MORE CHRISTMAS TRIVIA, #3

An average household in America will mail out 28 Christmas cards each year and see 28 Christmas cards return in their place.

As early as 1822, the postmaster in Washington, D.C. was worried by the amount of extra mail at Christmas time.  His preferred solution to the problem was to limit by law the number of cards a person could send.  Even though commercial cards were not yet available, sending so many home-made cards required 16 extra postmen be hired.

During World War II it was necessary for Americans to mail Christmas gifts early for the troops in Europe to receive them in time.  Merchants joined in the effort to remind the public to shop and mail early and the protracted shopping season was born.

Hallmark introduced its first Christmas cards in 1915, five years after founding the company.

In 1937, the first postage stamp to commemorate Christmas was issued in Austria.

More than 3 billion Christmas cards are sent annually in the United States.

There are 2 Christmas Islands.  The Christmas Island in the Pacific Ocean was formerly called Kiritimati.  Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean is 52 square miles.