FESTIVE FACTS

If you fancy being a bit geeky and knowledgable at parties and gatherings this year, here's a few facts about Xmas.......

• The first president to have a Xmas tree in the White House was Franklin Pierce.

• Tinsel was invented in Germany in 1610 and was made out of real silver.

• Pope Julius I declared December the 25th as the official Xmas day in the 4th Century.

• In 1647, the English Parliament passed a law that made Xmas illegal.

• Hallmark introduced the first Xmas cards in 1915.

• In the US, the Xmas season shows Visa cards alone are used over 5340 times every minute.

• The first Xmas card created was on December 9th 1842 in England.

• Santa Claus gets his name for Saint Nicholas, who in the 4th Century AD helped children and the poor by throwing gifts through their windows.

• During Xmas, 1.76 billion candy canes are made worldwide.

• Mistletoe was first used by druid priests 200 years BC.

• The biggest selling Xmas song of all time is 'White Christmas' by Bing Crosby.

• Traditional Xmas dinner in early England was the head of a pig prepared with mustard.

• Each year 34-36 million Xmas trees are produced to cope with the holiday demand in the UK.