The poinsettia is native to Mexico and was cultivated by the Aztecs, who called the plant Cuetlaxochitl ("flower which wilts"). For the Aztecs, the plant's brilliant red color symbolized purity, and they often used it medicinally to reduce fever. Contrary to popular belief, the poinsettia is not poisonous, but holly berries are.
"On 1 May 1840, the first stamps went on sale in Britain. (The Christmas card was invented 3 years later.) They were the One-Penny Black and Twopence Blue stamps, featuring Queen Victoria. In 1870, the British Post Office introduced a half penny stamp for sending cards". "No provision was made for separating the stamps one from another. To do so required a knife or a pair of scissors. In 1847, an Irish engineer named Henry Archer submitted a plan to the British Post Office for perforating stamp sheets. By 1854 Archer’s machine was sufficiently perfected to produce the first perforated stamps. The United States began using a perforating machine in 1857".
I know I went in to see your "sand" from the OP and saw that Moose! I had to really look to figure out if it was a magnified piece of sand, LOL!! But all really fun info @Steve North and a great idea for a thread. Now if I can come up with something interesting
The earliest known Christmas tree decorations were apples. At Christmastime,medieval actors would use apples to decorate paradise trees (usually fir trees) during "Paradise Plays", which were plays depicting Adam and Eve's creation and fall.
The Salvation Army has been sending Santa Claus-clad donation collectors into the streets since the 1890s.
Overnight temperatures are often colder with a full moon because there are few or no clouds to trap and hold in the day's warmth.......
I am missing something on this one, @Steve North . I know that it is usually colder at night when the day has been clear than when it has been cloudy, but either one of those can happen, regardless of whether the moon is full or not full; so what does the phase of the moon have to do with clouds in the sky ? Also, it has been shown that the moon produces a cold light. If you use one of those laser thermometers and test the temperature in the moonlight and then in the shadows, it will be warmer in the shadows where the moon is not shining. So the part about it being colder during a full moon does make sense to me.
There are approximately 5,500 feathers on an adult wild turkey, including 18 tail feathers that make up the male's distinct fan.......
The word “Christmas” means “Mass of Christ,” later shortened to “Christ-Mass.” The even shorter form “Xmas” – first used in Europe in the 1500s – is derived from the Greek alphabet, in which X is the first letter of Christ’s name: Xristos, therefore “X-Mass.”...................
Why don't they just put some of the preservatives they put in our food supply on those Christmas trees. That ought to take care of the problem and not waste the $1.3 million either.