MARY BRASWELL: Looking Back at Christmas

Christmas 2017 marks the 15th year of Christmas-related Looking Back columns. Here, in no particular order, are some of my favorite tidbits from columns, past as well as newly discovered facts about the most wonderful time of the year.

—“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” made its television debut on Dec. 18, 1966. The author of the story, Dr. Seuss, also wrote the lyrics to all the songs that accompany the animated film.

— Animal crackers are not really crackers but cookies, first imported from England to the United States in the late 1880s. The Barnum Circus-like boxes were designed with strings so they could be hung on the Christmas tree.

— In Eastern Europe, it was 1989 before Christmas masses were allowed to be broadcast live on television.

— The birth of Jesus Christ is described in two of the four gospels of the Bible, Matthew and Luke. The wise men (Magi) and the star of Bethlehem are found only in the book of Matthew.

—Many of the perpetually-open Denny’s restaurants were actually built without door locks. This only became problematic when the chain decided to close for the first time on Christmas 1988.

— The song “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” has a depressing story behind its origin. Songwriter James “Haven” Gillespie was broke, jobless and his brother had just died when he was asked to write a Christmas song. At first too depressed to write, Gillespie later said he found inspiration in memories he and his brother shared from childhood Christmases.

— GI Joe action figures (never referred to as dolls!) enjoyed a robust first Christmas in 1964. Authentic GI Joe figures have a scar on the right cheek.

— Also introduced in 1964 was the Mighty Tonka Dump Truck. If you are fortunate to still have one, it is still under warranty.

— Artificial Christmas trees first outsold live trees in 1991.

— Franklin Piece was the first U.S. president to decorate an official White House Christmas tree. The year was 1856.

— Store scenes in the original 1947 “Miracle on 34th Street” were filmed at the real Macy’s Department Store located at 151 W. 34th St. in Manhattan, New York.

— Oklahoma was the last state to officially recognize Christmas as a holiday. The year was 1907. Alabama boasts of being the first state to recognize the holiday in 1836.

— Bennett Cerf and Random House Publishers asked Anna Mary Robertson Moses to illustrate a copy of “The Night Before Christmas.” She, better known as Grandma Moses, completed her illustrations just before her 100th birthday in 1960.

— The life expectancy of an artificial tree is six years of use. They will, however, last for centuries in the landfill.

— Singer Brenda Lee recorded the original version of “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” when she was only 13 years old.

— “It’s A Wonderful Life” was mentioned in an FBI file in 1947, when an analyst expressed concern that the film was an obvious attempt to discredit bankers, a “common trick used by Communists.”

— The first Christmas stamp issued by the U.S. Post Office Department featured an image of two red candles and a wreath with a red ribbon. The value was 4 cents and the year was 1962.

— Christmas isn’t a national holiday in Japan, where only 1 percent of the population is estimated to be Christian. However, a bucket of “Christmas Chicken” is extremely popular and it’s all thanks to the “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!” (Kentucky for Christmas!) marketing campaign from 1974. KFC is so popular that many customers place their Christmas orders two months in advance. The alternative is a two (or more) hour wait in line.

— Some zoos take donated Christmas trees and use them to help feed their animals.

— “Wonderful Christmastime”earns Paul McCartney several hundred thousands of dollars each year in royalties. The 1979, 45-rpm record featured “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reggae” on the flip side.

The Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School

— Charles W. Howard was born in Albion, N.Y., and first played Santa Claus in the 4th grade.

— As an adult portraying Santa, Howard was disappointed to see Santas in cheap suits, lacking a jolly personality and with no knowledge of reindeer habits.

—The world famous Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School was established in 1937. Students could receive a B.S.C. (Bachelor of Santa Claus) degree at the school for $75. It was the first of its kind and today is the oldest continuously-run Santa school in the world.

— Classes were taught at Howard’s home, the same home where he was born and lived his entire life.

— In 1940, Howard converted three old barns next to his house to expand the number of Santas who could be trained each year.

— The new area, named Christmas Park, was a simple attraction with three rides and a petting zoo. It offered an excellent opportunity for new Santas to practice interacting with children and parents.

— As small as it was, Christmas Park attracted 80,000 visitors a year. The site was closed following Howard’s death in 1966.

— From 1948 to 1965, Howard was the featured Santa Claus in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

— In 1965, the iconic Santa worked his last season at Neiman Marcus in Dallas, Texas.

— The school, still bearing the name of the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School, is now operated out of Midland, Mich.

— Applications are now being accepted for 2018 with classes scheduled for Oct. 11 -13.

“He errs who thinks Santa enters through the chimney. He enters through the heart.”

— Charles W. Howard, 1937

QUIK QUIZ ANSWER: d) Bonanza

Each week Albany Herald researcher Mary Braswell looks for interesting events, places and people from the past. You can contact her at (229) 888-9371 or [email protected]. Follow @ABH_MBraswell on Twitter