Christmas by the Numbers

CHRISTMAS BY THE NUMBERS HOW DO AMERICANS OBSERVE CHRISTMAS? AMERICANS BUY 25-30 MILLION REAL TREES AND 8-12 MILLION ARTIFICIAL TREES EACH CHRISTMAS SEASON. 88% 194,672 95% 93% 74% 65% SAY THEY CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY EXCHANGE GIFTS GO TO PARTIES ATTEND RELIGIOUS SERVICES PUT UP TREES record number of lights on a Christmas tree, achieved in Belgium in 2010 350,000 000 NEW YORK'S RO0CKEFELLER CENTER has been raising and adorning its iconic tree for 80 CHRISTMASES. number of future Christmas trees growing on U.S. farms The most common Christmas tree species include the balsam fir, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, noble fir, Scotch pine, Virginia pine, white pine, Norway spruce and blue spruce. 1933 50-foot tree unveiled at first official lighting 2007 30,000 energy- efficient LEDS $11,026,900 1999 1931 20-foot fir erected by construction workers on Christmas Eve 100-foot, 100- year-old, 10-ton Norway spruce is biggest yet make the tradition value of the most expensively decorated Christmas tree, displayed in the Emirates Palace (UAE) in 2010 ceremony more eco-friendly THE U.S. PRODUCES 1.76 BILLION CANDY CANES EACH YEAR. TOP CHRISTMAS TREE PRODUCERS: Laid end to end, they would stretch for nearly 167,000 MILES AND COULD CIRCLE THE EQUATOR 6.7 TIMES. BUT CHRISTMAS TREES ARE GROWN IN ALL 50 U.S. STATES. U.S. TOWNS WITH CHRISTMAS-Y NAMES: AMERICANS SEND 1.5 BILLION NORTH POLE, AK SANTA CLAUS, GA SANTA CLAUS, IN NOEL, MO RUDOLPH, WI DASHER, GA SNOWFLAKE, AZ HOLLY SPRINGS, MI CHRISTMAS CARDS ANNUALLY. ROUGHLY 30 PERCENT of the population visits a post office during the holidays. American military installations overseas receive FRAGILE 30 MILLION POUNDS of holiday mail each year. THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE SELLS OVER THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE DELIVERS 1.3 BILLION 15.8 BILLION WINTER HOLIDAY STAMPS A YEAR, amounting to 10 percent of annual stamp sales. cards, letters and packages between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. A COLLABORATION BETWEEN HISTORY.COM AND COLUMN FIVE SOURCES U.S. CENSUS BUREAU, GALLUP, GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS, NATIONAL CHRISTMAS TREE ASSOCIATION, NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION, SPANGLER CANDY COMPANY, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, HALLMARK, U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, NASA, VIRGINIA TECH, TEXAS A&M, TENNESSEE CHRISTMAS TREE GROWERS ASSOCIATION, UNITED STATES NATIONAL ARBORETUM EGGNOG