# 13
Franklin Pierce was the fourteenth President of the United States (1853-1857) and in 1856 he was the first President to decorate the first White House Christmas tree.
# 14
In 1649 the first American Christmas carol was written by a minister named John de Brebeur and was called "Jesus is born".
# 15
Christkind is an angelic messenger from Jesus a beautiful fair haired girl with a shining crown of candles.
# 16
In the largely Protestant areas of central and northern Germany, St. Nicholas later became better known as der Weinachtsmann.
# 17
On Christmas day 1066 William the Conqueror was crowned King of England.
# 18
At mid-day in Finland, the 'peace of Christmas' is broadcast on national radio and TV from the Finnish city of Turku.
# 19
The first commercial Christmas card caused something of a controversy when they first appeared in 1846.
The cards featured a drawing depicting a group of family members happily toasting each other with glasses of wine.
This was considered to be a shockingly decadent portrait and was immediately condemned by temperance advocates.
# 20
The "Twelve days of Christmas" are the 12 days that separate Christmas day, December 25, from Epiphany, on January 6.
# 21
The biggest selling Christmas single of all time is Irving Berlin's White Christmas sung by Bing Crosby's.
# 22
The first church to be built in New York or New Amsterdam as it was at the time was built by the Dutch.
When it was completed the Dutch named it in honor of the gift giving Saint - St Nicholas.
# 23
During the Reformation in Switzerland, all instrumental and choral music was banned from churches.
# 24
In Germany, during the reformation carols were greatly disapproved of, so as a result many were converted into hymns.
