• Alabama was the first state to recognize Christmas as

an official holiday in 1836.

• The busiest holiday shopping day? The day after

Thanksgiving? Nope. It’s usually the last Saturday or Sunday before the

holiday.

•

Good choice: Before settling on the name of Tiny Tim for his character in “A

Christmas Carol,” three other alliterative names were considered by author

Charles Dickens: Little Larry, Puny Pete and Small Sam.

•

The upside-down J doesn’t symbolize the first letter of Jesus’ name: A

choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral in Germany decided have the ends of straight

white candy canes bent to depict a shepherd’s crook, and he would pass them out

to the children to keep them quiet during the services.

• Always with the Christmas spirit: Santa Claus, Ariz.;

Santa Claus, Ind.; Noel, Mo.; Christmas, Ariz.; and Christmas, Fla.

• The first electric Christmas tree lights were flipped on

in 1895.

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Diamonds are Santa’s best friend. Thirty-one percent of all diamonds are

purchased during the Christmas shopping season, the most of any holiday or

special occasion of the year.

•

Christmas trees are edible. The needles are a good source of vitamin C. Pine

nuts or pinecones are good sources of nutrition.