Thomas Edison introduced the first Christmas lights on December 22 1882.
In 1904, Einar Holboell, a Dane promoted the first Christmas Seals. Christmas Seals were first sold in the United States in 1907 in Wilmington, Delaware.
The first "Christmas tree farm" planted in the USA as a commercial business was in 1901 near Trenton, New Jersey.
Carl Otis invented the Christmas tree lights, called BubbleLights in 1945.
In the 1950's and 60's the lights became extremely popular.
Each Christmas there is a festive "Great Bullfight" in Peru.
The "poinsettia", is sometimes called the "flower of Christmas Eve" or "flower of the blessed night". This plant from Mexico was introduced to the United States in 1828 by Dr. Joel Poinsett, the 1st US ambassador to Mexico. The flower was renamed in Poinsett's honor.
Jingle Bells was composed in 1857 by James Pierpont, and was originally called One Horse Open Sleigh.
In Sweden, a common Christmas decoration is the Julbukk, a small figurine of a goat. It is usually made of straw.
Thomas Nast was the first artist to draw Santa Claus as a fat, jolly, white-whiskered old man.
Katherine Lee Bates References to "Mrs Santa Claus" began to appear in 1899.
In Holland the "eight footed horse" is a holiday tradition.Children fill their shoes with hay for the horse. The horse leaves gifts for good children.The bad children get "spanking switches".
The guitar was first instrument on which the carol "Silent Night" was played. The carol was first sung as part of a church service in Austria. A guitar was used because the church organ was so badly rusted it couldn't be played.
London's holiday decorations in Trafalger Square includes a large Christmas tree that is an annual gift from Oslo, Norway.
In the Victorian era, a toy Noah's Ark was desired as a Christmas gift by both boys and girls. This toy had unisex appeal for both boys and girls as it was the only toy children of many religious faiths were allowed to play with on Sunday.
In the Christmas carol,Twelve Days of Christmas,the total number of gifts that "my true love gave to me" is 364.
Until World War I, Lauscha, Germany supplied virtually all blown-glass Christmas tree ornaments to the world.
According to Pennsylvania Dutch and French traditions the brother of Santa Claus, Bells Nichols visits homes on New Year's Eve after children are asleep. The children sit out plates and Santa's brother fills the plates with cakes and cookies.
Charlemagne was crowned first Carolingian Emperor of the Roman Empire in the year 800 A.D. on Christmas Day and William the Conqueror was crowned King of England in 1066 on Christmas Day.
Auld lang syne means literally old long ago in Scottish.
Dr. Livingston, a famous explorer is buried in two countries, that are each on separate continents. His heart is buried in Tanzania and his body is buried at the Westminster Abbey in London.
Napoleon wore a type of hat called a Tricorne. Several years ago, the hat was sold at an auction for $29,471, becoming the most expensive hat ever sold.
Napoleon provided his most honored guests with knives and forks made of pure aluminum. At the time the newly discovered metal was so rare, it was considered more valuable than gold.
Roland Ohisson, a Swedish confectionery salesman was buried in a coffin made entirely of chocolate.
Thomas Hardy, Stonewall Jackson, Percy Bysshe Shelley, St. Lawrence, Sir Walter Raleigh and King John are all buried in multiple graves,each of their bodies are not "all" buried in the same location. They each have more than one grave.
Queen Berengaria reigned over England for 8 years without once showing her face on English soil.
There are more than 7,000 varieties of apples grown in the world.
Coca-cola was originally green. Dr. John Stith Pemberton of Atlanta, Georgia invented it in 1886.
Gatorade was named for the University of Florida Gators where it was first developed.
Dr Pepper first made in Waco at The Old Corner Drug Store by Charles Alderton. He served the first Dr.Pepper December 1st, 1885.
Charles Leiper Grigg invented 7-Up in 1929. Seven Up has seven ingredients and the words Seven Up have seven letters.
William Sullivan, a tea merchant in New York invented the tea bag in 1908.
Dom Perignon is the name of the monk credited with making the discovery of the bubbled wine, now called champagne.
The term "real McCoy" is often used to reference something that is "the real thing". McCoy was a person who became a bootlegger/rumrunner during prohibition whose product was quality liquor. His products were sought out and considered the "real McCoy".
Honey is the only food that does not spoil.
Brazil nuts have been identified as the world's most radioactive food.
An avocado is also known as an Alligator Pear
Bananas are the most popular fruit in America. The average person eats 33 pounds of bananas a year.
Carrots were first grown as a medicine not a food.
A nectarine is a variety of peach that has no fuzz.
A tamarind is a fruit commonly referred to as an "Indian date" and is both sweet and sour.They grow on 30 foot tall trees and have a sticky paste surrounding flat seeds.
The onion is actually a member of the lily family.
The potato, the pumpkin and the pineapple originated in South America.
The capsicum level or "heat" of chilies/peppers is measured in Scoville Units.
Dr. John T. Dorrance discovered the process for making condensed soups in 1879.
Ketchup was originally sold as a medicine under the name of Dr. Miles Compound Extract of Tomato.
PEZ candies were invented by Edward Hass in Vienna, Austria.
Hershey's Kisses are called that because the machine that makes them looks like it's kissing the conveyor belt.
Chocolate contains phenylethylamine, a natural substance that is reputed to stimulate the same reaction in the body as falling in love.
The marshmallow debuted in its present form in France. However, today the marshmallow no longer contains the mallow plant the ingredient the product was named after.
The fortune cookie was invented in 1916 by George Jung.
Instant mashed potatoes (dehydrated potato flakes) were invented by Edward A. Asselbergs, in 1962.
The phrase "a square meal" originated from Royal navy galleys where meals were served on square wooden plates.
Canned food is credited to the French. During Napoleon's conquests it allowed his armies to travel long distances with greater ease and healthier trips.
Van Camp's Pork and Beans were a staple food for Union soldiers in the Civil War.
To determine if a chicken egg is fertilized or not the egg is held up to a light bulb or other light source and the embryo will show up through the shell. This is called candling.
In the early 11th century, the Anglo-Saxons called animals by their names, such as cow, sheep, or pig, while the animal was alive. But the people of France are responsible for the names these animals
are called by when cooked, such as beef, pork, or mutton.