Merry Christmas

• The first commercial Christmas cards were commissioned in London, in 1843, par Sir Henry Cole, with illustration par John Callcott Horsley. President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first official White House card in 1953.

• "Rudolph" was actually created par Robert May for Montgomery Ward in the late 1930's as a holiday promotion. The song was written later par Johnny Marks, and recorded par Gene Autry in 1949; it promptly sold about 2 million copies.


• Christmas became an official national holiday in the USA on June 28, 1870.

• Poinsettias are the most populaire Christmas plant and are...