Friday Factoids, Holiday Edition

December 23, 2005 by paul
Filed under: Uncategorized

Merry Christmahanukwanzakah, enjoy Festivus and have a happy New Year!

The first printed reference to Christmas trees appeared in Germany in 1531.
Alabama was the first US state to recognize Christmas as an official holiday, in 1836. Oklahoma was the last state to declare it a legal holiday, in 1907.
Every year since 1947, the people of Oslo, Norway have given a Christmas tree to the City of Westminster, England. The gift is an expression of goodwill and gratitude for Britain’s help to Norway during World War II.
Similarly, since 1971 the Province of Nova Scotia has presented the Boston Christmas Tree to the people of Boston in gratitude for the relief supplies received from the citizens of Boston after a ship exploded in 1917 following a collision in the Halifax harbour.
Rudolph is definitely the most famous reindeer of all, so much so that he’s even had movies based on his exploits. Rudolph was first written about in 1939 by Robert May, who included him in a story for the Montgomery Ward Christmas catalogue.
The other 8 reindeer (Blitzen, Comet, Cupid, Dancer, Dasher, Donder (or Donner), Prancer, and Vixen) were first named in 1822 by American poet Clement Clark Moore in his poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas.”
Santa Claus, as we know him, was introduced in a 1931 Coca-Cola advertisement.
If you celebrate Hanukkah, you might be interested to know that reindeer can be kosher!
Kwanzaa was invented in California in 1966 by Maulana Ron Karenga. Its name is derived from a Swahili phrase meaning “first fruits”.
You can actually buy Festivus Poles – US$38 for a 6′ floor model + base kit!
It’s believed that New Year was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago.
The first New Year’s Eve Ball lowering celebration atop One Times Square, New York, was held in 1907.
The tradition of using a baby to signify the New Year began in Greece around 600 BC.
The song “Auld Lang Syne” (often sung at the stroke of midnight to bring in the New Year) literally means “old long ago” or simply “the good old days”.

While “researching” (in the loosest sense) these factoids, I discovered this snippet:

On [December 24] 1968, Led Zeppelin left Britain to start their first American tour. Robert Plant later said, “It was Christmas, and Christmas away from home for the English is the end of the world.”

Oh, and if you’re still looking for a special gift for a techie, here’s an idea – it’s gross but I like it: 128Mb USB Thumb Drive – $89