Xmas by Michelle Hammond

In Today's (Festive) Issue

Xmas by Michelle Hammond

That's Amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing Xmas

Random Joke

Finish with a Song

Xmas by Michelle Hammond

I have a list of family & friends I know all written in a book,
And every year at Christmas time I go & take a look.
Well that is when I realise that these names are a part,
Not just of the book they're written in, but of my very heart.

Each name it stands for someone who has crossed my path sometime,
And in that meeting they've become, the rhythm in each rhyme.
And while it sounds incredible for me to make such claim,
I really feel that I'm made up with each remembered name.

My Christmas card, email, text or thought, is not just a mere routine,
Of names upon a long Christmas list who I've forgotten in-between.
For when I think of all, it's addressed with love to you,
It's because you're on my mind & list & you're a dear friend I'm indebted to.

I may not always see you, it could have been for quite sometime.
And with some, it breaks me up for we may not have spoken for a little while.
But you can be sure you're always in my thoughts, heart & mind.
As it's because of you my dear friends, that I grin & wear a smile.

Most expensive Christmas tree

Think you’ve overstretched your budget this year? Well, hopefully hearing this shocking Christmas fact will help you feel a little better about your Christmas spending splurge. One man, Yves Piaget, spent over £10 million (that's over $13 million US dollars) on decorating his Christmas tree. The tree was lavishly decorated with 83 pieces of jewellery in Tokyo, which would have amounted to a significant amount of Yen.

Santa’s magic

Obviously we all know that Santa has magical powers, but researchers have calculated just how magical Father Christmas really is. The researchers found that in order to deliver all of his presents on Christmas Eve Santa would need to travel at 650 miles per second and visit 822 homes a second – no wonder he needs to eat so many mince pies.

Christmas tree soup

Did you think that eating satsumas was the most festive way to get your hit of Vitamin C? Think again. It turns out that you can actually eat parts of your Christmas tree and that the needles from your tree are a great source of Vitamin C. If you want to tuck into your tree after Christmas then dry out the needles before grinding. You can then use the dried needles as a garnish on soups.

Robin Christmas cards might annoy your postman

Robins are a Christmas card favourite and you’re likely to receive several glittery Christmas cards with a robin emblazoned cheerily on the front. Yet, robins can be seen in the UK (where the Christmas card tradition began) throughout the year. So why are they so popular at Christmas? Well, back in the nineteenth century postmen wore red tunics and were nicknamed ‘Robin Postmen’. Therefore putting a robin on a Christmas card was in fact a joke.

It’s A Wonderful Life

Nearly every family cosies up and watches It’s A Wonderful Life over Christmas, but did you know that this Christmas movie favourite had an FBI file? Although ludicrous, this shocking Christmas fact is real. In 1947 some thought the movie was a communist ploy and that its purpose was to undermine bankers. Here’s another shocking It’s A Wonderful LifeChristmas fact: when the bridge scene was filmed, George is rather sweaty because it was in fact 90 degrees on the day of filming. 

Weight gain at Christmas

Do you think you get a little heavier over the festive period? Even though most of us over-indulge and enjoy a few too many feasts studies have found that we don’t actually put on as much as we think. The US study found that participants thought they put on at least 5lbs (2.27kg), but they had actually only gained an average amount of 0.8lb (0.36kg) over the Christmas period.

Christmas in space

Some people want to escape from Christmas, but this Christmas fact shows us that Christmas is almost inescapable as carols have even been sung up in space. The first song to be sung in space was Jingle Bells. Two astronauts back in 1965 reported seeing a UFO. They then claimed that the UFO had one main command module and eight smaller modules in front and that the pilot was wearing a red suit. The mischievous pair then went on to sing Jingle Bells to NASA.

Home Alone

Everyone loves Home Alone, but did you know that Daniel Stern, the actor who played the baddie Marv, didn’t like spiders? He didn’t want to do the infamous tarantula scene, but agreed to the filming as long as it was completed in just one take. The scene was shot but Daniel Stern wasn’t allowed to scream in real life because it would have spooked the tarantula, so the scream had to be added by tech whizzes at a later date.

Biggest ever secret Santa

If you thought your works secret Santa was a tricky and complex business then imagine how difficult it was to organise the workers at Boots UK Limited, who took part in the largest ever secret Santa. The present swap involved 1,270 people and took place in 2008.

Christmas break-ups

You would think that Christmas is one of the most romantic times of the year. Mistletoe, open fires and endless parties is the perfect mix to get close to your other half, yet by looking at Facebook posts researchers has discovered that lots of couples break up two weeks before Christmas. In fact this period is the second most common time of the year for couples to split.

The missus has asked for something in silk for Christmas. I bet you this tin of emulsion will be "The wrong colour ".

Finish with a Song

This Bing Crosby with....White Christmas