Give a gift that gets thanks this year. Send gorgeous fresh flower arrangements, centerpieces for the holiday table, terrific gourmet gift baskets and more to everyone you're thankful for!
Spice up your Christmas conversations by impressing family and friends with these entertaining tidbits about the history of this very special holiday.
- The tradition of sending Christmas cards began in 1843. Today, more than two billion paper Christmas cards are sent each year to family and friends in the United States.
- When grown in the wild, poinsettias, which originated in Mexico, can reach 12 feet tall with leaves that grow as large as six to eight inches across.
- For extra good luck in the coming year, legend warns us to set our tables for Christmas dinner for an even number of people, even if we have an odd number of guests, and, when preparing our holiday cakes and puddings, to stir the ingredients together exactly three times with a wooden spoon before cooking.
- Eggnog was first consumed in 1607 and was originally used to treat the sick.
- Santa has female competition in some parts of the world! In France, Father Christmas, or Pere Noel, is often upstaged by cape-wearing fairy Aunt Airie, who gives holiday gifts to French children while traveling across the country on her donkey.
- In America, Christmas became a national holiday in 1870.
- Rudolf the Red nosed Reindeer was first created as part of a holiday promotion in 1939 by the Chicago-based Montgomery Ward department store. The names "Rollo" and "Reginald" were considered for this traditional symbol of Christmas before the creator finally decided on "Rudolf."
- Alabama was the first state to make Christmas an official holiday.
- Indoor electric Christmas tree lights were first used by President Grover Cleveland in 1895 when he requested that the White House family tree be decorated with hundreds of strands of multicolored light bulbs.
- First released in 1946, "It's A Wonderful Life," starring James Stewart and Donna Reed, remains one of the most popular Christmas movies of all time and has been shown on television more often than any other holiday movie.
- Charles Dickens wrote his classic story "A Christmas Carol" originally as a way to make money quickly for his growing family. He wrote it in just over six weeks to be sure he could take advantage of the Christmas market and sell as many copies as possible.
- A total of 364 gifts are included in the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas."
- The custom of kissing under the mistletoe comes from ancient times when enemies met in the forest under this legendary plant and were forced to stop fighting and observe a truce until the following day.
How Did the Celebration Begin?
Charles Dickens is actually credited with turning Christmas into a full scale celebration for many to enjoy. Until Dickens released his book A Christmas Carol in 1843, Christmas was seen primarily as a religious event, commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Dickens' touching story of Scrooge painted the holiday as a time for giving to loved ones and bringing family together, and soon after, Christmas became a world-wide holiday synonymous with love, compassion, and sharing.
The Christmas Tree
The use of a Christmas tree indoors appears to have begun in Germany, where Christians would bring evergreen trees into their homes to decorate. When German immigrants went to America, they brought along the Christmas tree traditions. The tree was seen as a pagan symbol until the late 1800s, when Americans began accepting it as a part of the Christmas celebration.
Christmas Caroling
Caroling or "celebrating in song," is a Christmas tradition that allows the beauty of music to be shared in performance. It goes back to the early days of Christianity when songs were originally in the form of chants or hymns. There are two types of carols – traditional and religious. In the early days, carols were sung by "waits" or bands of men and boys singing outdoors, usually for money. By the 14th century these traditional carols, often accompanied by dancing, were firmly ingrained as part of the festivities surrounding Christmas.
Santa Claus
The legend of Santa Claus began ages ago and has been passed down throughout the generations. Each Christian culture has its own version of, and name for, Santa Claus. In the United States, Santa as the jolly old man wearing a red suit and carrying a sack of toys became popular due to an illustrator and cartoonist named Thomas Nast. Americans and others around the world have adopted his drawings of Santa Claus as the official holiday figure. All the Santa figures around the world still incorporate the tradition of celebrating the season by giving gifts, especially to children. While the story of how they came about has been altered in different cultures, the basic premise of Santa Claus remains a cherished tradition around the globe.
Giving Gifts
Gift giving, especially to children, is an integral and universal part of the Christmas tradition. Some say it originated with early Roman festivals that occurred on New Year's Day when gifts including food, simple jewelry, and candles were exchanged. Others believe the tradition goes back even further to the Magi, or Three Wise Men, who visited Jesus after his birth in the manger carrying gifts of gold, incense, and myrrh.
Make someone feel warm and fuzzy today: 
