Christmas Fun Facts Part 2

frankp57By
Dec-25-2022
Chester Today, Have Your Say, Just A Bit Of Fun
3 Comments.

Following on from my recent compelling fact filled post (oh yes it was, he said in true Pantomime style!!!) about Christmas fun facts, today’s offering is unsurprisingly entitled Christmas Fun Facts Part 2. Just in case you missed yesterday’s factoid extravaganza, you can read the snippets HERE. So what are today’s Christmas Fun Facts Part 2? Read on for more interesting Yuletide gems of information to dazzle your mates with.

Christmas Fun Facts Part 2

What do you know about Christmas trees? Apart from them being green and that their needles can be a nightmare to tidy up. Not a lot!! Well, aren’t you lucky you stumbled across this page. Any Christmas quizzes over the festive period with any “Christmas Tree” related questions and you’ll be the man (or woman).

Need To Know Christmas Tree Facts

Did you know that there are almost 60 million Christmas Trees grown each year in Europe. That is approximately one tree for every UK household. That is one helluva lot of real Christmas trees.

Actually there are about 8 million natural Christmas trees bought by UK households each year. I wonder how many needles that represents?

Here in the UK, natural Christmas trees outsell artificial Christmas trees by a ratio of 3 to 1. Like most things you can’t beat natural with plastic.

If you get fed up with all that turkey, did you know that many parts of the Christmas tree can actually be eaten? In particular, were you aware that the needles are a good source of Vitamin C.

How long do you reckon Christmas trees are usually grown for before they’re sold? The answer to that is 15 years. I’m trying to imagine the very first Christmas trees ever sold. Did the tree owner decide I’ll plant these with a view of selling them in 15 years time? If so, what business foresight!!

Will we ever run out of Christmas trees? Unlikely as on average, three Christmas trees are planted to replace each one harvested.

No doubt most of us will agree, nowadays Christmas isn’t Christmas without all those classic Christmas songs. But is there anything of interest to note (again, no pun intended!!) regarding these festive singalongs?

Christmas Songs Facts

Does anyone else find it strange that there are no modern day (or hardly any) Christmas songs? Back when I was a lad, when Nelson had two eyes, a new one was being released every year it seemed. But what of those songs? Read on to find out more…..and have a little listen as well along the way.

You probably won’t be surprised to know that the bestselling Christmas single ever is Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas”, selling more than 50 million copies worldwide since 1942. Good old Bing. Here he is performing the classic (you can never get tired of hearing this can you?).

Now, here’s a quiz question for you. Who is the lady singing with Bing? Answers on a postcard please. First correct answer wins a (legal) mince pie (i.e. to be consumed before or after Christmas Day).

British Christmas Songs

In Britain, the best-selling Christmas single is Band Aid’s 1984 classic track, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”

Here’s the ever popular Band Aid belter….

It sold an impressive 3.5million copies. Wham’s “Last Christmas” is next in the same year, selling 1.4million.

The royalties earned from “Last Christmas” are estimated to be about £300,000 per year. The first year’s royalties were given to Band Aid. Since 2012 however, the sorely missed George Michael had donated all his royalties from the song to charity.

Did you know, that in the video for “Last Christmas”, George Michael was filmed without a beard for the last time.

Of course Christmas number 1 singles are not all Christmas themed songs. Did you know that The Beatles hold the record for most Christmas number 1 singles with a total of four. They topped the charts in 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1967. Just behind them on three each are Cliff Richard (1960, 1988 and 1990) and The Spice Girls (1996, 1997 and 1998).

Paul McCartney earns £250,000 a year off his Christmas song, “Wonderful Christmastime”. Nearly all McCartney fans will no doubt agree this is not the best song he recorded. Still, a cool £275k a year from it softens the criticism from the musical gurus. Not a bad return to do something you may not necessarily like.

Other Royalties

Who earns the most royalties from their Christmas songs? Well, that little minx Mariah Carey makes about £375,000 per annum from “All I Want For Christmas”. That figure is bettered however by the Pogues, who make about £400,000 from “Fairytale of New York”.

But top of the pile are Slade, who are reckoned to earn £500,000 per year from “Merry Christmas Everybody”. Four of them in the band – so £125k per annum for having your song played for about 6 weeks of the year. Nice work if you can get it!!

Queen (No, Not HRH – I Previously Discussed Her Majesty and Her Annual Speech).

Queen’s classic, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is the only record to get the UK Christmas Singles Chart Number One twice. The first time was in 1975 and then again it reached the summit in 1991. There was another song – “Do They Know It’s Christmas” – number 1 three times (1984, 1989 and 2004), but technically it was by different groups, so it doesn’t count.

Other Popular Festive Offerings

I’ll bet you didn’t know that Irving Berlin hated Elvis Presley’s version of “White Christmas” so much that he tried to prevent radio stations from playing Presley’s cover. That plan didn’t really work did it?

An unusual pairing for a Christmas song was Little Drummer Boy by David Bowie and Bing Crosby. Initially Bowie hated the choice of “Little Drummer Boy” as the song he was to sing with Bing Crosby on his A Merrie Olde Christmas filmed in September 1977. Fortunately, the producers and songwriters for the program – Buz Kohan, Larry Grossman and Ian Fraser – quickly decided to compose the counterpart lyrics and a new bridge for Bowie to sing alongside Crosby. They found the nearest piano and banged out “Peace on Earth” in about an hour, and saved the day.

Sadly, Bing died in October 1977 before the show was aired.

Are you liking my Christmas Fun Facts Part 2 so far?

You’re not!! I don’t believe you.

“Oh yes you are” I reckon.

“Oh no we’re not”comes the emphatic response.

Anyway, back to Christmas Fun Facts Part 2 – Christmas Songs Facts.

You would think that the best time to write a classic Christmas song would be in the depths of winter. Not necessarily so. Did you know, Mel Tormé’s “The Christmas Song” (more commonly known as “Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire”) was written during a summer heatwave in 1944.

Even the youth of the day got into the classic Christmas songs act. Brenda Lee was only 13 years of age when she recorded the original version of “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree”.

What Was The First Ever Song Broadcast?

Now here’s something worth knowing. The first song ever broadcast on radio was a Christmas Carol. Way back on Christmas Eve, 1906, the Canadian inventor Reginald Fessenden (1866-1932) played “O Holy Night” on his violin. He ended up singing the final verse while broadcasting from his Brant Rock radio tower in Massachusetts.

What is your favourite Christmas song? I’ll be honest, I’m not sure which is mine, although Chris Rea’s “Driving Home For Christmas” is in the frame though.

What I do know is that my favourite Christmas number 1 is not an actual Christmas song. It’s “He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother” by The Justice Collective. Such a poignant, powerful song….

Favourite Christmas Carols

In a 2016 UK survey, “Silent Night” was voted the nation’s favourite Christmas Carol. “O Holy Night” was second. This has also been recorded by Mariah Carey, Cher and Bing Crosby, and held the number one spot from 2003 to 2013. “Hark The Herald Angels Sing” was third.

Did you know by the way that the word “Carol” actually means dance or song of praise and joy. Carol songs used to be sung during all four seasons, but the tradition of only singing them at Christmas is the only one to survive.

Anyway, I hope you liked this Christmas Fun Facts Part 2 post. I’m sure you are all excited to see if there will be any more pearls of wisdom winging your way. Don’t worry there is (stop groaning you lot at the back!!). Keep an eye out for the originally titled Christmas Fun Facts Part 3.

Until then, enjoy your mince pies while they are still legal!!

Chester Lifestyle Latest Blog Posts

Understandably some of my blog posts at this time of the year are Christmas related. But I do post on a lot more topics though. For all my blog posts to date, have a look HERE.

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