DAILY DIRT: It’s time to start ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ … and watch out for those snowflakes in Montana

December 23, 2024 | By Steve Eighinger, Muddy River News Minister of Culture and Doctor of Love

Daily Dirt for Monday, Dec. 23, 2024

If you like those Goldfish crackers, we’ve got some great news for you today … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,152 of The Daily Dirt.

1. It’s Christmas week! And all of us at The Daily Dirt would like to begin the celebration today.

Starting right now and running through Christmas Day on Wednesday, we’ll offer 10 facts each day that we feel are interestingly tied to the holiday season. We hope you enjoy. Merry Christmas … and ho! ho! ho!

1. Singer Brenda Lee was just 13 years old when she recorded “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” which was released in 1958 and remains a holiday standard. (There’s more on this song in today’s third thought.)
2. About 15,000 people are taken to hospital emergency rooms across the nation each year with injuries directly related to holiday decorating accidents. And that’s why you let your wife handle the decorating.
3. Santa Claus is known by various names around the world: “Kris Kringle” in Germany, “Sinterklaas” in The Netherlands and “Ded Moroz” in Russia.
4. Every year Norway sends a giant Christmas tree to London in thanks for Britain’s help during World War II. The tree is displayed in Trafalgar Square, symbolizing peace and friendship.
5. Santa Claus has not always worn red. He was depicted in various colors until Coca-Cola popularized the red suit in the 1930s.
6. The most lights lit at one time on one Christmas tree was 194,672 in Belgium in 2010.
7. In Brazil, Christmas is celebrated in the summer with a wide variety of beach activities and traditional dishes like roast pork and turkey. We’re not sure if “Papai Noel” brings presents in the traditional red flannel suit, or a more comfortable pair of shorts.
8. The world’s largest snowflake on record was 15 inches wide and 8 inches thick, recorded in Montana in 1887.
9. The word “Christmas” is an old English contraction of “Christ’s Mass”.
10. The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in New York City dates to 1931, when workers first placed a small, undecorated Christmas tree while working. Two years later, another tree appeared in its place, draped in lights. Through the years, the annual tree kept increasing size and now is so big that it is home to more than 25,000 twinkling lights and sees millions of selfie takers using it as a backdrop.

We’ll be back tomorrow with more!

2. Did you know (Part 224)

That those delectable little Goldfish crackers have four new flavors on store shelves now: Cinnamon Roll, Strawberry Shortcake, Dill Pickle and Barbecue.
That there’s a new flavor of Pop Tarts out there for us — Lemon Blueberry Crumble. This one sounds awesome.
That Coffee Mate is counting on its new Peanut Butter and Jelly Duo to big a big hit among the caffeine users, starting in January. My wife, I predict, will love this one.
That there is a new Brisk Iced Tea flavor — Passion Pineapple Punch — due around February.
That a tarantula can survive for more than two years without food. (Not sure if I could last two hours, but hey, that’s just me.)
That there are more bacteria living your mouth than there are humans on earth.

3. A fellow named Johnny Marks once wanted to be a songwriter, so after he finished his hitch in the armed services following World War II, he landed a job writing holiday music — and he did it pretty well.

Maybe better than ANYONE else ever.

Marks wound up creating roughly 40 Christmas standards, including:

“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” which was based on a poem of the same name and written by his brother-in-law, Robert L. May, who is credited as the creator of Rudolph.
“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” made famous by Bing Crosby.
“Holly Jolly Christmas,” which most of us associate with Burl Ives.
“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” which Brenda Lee turned into a huge hit.

Marks was eventually inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1981. He died four years later at age 75.

Steve Thought O’ The Day — Why don’t birds fall off trees when they are sleeping?