It is that time of the year to set out milk and cookies, and wake up to a pile of gifts. Christmas is the time where families gather around a tree and drink hot cocoa. Christmas is pretty much Thanksgiving with presents. Everyone enjoy mountains of good food and gets a ton gifts. Christmas is the time to laugh and have fun with  friends and family. Here are ten fun facts about Christmas:

1. The original Rudolph did not have a red nose. In that day and age, red noses were seen as an indicator of chronic alcoholism and Montgomery Ward didn’t want him to look like a drunkard. To complete the original picture, he was almost named Reginald or Rollo.

2. America’s first batch of eggnog was made in the Jamestown settlement in 1607. Its name comes from the word “grog”, meaning any drink made with rum. Non-alcoholic eggnog is popular as well.

3. The Christmas wreath was originally hung as a symbol of Jesus. The holly represents his crown of thorns and the red berries the blood he shed.

4. The three traditional colors of most Christmas decorations are red, green and gold. Red symbolizes the blood of Christ, green symbolizes life and rebirth, and gold represents light, royalty and wealth.

5. Brenda Lee recorded “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” when she was only 13 years old.

6. If you gave all the gifts listed in the Twelve Days of Christmas, it would equal 364 gifts.

7. Jingle Bells, the popular Christmas song was composed by James Pierpont in Massachusetts, America. It was, however, written for Thanksgiving and not Christmas.

8. Coca-Cola was the first company that used Santa Claus during the winter season for promotion.

9. More than 3 billion Christmas cards are sent in the U.S. alone, every year. The business of ‘Christmas cards’ is a huge, if you are looking for one. Also, other names of Christmas from the old times include – ‘Midwinter’, ‘Nativity’ and ‘Yule’.

10. Christmas trees were first decorated with fruits (mainly apples), and then later on people started using candles, and then electric lights (1895) to decorate these trees.