HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE         From Southern Star Stables                     Here's a little Christmas Trivia          Each year, 30-35 million real Christmas trees are sold in the United States. There are 21,000 Christmas tree growers in the United States. Trees usually grow betweem 5 and 15 years before they are sold.   Christmas was declared a federal holiday in the United States on June 26, 1870.   The first eggnog made in the America was consumed in 1607 at the Jamestown settlement.   Poinsettia plants are named after Joel R. Poinsett, an American minister to Mexico, who brought the red-and-green plant from Mexico to America in 1828.                                                              Rudolph, "the most famous reindeer of all," was the product of Robert L. May's imagination in 1939. He wrote a poem about the reindeer to help lure customers into the Montgomery Ward department store.      The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas. Much admired for his piety and kindness, St. Nicholas became the subject of many legends. Over the course of many years, Nicholas's popularity spread and he became known as the protector of children The name Santa Claus evolved from Nicholas's Dutch nickname, Sinter Klaas, a shortened form of Sint Nikolaas (Dutch for Saint Nicholas).                     Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Enjoy a great time with family and friends, eat lots of holiday foods but don't over do it, save some room for deserts.

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