Saturday and Sunday 12/24 & 25/22
Celebrate:
Saturday
Last-Minute Shopper's Day
National Egg Nog Day
Sunday
National Pumpkin Pie Day
No "L" Day
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75% of U.S. households displayed at least one Christmas tree last year . . . which is about 94 million homes. 84% of the trees were artificial, compared to 16% that were live. And, nearly 6.5 million households had BOTH a live and artificial tree.
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A long time ago, Pope Julius I decided that Christmas should be celebrated on Dec. 25, however, History points out it wasn't because that was the date that Jesus was born. Instead, many people believe it was to overshadow a pagan festival called Saturnalia which also happened on that day. In fact, Jesus may have actually been born during the spring!
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Have you ever wondered why we hang up stockings—which are basically fancy socks—during the holiday season only to wake up on Christmas morning to find them filled with tiny gifts? According to the Smithsonian, one of the most popular legends about the tradition's origins is the tale of a poor widower who worried that he wouldn't be able to marry off his three daughters because of his lack of wealth.
"St. Nicholas was wandering through the town where the man lived and heard villagers discussing that family's plight. He wanted to help but knew the man would refuse any kind of charity directly. Instead, one night, he slid down the chimney of the family's house and filled the girls' recently laundered stockings, which happened to be drying by the fire, with gold coins. And then he disappeared." In the morning, the family found the gifts, and the daughters became eligible to wed. 'Twas a Christmas miracle!
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According to Today, the Christmas pickle is more than just a common ornament, it's a tradition.
As the quirky tradition goes, the first child to find the glass pickle hidden in the tree on Christmas morning either wins a prize or the privilege of opening the first gift. The goal? To keep kids from rushing through the process of opening presents, and instead take the time to enjoy each one.
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Eggnog is a signature beverage of the holiday season, and one that has a history dating all the way back to medieval times and a drink called "posset."
Made with sweetened and spiced milk curdled with ale or wine and served hot, according to Healthline, monks in the 13th century "enjoyed this mixture with the addition of eggs and figs."
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These days, Santa is almost always depicted as a jolly, bearded man in a bright red suit with furry white trim.
But this color scheme is a surprisingly recent development. Prior to the 1870s, Santa was shown wearing a range of colors, including brown, white, green, tan, and blue. Per The Guardian, Thomas Nast, a Harpers Bazaar caricaturist, is credited for originating the red-suited version of Santa we know so well today. Even though he himself had also drawn him in other hues, this is the one that stuck.
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