Carl Pettit

Christmas is a time for brotherly love, family, friends, good food and presents. It’s also a time, apparently, for setting some pretty astonishing—and often downright wacky—holiday records.

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Snow falls from the sky, shops sell their Christmas wares, and the sweet fragrance of gingerbread houses fill the air—'tis the season! In the United States, there are plenty of Christmas traditions around to keep everyone happy. Gift giving, holiday meals and ornament-covered trees are in abundance everywhere.

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Christmastime means garlands, garlands all over the place. When you see them hanging about shopping malls and your neighbors’ houses, you know the holiday season has arrived. As widespread as these decorative wreaths of flowers, leaves and twigs are, most people don’t really know why they’re associated with Christmas.

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Santa Claus, that jolly fellow who races across the sky in his reindeer-pulled sleigh on Christmas Eve after judging who has been naughty or nice, needs no introduction. But his wife is another matter.

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The Santa Claus the world knows—the “Coca Cola” Santa Claus decked out in red and white—is synonymous with Christmas, flying red-nosed reindeer, a big jolly laugh, and lots and lots of presents. Tales of old Saint Nick have spread across the planet and worked their way into numerous cultures. But do you know how the story of the fat man in the red suit first got started?

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Candy canes have been around for hundreds of years, but they haven't always had that easily identifiable hooked shape. They also weren't red at all.

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Some people complain about the over-commercialization of the holiday season and how the need to buy and buy has drained all the charm out of Christmastime. Well, it’s not totally gone. Eager children still get wonderful toys, families still come together for great meals, and there’s always the off chance you’ll spot someone you like very much standing beneath the mistletoe, which means you have the right to give that person a Christmas kiss.

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The microwave oven is a wonderful time saver. When you want to defrost a chicken, warm up a bowl of soup, pop some popcorn or cook an instant burrito, you can’t beat microwave technology.

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When you’re out in the bright sun, and you want to have some fun without squinting for hours on end, you need a pair of sunglasses to shield your eyes.

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When you’re faced with the real McCoy, you’re dealing with the real thing. It isn’t a copy or near likeness. It’s the honest-to-goodness genuine article.

It doesn’t mater if you’re talking about a valuable coin, a leather sofa, a bottle of whiskey or a living person.

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