CHRISTMAS FIRSTS

The word Christmas is derived from Christ's Mass and was first used in 1038.

The concept of the Christmas Tree was brought to us by the Germans, who decorated the first tree in Strasbourg in 1605. The practice quickly spread to Switzerland and Austria. In the early 1800s the Scandinavians and Russians began putting up trees, and Parisians finally caught the fever in 1840.

Prince Albert, husband to Queen Victoria, and being of Germanic descent, introduced the German idea of the Christmas Tree to England in 1841.

In 1923, President Calvin Coolidge established the tradition of the National Christmas Tree for the United states. It was decorated and put up on the White House lawn, as it has been every year since.

The first Christmas greeting card is believed to have been designed in England in 1843 by J.C. Horsley for a friend, Sir Henry Cole. This Victorian invention showed a family party, beneath which simply said "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You." This soon became a popular practice in all English-speaking countries and is most widespread in the United States.

The first reusable ornaments were created in the 1870s. Before that, the tree was usually decorated with candles and edible foods. It was a real treat to take down the tree on the Epiphany!

Poinsettia was first used as a Christmas decoration by a Mexican priest in Taxco.

Franz Gruber of Oberndorf, Germany, composed the music for "SILENT NIGHT" to words written by Josef Mohr. The traditional song was sung for the first time during Midnight Mass on December 24, 1818.

Clement Clarke Moore wrote his famous "A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS" for his children, in 1822. Whole he borrowed heavily from Washington Irving's image of Santa, Mr. Moore was the first to call Santa "chubby and plump." Before that, St. Nicholas was always a thin, older gentleman. Mr. Moore was also the first to attribute eight reindeer to Santa, and to name them.

German born illustrator Thomas Nast was the first to give us a glimpse of our modern day Santa. Mr. Nast also added Santa's Naughty & Nice list, as well as his North Pole workshop.

It was in 1821 that Santa first rode his now famous sleigh, which was bestowed on him by an anonymous poet who was also the first to associate a reindeer with Santa.

The poem "A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS" by Clement C. Moore ("T'WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS.....") was published anonymously in the Troy (N.Y.) Sentinel on December 23, 1823.

"THE NUTCRACKER SUITE," Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet, premiered on December 18, 1892 in St. Petersburg, Russia.

6,000 copies of "A CHRISTMAS CAROL" by Charles Dickens were sold on December 13, 1843, the first day of its publication.

The first string of Christmas tree lights was created by Thomas Edison on December 22, 1882.

Christmas Seals went on sale for the first time, in the Wilmington, Del., post office on December 09, 1907. The proceeds went to fight tuberculosis.

The most famous reindeer of all, Rudolph, was the creation of Robert May, a copywriter for Montgomery Ward. In 1939 the company needed a giveaway for department store Santas to distribute. Mr. May quickly wrote "RUDOLPH, THE RED-NOSED REINDEER to go with the stuffed toys. It was later recorded by Gene Autry and has become a holiday favorite.

Frank Capra's "IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE," starring James Stewart and Donna Reed, premiered on December 21, 1946.

"A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS" first aired on December 09, 1965 on CBS with the jazz music composition by the Vince Guaraldi Trio in the background.

Dr. Seuss' "HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS" aired for the first time on CBS on December 18, 1966.

"FROSTY THE SNOWMAN" first aired on CBS on December 07, 1969.