WESTLAND, Mich.––Christmas is just around the corner, in fact it's 3 days away! While the holiday spirit takes over, we spend time with friends, family, and loved ones catching up and reminiscing. When the conversation goes null over egg nog or politics, you might want to have something interesting to say to boost the mood! Check out these
8 interesting facts about Christmas that you can bring to the table for a conversation starter:
1. Christmas trees have been sold since the year 1850 in the United States! That's a long-running traditions that we carry out to this day. The trees usually take 6-10 years to mature before being sold. Michigan is the third ranking state for production of real Christmas trees, and produces a larger variety of trees than any other state in the U.S.
2. Speaking of Christmas trees, the Germans were the first to make artificial trees. The first archetype of faux tree was made with dyed goose feathers. They were also the first to adopt the Christmas tree tradition - the first documented appearance of a Christmas tree was in 1531.
3. It's rumored that President Teddy Roosevelt banned Christmas trees from the White House in the early 1900's because he was a conservative guy and a big outdoorsman, but this isn't necessarily true. The first lady, dealing with 6 children, didn't want the extra hassle of a tree. Their 8 year old, Archie had a little tree put in his closet as a surprise and revealed it on Christmas morning 1902.
4. The Oklahomans took a while to officially jump on the Christmas sleigh. Oklahoma was the last state in the U.S. to declare Christmas a legal holiday, and did so in 1907. Alabama was the lead by declaring Christmas a legal holiday in 1836, and even celebrated during the Civil War.
5. Santa started out as St. Nicholas of Myra, a monk that handed out bags of money to the poor. In the 1800's the U.S. adopted Santa as a right jolly old elf thanks to the poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas". By the late 1800's, you could find Santa in department stores, and in 1930 on Coca Cola advertisements.
6. While it may be thought that Christians were responsible for folding the gift-giving part of Christmas into the traditions mix, it was actually the ancient ceremonies of Saturnalia that started the trend before the birth of Christ. The winter-solstice celebrations were done over 7 days, beginning on December 17th. Gift giving was done because the Romans believed it would bring good fortune in the coming year.
7. This day in age, we spend quite a bit on Christmas gifts. Christmas purchases make up about 1/6 of all retail sales in the U.S. Based on a consumer survey, Americans planned to spend an average of $935 during the holiday shopping season this year. All retail sales were predicted to be about $655 Billion, with online sales to be as much as $117 Billion.
8. Travel numbers are also huge in the U.S. AAA estimates 103 Million people will travel for the holidays from December 23rd to January 2nd. About 93.6 Million of travels will be driving, and they can expect to pay a little bit more at the pump than at Thanksgiving. The average price now around Westland is about $2.30 per gallon.
Wherever you travel this holiday season, we want you to be safe on the road! Make sure to check your tires, gas, oil level, and wiper fluid before you go or have us take a quick look at our
Service Center in Westland, MI. If you have a vehicle that isn't reliable for all your holiday travels, let us help you find a new Ford! With plenty of lease deals happening at North Brothers Ford, and the option of awesome vehicles like the
Ford Crossovers - Escape, Edge, and Explorer, there's something for everyone and every budget.
North Brothers Ford is located at 33300 Ford Rd Westland, MI 48185 and proudly serves as one of the premier dealerships in Metro Detroit, and is committed to exceptional customer service! Stop by or give us a call at 855-739-2023, our knowledgeable and helpful sales team will be more than happy to assist you!
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