December is upon us, and tis the season for merrymaking and gathering with beloved friends and family. Everybody loves a beautiful display of holiday lights strung upon the house, or the warm glow of the Christmas tree in the living room, but those are only the most familiar of traditions. Today we have six lesser-known Christmas facts to share. Now you can wow your kids and stump your friends at the next holiday gathering!
“Jingle Bells” Isn’t Really a Christmas Song!
Everybody knows the lyrics to what is probably the most popular Christmas carol we sing, but did you know that “Jingle Bells” wasn’t ever meant to be a Christmas song? “Jingle Bells” was composed in 1857 by James Pierpont and was written for Thanksgiving! The original title was “One Horse Open Sleigh.”
Christmas Was Made for Breaking Records!
Who doesn’t love the Guinness Book of World Records? And the holiday season is full of opportunities for breaking spirited records! For example, the world’s tallest Christmas tree was displayed in 1950 at the Northgate Shopping Center in Seattle, Washington and measured up to an incredible 221 feet tall! And if you’re looking to gather lots of presents this Christmas, you’d like to know that the world’s largest Christmas stocking measures 106 feet long and 49 feet wide! You can credit the Children’s Society in London for that feat!
The Twelve Days of Christmas Add Up to Much More!
You can probably list the twelve famous gifts mentioned in the popular carol, “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” but did you know how many gifts are mentioned when you sing the song all the way through? 364! That’s a lot of repetition…and a partridge in a pear tree!
Christmas is Less Than 200 Years Old in the US!
You might think that we have been officially celebrating Christmas for much longer, but the holiday wasn’t declared official in the United States until June 26, 1870. And Oklahoma was the very last state to declare Christmas a legal holiday in 1907. Bah humbug!
Santa Claus is The World’s Busiest (and Fastest) Man!
Have you ever wondered how fast Santa would have to be in order to deliver toys to every child in the world on Christmas? Well, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), there are approximately 2, 106 million children in the world, with an average of 2.5 kids per household. This means Santa would have to make 842 million stops on Christmas Eve, which is travelling 221 million miles! That means he would have to accelerate 12.19 million miles per second on each stop! But don’t you worry- if anyone can make it happen, it’s Santa!
Fried Chicken for Christmas Dinner!?!
In fact, Japanese people traditionally eat Kentucky Fried Chicken for Christmas dinner! That’s right! Thanks to a hugely successful marketing campaign KFC created almost 40 years ago, KFC is so popular in Japan that customers must place their Christmas orders up to two months in advance!
There are lots of wonderful holiday events coming up in Mesa and Gilbert that are fun for the whole family. If you like the theater, be sure to check out the Broadway Palm Theater’s performances of “Winter Wonderettes: the 60’s Christmas Musical,” now playing weekly. Or if you’re looking for some outdoor family fun, Superstition Farm is hosting “Moo-ey Christmas” with hayrides, a petting zoo, and plenty of Christmas lights.
At Flancer’s: Homemade Chile Rellenos stuffed w/filet Mignon!
And if you’d rather spend your holiday playing and enjoying family, rather than working in the kitchen, let Flancer’s cook your Christmas meal to go. We offer a special dinner every Holiday season that is prepared for you to pick up. This year our main course is Homemade Chile Rellenos stuffed w/filet Mignon! Be sure and check out our menu to see the other goodies that are pared perfectly with this delicacy.
Wherever your holiday takes you, be sure to stop by Flancer’s for a hearty lunch or dinner. We are serving all of your favorite fresh, handcrafted pizzas, sandwiches, and entrees throughout the holiday season. Join us for a pre-event meal and see where the locals hang out!
