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- More than 50,000 people are expected to attend 28 holiday parties at the White House in December 2009.
- In 1843, "A Christmas Carol" was written by Charles Dickens in just six weeks.
- In 1937, the first postage stamp to commemorate Christmas was issued in Austria.
- 92 volunteers from 24 states, as well as residence staff, spent 3,400 hours decorating the White House.
- The poinsettia plant was brought into the United States from Mexico by Joel Poinsett in the early 1800's.
- Since 1933, the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular has been a mainstay for the holidays in New York City.
- The 2009 White House Blue Room Christmas Tree is an 18 1/2-by-13-foot Douglas fir.
- The American version of St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus originally came from the Dutch version called Sint Klaas.
- Electric lights for trees were first used in the White House in 1895.
- The first president to decorate the White House Christmas tree in the United States was Franklin Pierce.
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