Christmas, usually observed on December 25, is a globally celebrated holiday honoring the birth of Jesus Christ. Many may only know of the basics of Christmas such as Santa Claus, gift exchanges, and Christmas trees, but there is much more to learn about this joyous holiday. Read below for ten facts that you probably didn’t know about Christmas!

1. Germany was the first country to make artificial Christmas trees. The Germans constructed them with goose feathers dyed green.

2. The British wear paper crowns, usually stored in a container called the “Christmas cracker” while having dinner on Christmas day.

3. Alabama was the first state to recognize Christmas as an official holiday and Oklahoma the last.

4. It takes Christmas trees a minimum of 15 years to grow before they are eligible to be sold.

5. Poland commonly uses spider webs for Christmas decorations because it is traditionally believed that a spider wove a blanket for baby Jesus when he was born.

6. The most logical conclusion for the explanation of Rudolph’s red nose would be a parasitic infection in his respiratory system.

7. Thomas Edison’s assistant, Edward Johnson, was the first to invent Christmas lights in 1882.

8. The popular Christmas song, “Jingle Bells”, written by James Pierpont, was actually written for Thanksgiving.

9. In 1510, Riga, Latvia, became the first town to have a decorated Christmas.

10. Every year in the US, over 3 billion Christmas cards are sent.