Did you know that Christmas is the largest card-sending holiday in the United States? More than 1.9 billion cards are sent to family and friends every year — one billion more than the 192 million cards given or sent on Valentine’s Day, the nation’s second largest card holiday.
Did you know that December 19th is the busiest mailing day of the year? The U.S. Postal Service delivers some 20 billion letters, packages and cards between Thanksgiving and Christmas, with December 19th seeing double the number of parcels than any other day of the year.
Did you know that as many as 30 million live (real) Christmas trees are sold every year in the United States? In 2004, live Christmas tree sales amounted to more than $506 billion in revenue for America’s 22,000 tree farms. The state leader in Christmas tree production is Oregon, with sales of $143 million.
Did you know that for every live Christmas tree that is harvested, three seedlings are planted in its place?
Did you know that it takes an average of seven years for a Christmas tree to reach six feet tall? Some trees take as long as 15 years to grow to their harvesting height; others reach it in as little as four years.
Did you know that China is the leading manufacturer of artificial Christmas trees? According to the U.S. Commerce Department, more than 80 percent of artificial trees are made in China.
Did you know that in 2005, Americans spent more money on Chinese-made Christmas ornaments ($561 million) than on Christmas trees grown in the United States?
Did you know that the tradition of giving gifts for Christmas is rooted in the story of the wise men, who gave costly gifts to baby Jesus without the expectation of receiving anything in return?
