1. It is a tradition in Japan to eat KFC for Christmas. Orders must be placed two months in advance
2. The first Salvation Army collection kettle appeared in San Francisco. It was a large crab pot with a sign that said, "Keep the Pot Boiling."
3. In Asia, White Elephants were considered holy, but pricey to keep. That idea was adapted for "White Elephant" Christmas exchanges: No value to the owner, but may have value to others.
4. In 1980, the hottest toy of the Christmas season was the Rubik's cube, which cost $1.99. Now it retails for $10, and it's a decent gift for a nephew.
5. The "X" in X-Mas is not a modern "abbreviation." It dates back to the 16th century, and is based on the Greek letter Chi, which looks like "X". It's the first letter in the word that translates to "Christ" in English.
6. Speaking of Greece, the Ancient Greeks considered the mistletoe an aphrodisiac, hence kissing under a mistletoe.
7. The Chumbivilcas Province in southwest Peru doesn't celebrate Christmas on December 25th. They celebrate a holiday called Takanakuy, where you're legally allowed to have a fist fight with anyone you've had a problem with that year.
8. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was created in 1939 by the Montgomery Ward department store . . . as a way to save money. They'd buy coloring books to pass out at Christmas, and they figured it would be cheaper to print their own books with an original character than to keep buying them.
9. The first song ever played on the radio was "O Holy Night" on Christmas Eve in 1906.
10. "The 12 Days of Christmas" is about the 12 days AFTER Christmas, not before. They end on January 6th, which is a holiday called the Feast of the Epiphany.
(CNN/The Salvation Army/Wiki/AJC/Wiki/The Guardian/Wiki/Zidbits/Pulpit and Pen/Wiki)
Photo: Getty Images