I love statistics. Not the class you took in high school/college, but rather facts and figures of everyday things, like the population of the ten biggest cities, the coldest/hottest temperatures ever recorded, etc. So, here's some holiday statistics and some random facts that I dug up:
-Approximately 20 billion letters, packages and cards will be sent in the U.S. between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
-A traditional Christmas dinner in early England was the head of a pig prepared with mustard.
-During the 6-day Thanksgiving travel period, the number of long-distance trips (to and from a destination 50 miles or more away) increases by 54 percent, and during the Christmas/New Year’s Holiday period the number rises by 23 percent, compared to the average number for the remainder of the year.
-An artificial spider and web are often included in the decorations on Ukrainian Christmas trees. A spider web found on Christmas morning is believed to bring good luck.
-Americans bought 31.3 million real Christmas trees and bought 17.4 million fake trees in 2007.
-An average household in America will mail out 28 Christmas cards each year and see 28 eight cards return in their place.
-Charles Dickens' initial choice for Scrooge's statement "Bah Humbug" was "Bah Christmas."
-Christmas caroling began as an old English custom called Wassailing - toasting neighbors to a long and healthy life.
-Jewelery stores did 21% of their year's sales in December last year.
-Christmas trees are edible. Many parts of pines, spruces, and firs can be eaten. The needles are a good source of vitamin C. Pine nuts, or pine cones, are also a good source of nutrition.
-During World War II it was necessary for Americans to mail Christmas gifts early for the troops in Europe to receive them in time. Merchants joined in the effort to remind the public to shop and mail early and the protracted shopping season was born.
-For every real Christmas tree harvested, 2 to 3 seedlings are planted in its place.
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