Tis the season of good cheer: Fun gifts, time with your family and a much-needed day off. That wasn’t always the case. It wasn’t until 1870 that Congress declared Christmas a national holiday under President Ulysses S. Grant.
That’s not all you may not know about Christmas. Bone up on these 21 facts to share with friends and family by a warm fire with Grandma’s eggnog.
$149.6 million – The amount the Salvation Army raised in 2015 during its red kettle donation campaign.
25,000 – The number of Salvation Army red kettles set up nationwide in 2015.
94 feet – The height of this year’s Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center.
50,000 – The number of multi-colored, energy-efficient LED lights on the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
You will find more statistics at Statista
$462,000 – The amount Mariah Carey makes in royalties each year for “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
$403,000 – The amount the Bing Crosby estate makes in royalties each year for “White Christmas.”
733 – The number of copyrighted versions of “Silent Night” since 1978. It’s the most recorded Christmas song in the modern era.
$100 – The hourly wage of starting Santas, while veterans can make as much as $175 to $200 an hour. These wages increase on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
3,000 – The number of women who have performed as a Rockette since the first “Christmas Spectacular” show in 1933.
300 – The number of Rockette kicks per “Christmas Spectacular” show.
1659-1681 – The years when it was illegal to celebrate Christmas in Boston and could be fined five shillings.
1914 – The year when German and Allied troops along the Western front stopped fighting on Christmas Eve and sang carols across the battlefield.
$55.1 million – The amount of money that “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” movie with Jim Carey made on its opening weekend. That’s the most for holiday movies.
$285.8 million – The amount of money that “Home Alone” has made in its lifetime, which is No. 1 among holiday movies.
9 – The average number of presents that a man wraps in a typical December holiday season.
20.3 – The average number of presents a woman wraps in a typical December holiday season.
44 – The percentage of companies planning to give holiday gifts or cash to employees this year. The median amount is $45 per employee.
9 – The number of cities and towns in the U.S. with festive names: Mount Holly, North Carolina, Holly Springs, Mississippi; Snowflake, Arizona; Santa Claus, Indiana; North Pole, Alaska; Noel, Missouri; Dasher, Georgia; Rudolph, Wisconsin.; and Peace, North Dakota.
14 – The number of gifts the average shopper will buy this holiday season.
822.6 – The number of visits Santa has to make per second on Christmas in order to reach every household.
650 MPS – The speed that Santa’s sleigh must travel to make all of those visits, which is over 3,000 times the speed of sound.
