Lately, it can feel like Christmas is the most stressful time of the year, not the most wonderful. There are endless articles on how to handle Christmas stress and optimize your shopping, but is that really the Christmas spirit? Apparently so. Here are some insane Christmas facts.

1. Nowhere in the Bible does it say Jesus’ actual birthdate. It was decided in 350 AD that Pope Julius I of Italy decided to say that December 25th was the birthday of Christ, and therefore, Christmas.
2. When St. Nick goes around to give gifts to the good children, in some European cultures, Krampus (son of the Norse god of the underworld) delivers punishment to naughty children.
3. Sent to POWs as part of a Christmas package during the Second World War, the playing-card company “Bicycle” sent decks of cards that revealed escape routes when wet.
4. Hallmark released their first Christmas card in 1915.
5. Christmas became a federal holiday in 1870. The Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Colony outlawed the celebration of Christmas in 1659 and fined those who continued to celebrate 5 schillings.
6. Christmas trees usually have to grow for 15 years before they can be sold, and they are grown in all 50 states!
7. Christmas purchases account for 1/6th of all retail sales. So, think about it: 1/6th of the money retailers make a year happens in a single month.

After the bountiful dinners and crazy uncles to deal with around this time of year, some funny things can come of the strenuous season with a confusing past: senior at St. Ignatius, Benjamin Castro, says, “A woman at BestBuy told 8-year-old me Santa’s not real.”