A YANKEE DOODLE CHRISTMAS some triva about american christmas celebrations

1. Celebration of Christmas was banned in the colony of Massachusetts from 1659 - 1681. The puritans saw it as a pagan celebration. Businesses were open and churches shut. Exchanging gifts or singing Christmas Carols or missing school would result in a fine
2. Hessians, German soldiers hired by the British to help fight the Revolution abandoned their posts on Christmas of 1776 to celebrate around a candle-lit tree. Their celebration enabled George Washington and his army to cross the Delaware River undetected and defeat them at the Battle of Trenton - a turnign point in the American Revolution.
3. Congress was in session on December 25,1789, our country's first Christmas under the new constitution. Christmas wasn't declared a federal holiday in the US until 1870.
4. In an early example of psychological warfare, Abraham Lincoln asked illustrator Thomas Nast to create a drawing of Santa with some Union Soldiers. The image was to show Santa's support of the Union and thus demoralize the Confederate forces.
5. In 1889, the first White House Christmas tree was displayed by President Harrison. In 1895, President Cleveland added the innovation of electric lights to the tree. 
6. The tradition of the lighting of the National Christmas Tree began in 1923 when President Coolidge lit the tree erected on the Ellipse south of the White House. 
7. The tradition of the National Christmas Tree lighting has continued until today with a few exceptions. During World War 2, the lights were not lit as a security precaution. In 1963, the tree was not lit until December 22 because of a national 30-day period of mourning following the assassination of President Kennedy. In 1979 President Carter ordered only the star atop the tree be lit to remember the hostages being held in Iran. 
8. President Eisenhower was the first president to send out an official White House Christmas card. The tradition began in 1953 when Ike allowed one of his own paintings - of Abe Lincoln - to be printed on a card and sent out offically from the White House. 
9. President Theodore Roosevelt was an early conservationist. In 1902, he refused to have a Christmastree in the White House out of concern for the planet. His son Archie, however, had a small tree smuggled into his room and put up in his closet. Needless to say, when the word got out about the tree, the president was not pleased. 
10. The Salavation Army has been sending their iron kettles into the streets since 1890s when they began collecting to feed the poor at Christmas in San Francisco. 
11. The tradition of standing a Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center in NY City began in 1931 -- by construction workers building the well-known site. It was decorated with "strings of canberries, garland of paper, and even a few tin cans". The first time the tree waslit by electric lights wasn't until 1956.

A SURVEY OF TOWNS IN THE UNITED STATES

A survey of towns are as follows:

838 named Bethlehem

145 named Joy

110 named Holiday

89 named Christmas

30 named Noel

17 named Carol

12 named Mistletoe

7 named Santa Claus

WHAT IS THE REAL CHRISTMAS

"Its sharing your gifts, not purchasing gifts;
It's not wrapping presents, its being present,
And wrapping your arms around the one's you love.
It's not getting Christmas cards out on time,
It's spending any card anytime, at the right time.
It's not having the biggest and best
Christmas light display.
It's displaying the Christ light
That comes from your heart.
It's not Santa coming down the chimney,
It's Jesus coming down from heaven
And giving us the gift of eternal life.

JESUS CHRIST REPORTS FOR JURY DUTY IN ALABAMA

Jesus Christ was called for jury duty this week in Jefferson County, but was sent home for being disruptive. Court officials were skeptical at first when on Monday a potential jurior submitted a name change form with "Jesus Christ" on it. But the 59-year old Birmingham woman, who previously went by Dorthy Lola Killingworth, assured the presiding judge that was her name. "It raised eyebrows, so I asked her if that were truly her name," Circuit Court Judge Scott Vowell said. "She assured me that it was. She had her name changed in the Probate Court, and she presented her driver's license." Christ was sent to Judge Clyde Jone's courtroom for a criminal case, but was excused because she was disruptive, court officials said. Instead of answering questions, she was asking them, a court employee in Jone's office said. Efforts to reach Christ were unsuccessful. Court administrator Sandra Turner said she and others in the jury assembly room were somewhat shocked at first when the woman insisted Christ was her name. And when her name was called, several potential jurors laughed out loud. Unlike some Jefferson County residents, Christ did not try to get out of jury duty. "She was perfectly happy to serve," said Turner.

BALD HEAD COVERED IN NEWSPRINT FIRST CLUE MAN FORGOT UMBRELLA

A legible New York Times headline on bald man hairless scalp was the most obvious hint he'd misplaced his umbrella during a rain storm. "I was hoping people wouldn't notice," the bald man said of his soaked entrance to work. "But when I sat down everyone came over to ask if I knew about the GM Bankruptcy like real wiseguys. They said it looked like it was on my mind. Hardy Har Har. "The bald man finally learned of the embarassing situation when he went to towel off in the men's room. He considered hiding in the handicapped stall until lunch and regretted not following through when he found half a dozen hats piled on his chair along with a USA Today newspaper labeled as "casual wear".

MAN ROBBED OF $2 MILLION BANK WITHDRAWL

A man in Taiwan was robbed of more than $2 million in cash that he had just withdrawn from the bank, a police official said. Three masked gunmen robbed the 50 year old victim in the southern city of Tainan, logging the highest-value robbery in city history with a heist of T$77 million (2.39 million), said a police investigation official. The gunmen approached the victim, as he drove from the bank to his watch shop nearby, Taiwan's central news agency said. One shot a shop employee in the foot during a scuffle to fight off the gunmen, the agency said. Police are looking for the three gunmen while advising people in the 769,000 population city to be more vigilant. "We're putting out a notice on public safety, telling citizens that we're ready to stand beside them for protection as they use the bank," The police said.

LOST MAN DRIVES 9 HOURS TO GET NEWSPAPER

An elderly man who went out to fetch a morning newspaper ended up driving nearly 400 miles after getting lost and taking a wrong turn onto a major Australian highway, police said. The man,81 year old eventually stopped and asked for directions after driving for nine hours, from the new South Wales country town of Yass to Geelong in the southern Victoyia State. The man, eventually approached a policeman at a petrol station and asked for help. "This little old man came up to me saying he was lost. He handed me his mobile and asked if I could speak to his wife." said the policeman. The old man was reunited with his family, said he took the wrong turn and just kept on going. "I just went out on the road to have a drive," he told reporters, adding he did not need a satellite navigation device as he'd only been lost once.