Here are a few of the most interesting Christmas statistics and facts I was able to dig up in my internet travels. As always, be sure to check back in the future as I will be updating this post as new and updated stats become available.
With Christmas just around the corner, I am sure you are all running around buying and wrapping presents, cooking and traveling all over creation. I am in the same boat, but I thought it may be interesting to take a quick break and reflect on the holiday itself. For a holiday we spend so much time thinking about all year, there is still much we don’t know about it.
Post Contents
Christmas History
- Date of the first Christmas: December 25, 336 in Rome
- Year the first Christmas card was sent: 1611
- From 1647-1660, Christmas was banned in England by the Puritans
- Year that mistletoe was first associated with Christmas: The 18th century
- First time Christmas was a bank holiday: 1834 in the UK
- First US State to recognize Christmas: Alabama in 1836
- Year of the first commercial Christmas card: 1843
- Year Christmas became a US Federal holiday: 1870
- Year the candy cane was first associated with Christmas: 1874
Christmas Facts and Stats
Percentage of Americans that celebrate Christmas:
Average amount Americans spend on holiday gifts:
Percentage of Americans that send Christmas cards:
Percentage of Americans that see Christmas as a religious holiday:
Number of Christmas cards purchased annually:1.6 billion
Amount it would cost if you purchased everything in the 12 Days of Christmas:
Poinsettias are originally from Mexico and were first brought to the US in 1825 by Joel Poinsett.
Christmas Tree History
- First recorded Christmas Tree: 1576 in Turckheim, Alsace
- Year the Christmas tree was introduced in the UK: 1832
- Year the Christmas tree was introduced in the US: 1850
- Year of the first known electrically-lit Christmas tree: 1882
- Year of the first lit US National Christmas Tree: 1923
- Year of the first Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree: 1933
Christmas Tree Facts and Stats
Number of real Christmas trees sold in the US annually:
Number of Christmas tree farms in the US:
Number of Christmas trees growing in the us:
Percentage of Americans that put up a Christmas tree:
Largest exporter of Christmas trees in the world:
Santa Claus History
- When and Where did Saint Nicholas live: 4th century in Turkey
- First appearance of Father Christmas: 16th century
- Year “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (Twas the Night Before Christmas) was first published: 1823
- Year that the name ‘Kris Kringle’ was popularized: 1845
- First use of the name “Santa Claus” in the American press: 1773
- First appearance of Santa Claus in a Christmas parade: 1890
- Year that the editorial “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” was first published: 1897
- First appearance of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: 1939
- Year that NORAD began tracking Santa Claus: 1955
- When was Mrs Claus popularized? 1950’s and 60’s
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer History
- Rudolph’s first appearance: 1939 in a Robert May book.
- Year that Johnny Marks’ Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer song, sung by Gene Autry, was released: 1949
- Publication of Rudolph sequel Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Shines Again: 1954
- Year the Johnny Marks song Run Rudolph Run, sung by Chuck Berry, was released: 1958
- Year the Rudolph Little Golden Book was released: 1958
- Year the Rankin/Bass claymation Rudolph television special first aired: 1964 on NBC
- Subsequent Rankin/Bass Specials: Rudolph’s Shiny New Year (1976) and Christmas in July (1979)
- Year Rudolph first appears on a US postage stamp: 2014
Classic Christmas Movies With Release Dates:
- Babes in Toyland – 1934; 1961 (Disney version)
- Scrooge – 1935, 1951, 1970
- A Christmas Carol – 1938, 1971, 2009
- Holiday Inn – 1943
- The Bells of St Mary’s – 1945
- It’s a Wonderful Life – 1946
- Miracle on 34th Street – 1947
- White Christmas – 1954
- Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer – 1964
- A Charlie Brown Christmas – 1965
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas – 1966
- The Little Drummer Boy – 1968
- Frosty the Snowman – 1969
- Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town – 1970
- The Year Without Santa Claus – 1974
- Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas – 1977
- A Christmas Story – 1983
- Mickey’s Christmas Carol – 1983
- Die Hard – 1988
- Scrooged – 1988
- National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – 1989
- Home Alone – 1990
- The Muppet Christmas Carol – 1992
- The Nightmare Before Christmas – 1993
- The Nutcracker – 1993
- The Santa Clause – 1994
- Dr Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas – 2000
- Elf – 2003
- The Polar Express – 2004
Classic Modern Christmas Songs:
- Santa Claus is Coming to Town – 1934
- Winter Wonderland – 1934
- Carol of the Bells – 1936
- Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer – 1939
- White Christmas – 1940
- The Little Drummer Boy – 1941
- The Christmas Song – 1944
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – 1944
- Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! – 1945
- Here Comes Santa Claus – 1947
- Sleigh Ride – 1948
- Baby It’s Cold Outside – 1948
- Happy Holiday – 1948
- All I want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth – 1948
- Frosty the Snowman – 1950
- Silver Bells – 1950
- The Man With the Bag – 1950
- It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas – 1951
- I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus – 1952
- Santa Baby – 1953
- Up on the House Top – 1953
- I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas – 1953
- There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays- 1954
- Jingle Bell Rock – 1957
- Blue Christmas – 1957
- The Chipmunk Song (Alvin and the Chipmunks) – 1958
- Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree – 1958
- Run Rudolph Run – 1958
- Must be Santa – 1960
- Dominick the Donkey – 1960
- Do You Hear What I Hear – 1962
- It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – 1963
- Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – 1963
- A Holly Jolly Christmas – 1964
- Little Saint Nick – 1964
- Silver & Gold – 1964
- Christmas Time is Here (Charlie Brown) – 1965
- My Favorite Things – 1965
- You’re a Mean One, Mr Grinch – 1966
- We Need a Little Christmas – 1966
- Snoopy’s Christmas – 1967
- Feliz Navidad – 1970
- Happy Christmas (War is Over) – 1971
- Step Into Christmas – 1973
- Please Come Home for Christmas – 1978
- Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer – 1979
- Wonderful Christmastime – 1979
- Same Old Lang Syne – 1980
- Last Christmas – 1984
- Do they Know its Christmas? – 1984
- Christmas in Hollis – 1987
- All I Want for Christmas is You – 1994
- 12 Pains of Christmas – 1994
- My Only Wish This Year – 2000
- Where Are you Christmas? – 2000
- Believe – 2004