 Posted January 15 Author Andr-Tech #112 Posted January 15 Did you know… But Father Christmas is based on a much older figure. Washington Irving may have helped inspire the more modern incarnation of Santa Claus, but it's a much older man who is responsible for establishing the original figure. Mr. Claus actually gets his name from Sinterklaas, which is Dutch for Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop known for his kindness and generosity. He would eventually become the Patron Saint of Children. 1
Andr-Tech uk666 Posted January 16 Author Andr-Tech #113 Posted January 16 Did you know… The Yule log refers to a holiday tradition from the Iron Age. The log-shaped, chocolate-y dessert that you present to your guests every year has its roots in Gaelic and Celtic Winter Solstice traditions. "To cleanse the air of the previous year's events and to usher in the spring, families would burn logs decorated with holly, pinecones, or ivy, and wine and salt were also often used to anoint the logs. Once burned, the log's ashes were valuable treasures said to have medicinal benefits and to guard against evil." Over the centuries, the good-luck ritual developed into this tasty holiday treat. 1
Andr-Tech uk666 Posted January 16 Author Andr-Tech #114 Posted January 16 Did you know… Children have left cookies and milk out for Santa since at least 1896. No one knows exactly why it's now customary to leave cookies and milk for Santa Claus, the first recorded reference to the tradition is from a Santa-themed magazine for children that was published in the late 19th century. A young girl wrote to St. Nicholas: An Illustrated Magazine for Young Folks that she and her brother planned to leave the snack out for their Christmas visitor in case he was hungry. 1
Andr-Tech uk666 Posted January 17 Author Andr-Tech #115 Posted January 17 Did you know… Christmas pudding took off during the Victorian Era, thanks to royal enthusiasts. Not only did Prince Albert and his wife, Queen Victoria, help bring the Christmas tree tradition to England, but they were also responsible for making Christmas pudding a holiday staple. The original "figgy pudding" was traditionally served on Stir Up Sunday, the fifth Sunday before Christmas. 1
Andr-Tech uk666 Posted January 19 Author Andr-Tech #116 Posted January 19 Did you know… The word "Christmas" can be traced back to 1038. The Old English looked to the existing phrase Cristes mæsse, or "Christ Mass," when coming up with a more modern way to describe Christmas. The original term was first recorded in 1038 during the 10th century. 1
Andr-Tech uk666 Posted January 20 Author Andr-Tech #117 Posted January 20 Did you know… Santa Claus wasn't always partial to the color red. These days, Santa is almost always depicted as a jolly, bearded man in a bright red suit with furry white trim. But this color scheme is a surprisingly recent development. Before the 1870s, Santa was shown wearing various colors, including brown, white, green, tan, and blue. Per The Guardian, Thomas Nast, a Harper's Bazaar caricaturist, is credited with originating the red-suited version of Santa we know so well today. Although he had also drawn him in other hues, this one stuck. 1 1
Andr-Tech uk666 Posted January 21 Author Andr-Tech #118 Posted January 21 Did you know… The Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop has been a tradition since 1907. The first ball drop was held at the One Times Square building in New York City. The ball drop is now a worldwide tradition, with cities across the world hosting their own ball drops on New Year’s Eve. Over 50 tons of trash are left in Times Square after New Year’s Eve celebrations. 1 1
Andr-Tech uk666 Posted January 22 Author Andr-Tech #119 Posted January 22 Did you know… The Chinese New Year is celebrated on a different day. The Chinese New Year is celebrated according to the Chinese lunar calendar. It usually falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice. Lunar New Year is celebrated with vibrant traditions: Cleaning the house sweeps away bad luck and makes space for good fortune Homes are decorated with red items which symbolises luck, happiness and protection against bad spirits People buy new red clothes Families prepare offerings for deities and ancestors Lion and Dragon Dances: Performances symbolize strength, courage, and the warding off of bad spirits The night before New Year, families gather for a feast including dumplings, fish and sticky rice cakes Families strengthen their bonds and express gratitude 1 1
Andr-Tech uk666 Posted January 22 Author Andr-Tech #120 Posted January 22 Did you know… In Italy, people eat a spoonful of lentils on New Year’s Eve. Eating lentils is an Italian tradition to bring prosperity in the new year. Lentils are believed to be a symbol of wealth because they look like coins. Eating a spoonful of lentils on New Year’s Eve is said to bring good luck. 1
Andr-Tech uk666 Posted January 23 Author Andr-Tech #121 Posted January 23 Did you know… The earliest known New Year’s resolution was made 4,000 years ago by the Babylonians. The ancient Babylonians believed that a person’s fate for the coming year was determined by the gods. To appease the gods, the Babylonians would make promises and resolutions to do good deeds throughout the year. 1 1
Andr-Tech uk666 Posted January 24 Author Andr-Tech #122 Posted January 24 Did you know… The most popular New Year’s resolutions are to lose weight and exercise more. Surveys have shown that these are the two most popular resolutions made each year. Other popular resolutions include quitting smoking, learning a new skill, and saving money. 1 1
Andr-Tech uk666 Posted January 25 Author Andr-Tech #123 Posted January 25 Did you know… Auld Lang Syne is a popular New Year’s song. Auld Lang Syne is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788. The song is traditionally sung at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve. It is a way of saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming in the new one. 1 1
Andr-Tech uk666 Posted January 27 Author Andr-Tech #124 Posted January 27 Did you know… In Japan, the New Year is marked with a bell ringing ceremony. Joya no kane, the traditional bell-ringing ceremony held at temples across Japan on New Year's Eve, marks the end of the old year and the start of the new. The bell ringing ceremony at the Buddhist temple of Senso-ji in Tokyo is one of the most popular New Year’s celebrations in Japan, thousands of people gather at the temple, for the ringing of the giant bell. The temple bells are rung 108 times, each representing a worldly desire or anxiety described in Buddhism. By ringing out these desires, beginning in the old year and concluding at the stroke of midnight, people can welcome the new year with a clear and refreshed mind. 1 1
Andr-Tech uk666 Posted January 28 Author Andr-Tech #125 Posted January 28 Did you know In Thailand, people release sky lanterns on New Year’s Eve. The tradition of releasing sky lanterns is believed to bring good luck and prosperity in the new year. It is a popular tradition in Thailand, where people gather to write wishes and prayers on the lanterns before releasing them into the sky. 1 1
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