Top 20 Fun Christmas Facts Around the World
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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas here at Venere.com! Take a peek at our list of fun facts about how the most important holiday of the year is a celebrated around the world!
Did you know that?
XMAS
In Greek, X means Christ; that is where the word “Xmas” comes from!
Christmas World Records
The world’s largest Christmas present was the Statue of Liberty. The French gave it to the US in 1886. It is 46.5 meters high and weights 225 tons!
“Green” Christmas
It can take up to 15 years to grow an average-sized tree of 6-7 feet or as little as 4 years, but the average growing time is 7!
Christmas Songs
Bing Crosby ‘s ‘White Christmas’ was released in 1942 and is considered to be the best-selling Christmas song of all time!
Christmas Statistics
- 1 in 10 – The number of the presents received that will be broken by the New Year
- 7 in 10 – The number of dogs that get Christmas gifts from their owners
- 33 – The average amount spent per person on last-minute purchases
- 25 – The percentage time spent in queues when Christmas shopping
- 832 – The number of homes Santa visits every second to deliver all his presents
- 5340 – Average number of times Visa Cards are used every minute during Christmas time
2010 Average Budget for Christmas Presents
USA: 520 € – UK: 474 € – GERMANY: 270 € – ITALY: 325 € – FRANCE: 366 € – SPAIN: 383 € – NETHERLANDS: 206 €
Traditional Christmas Sweets
- FRANCE: Buche de Noel (a Génoise or other sponge cake, baked in a large Swiss roll pan)
- USA: Pumpkin Cake (with cinnamon and ginger, frosted with cream cheese frosting)
- SPAIN: Nougat (made with sugar or honey, roasted nuts)
- HUNGARY: Beigli (roll of sweet yeast bread with a dense, rich, bittersweet filling)
- ITALY: Panettone (is a type of sweet bread loaf originally from Milan)
- SWEDEN: Pepparkakor (heart-star and goat-shaped gingerbread biscuit)
- UK: Christmas Pudding (steamed pudding, with dried fruit and nuts, usually made with suet)
- PORTUGAL: Pain Perdu (French toast made with bread and eggs, milk, sugar and cinnamon)
- GERMANY: Lebkuchen (large cookies made of honey)
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32 responses to “Top 20 Fun Christmas Facts Around the World”
Report an inappropriate commentDecember 9th, 2010 at 11:19 am
Il buche di Noel sembra buonissimo
December 9th, 2010 at 11:56 am
In Provence, Southeastern France, Christmas’ eve dinner is called “gros souper” (“big supper”) and we eat 13 traditional Christmas desserts, which represent Jesus and the 12 apostles. My favorite desserts are black “nougat”, white “nougat”, “pompe” and “calissons”. Yummy!
December 9th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Per me pumpkin cake con la glassa vince su tutti
E non solo a Natale…
December 9th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
Pumpkin cake? I live in the states and I have never eaten or seen this at anybodies house anytime of the year. Will look for it to try some.
December 13th, 2010 at 6:10 pm
German Lebkuchen is not “made of honey”. Of course, the German Wikipedia article (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebkuchen) is the most accurate, but the English one (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebkuchen) is ok too.
Among the fun Christmas facts I would include the story of Saint Nicholas who (through the Dutch immigrants to the US) became Santa Claus (but still brings gifts to children on the 6th of December in many parts of the world)
December 13th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
The very best thing about Christmas at my place (New Zealand) is Summer and Christmas breakfast before heading to the beach!
December 15th, 2010 at 9:35 am
Belinda we envy you so much! It’s freezing here!
December 16th, 2010 at 12:16 am
Pumpkin cake?? False.
December 21st, 2010 at 7:25 am
X in Xmas does not mean Christ. While the “X” comes from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of the Greek word Χριστός, translated as “Christ”. That does not mean that the letter X means Christ…
get your facts straight!
December 26th, 2010 at 1:42 am
Christmas around the world? Or just the western world.
January 6th, 2011 at 7:17 pm
X is used to represent Christ in Greek. The Greek cross is the letter X (chi). I don’t think the author meant to say that X literally means Christ. Relax a bit!
January 16th, 2011 at 3:02 am
I think they mean Pumpkin Pie, not Cake. But we usually have turkey on Christmas.
November 20th, 2011 at 11:08 pm
Loved it! Exactly what I was searching for – thank you!
December 1st, 2011 at 5:47 pm
i love chrismas
December 6th, 2011 at 3:40 am
WOW AMAZING
December 9th, 2011 at 12:47 am
December 12th, 2011 at 1:10 pm
hi im lauren from fast track in glasgow you know
i think you site is just a wonderfull jolly and i wish to HACK it !! weeyooo
December 12th, 2011 at 4:38 pm
lolol
December 19th, 2011 at 8:53 pm
I agree, I’m from the US and the tradition is pumpkin pie, although I have incorporated german and UK foods and treats into our family dinners as well. Maybe they were thinking of carrot cake, it has cream cheese icing and I see this often during the holidays. But pumpkin pie is the tradition here. We even have a song that states this – “No place like home for the holidays” by Perry Como mentions pumpkin pie in the lyrics.
December 20th, 2011 at 5:58 pm
love it
December 21st, 2011 at 12:36 am
The reason why there is an x is to block out Christ’s Name!!!!! >:(
December 21st, 2011 at 10:26 pm
Sorry Elizabeth, the X in Xmas is not there to block out Christ’s name. It does have to do with the Greek as Jana stated above. There is no elaborate plot to take Christ out of Christmas.
November 20th, 2012 at 5:30 pm
I loove christmas:D you shall to ..
December 3rd, 2012 at 8:30 pm
AWSOME WOW AMAZING PEEPS
December 19th, 2012 at 2:31 pm
good info babes
December 20th, 2012 at 3:05 pm
MERRRY CHRISSSTMASSS!!!
December 24th, 2012 at 1:20 pm
I AM FEELING VERY EXCITED ,SO GOOOOO$$$$$
Comments on Twitter
December 8th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
next time someone criticizes you for writing “Xmas” tell them you’re just more wordly than they are… http://tinyurl.com/3yuxob6
December 9th, 2010 at 10:00 am
Top 20 fun facts about Christmas (@venere_hotels)
http://www.venere.com/blog/infographics/christmas-in-the-world-2010/
December 14th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
“Of this year’s xmas gifts, 1/10 will be broken by New Years, 40% will make it to March & 1/4 will be intact next xmas” http://bit.ly/eUYpzl
December 15th, 2010 at 2:57 pm
46 m de haut et 225 tonnes pour le plus grand cadeau de Noël jamais offert. Quel est-il? http://bit.ly/eUYpzl #esjweb
December 15th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
@hungrystratgist .. Christmas infographic! ihttp://www.venere.com/blog/infographics/christmas-in-the-world-2010/
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