Christmas Lights

Christmas Lights

Lights are pretty… at Christmas.

  • Christmas lights are mainly used around Christmas time and usually come in a ‘string’ of 50 or 100, or other quantities.
  • Christmas lights originally were candles on a tree but in the late 1800s, electric Christmas lights were invented.
  • Christmas lights are also known as fairy, twinkle, holiday, mini or Italy lights.
  • In December 1882, Edward H Johnson, vice president of the Edison Electric Light Company at the time, was the first known person to decorate a Christmas tree with electric Christmas lights, which he had custom made for the purpose.
  • Christmas lights replaced most Christmas candles in the 1930s.  Prior to that, they were too expensive.

Christmas Lights, Yellow, Red, Blue, Green, wire, Christmas Tree, Spikey Star, Ten Random Facts

  • Christmas lights were originally dull and boring looking but soon looked exciting and pretty.  Modern technology has seen the invention of amazing sets of lights.
  • Many people put up Christmas lights on their house and in there backyard and many families come to see them. This tradition in America is called  ‘Tacky Light Tour’.
  • Although Christmas lights were made for Christmas, these types of lights have been used for many occasions, most notably Halloween.
  • The region of Shijiao, China recycles over 9 million kilograms (20 million pounds) of discarded Christmas lights every year.  They recycle every part of Christmas lights, to make an assortment of things, including the soles of slippers.
  • The tradition of Christmas lights started in North America.
Bibliography:
Christmas Lights 17 December 2012, Wikipedia,<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_lights>

Advent Calendar

Advent Calendar

Who doesn’t like advent calendars…

  • Advent calendars are used to count down to Christmas.
  • Advent calendars typically have openings that may hide pictures, poems, stories and/or small gifts and food items.
  • The origins of the advent calendar comes from 19th century Germany, were Lutherans counted down the first 24 days of December.
  • Some advent calendars count down to Christmas by lighting candles and are called advent candles.
  • The first advent calendar was produced in 1851 and was handmade.

Advent Calendar, Christmas, Flowers, Presents, 24 days

  • Although advent calendars normally have 24 openings, some calendars have up to 31 or 32, for New Years Day.
  • Although advent calendars are usually used for Christmas, sometimes advent calendars are used for other celebrations or long awaited activities.
  • Advent calendars have ‘advent’ in their name since they are used at the start of the Advent, the Christmas season.
  • The first printed advent calendar was printed between 1902 – 1908.
  • To conserve paper, the production of advent calendars ceased during World War II.

Make cheap, eggstraordinary advent calendars at Imagine. Make. Believe!

Bibliography:
Advent Calendar 12 December 2012, Wikipedia,  <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent_calendar>
Verlag, R n.d., History of the Advent Calendar, Sellmer Verlag,  <http://www.sellmer-verlag.de/history.htm>

Christmas Tree

“Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree!”

  • Traditionally, the Christmas tree symbolises the Christian belief of eternal life and was also thought to have been used in pre-Christian winter rites.
  • The original Christmas tree can be traced down to 15th-16th century, in early modern Germany and the first decorated trees were used in the years 1441, 1442, 1510, 1514, in the historic region of Livonia.
  • The Christmas tree is traditionally an evergreen tree which is normally pine or fir and were originally decorated with edible food.  The artificial Christmas tree was invented in Germany in the early 18th century and are now made in numerous shapes and sizes, using many different materials.
  • In the 18th century, candles were used to decorate Christmas trees which then led to electric lights being used.
  • In the 19th century, the Christmas tree tradition spread to many countries.  The first Christmas tree introduced in North America was in 1781 when Brunswick soldiers had a Christmas party.

 Large, Outdoors, Christmas Tree, Shopping Center, Ten Random Facts

  • By the early 19th century, royalty started to take on the tradition of Christmas trees and since the 19th-20th century, Christmas trees have been used in churches. In the early 20th century, Christmas trees were being displayed in public at parks and streets.
  • In Russia the Christmas tree was banned not long after the October Resolution but the tree was introduced again, as the New Year fir tree, in 1935.
  • The traditional Christmas tree decorations are tinsel, baublesChristmas lights, angel or star topper and sometimes homemade decorations, and public trees are often decorated with items and foods that wildlife like.
  • Approximately 33-36 million Christmas trees are produced per year in America and England produces 50-60 million per year.  By 1998, there were about 15,000 American growers of evergreen Christmas trees.
  • Between 2001-2007, Christmas tree sales in the United States went from 7.3 million sales up to a huge 17.4 million sales.
Bibliography:
Christmas tree 6 November 2012, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_tree>

Monopoly

Monopoly

The Parker Brothers Real Estate Trading Game

  • Monopoly is the best selling, most popular game today, and was first produced in America.
  • Monopoly was invented by Charles B Darrow and was accepted by the Parker Brothers in 1935, 31 August.
  • At first, the Parker Brothers didn’t accept the game of Monopoly, because it took too long to play and was too complicated.
  • According to a computer probability analysis, the square that is most landed on in Monopoly is ‘Trafalgar Square’, and the square ‘Go!’ is second most likely.
  • There are more than 2000 versions of Monopoly, the original being the classic American game, and the classic British game produced soon after.
Monopoly, Parker Brother,s Box, Dice, Original, Ten Random Facts
  • The world’s most expensive Monopoly game set is worth 2 million Australian dollars.
  • Monopoly has been sold in 111 different countries and in 43 languages.
  • The longest Monopoly game took 70 days to complete.
  • Monopoly was used by the British Secret Service in World War II for smuggling purposes.
  • In 1978, an entirely edible edition made of chocolate was made and sold, and retailed for $600.
Bibliography:
About Monopoly 2012, Hasbro Gaming, <http://www.hasbro.com/monopoly/en_AU/discover/about.cfm>
Harrison, I 2004, The Book of Inventions, Cassell Illustrated, Great Britian

Parking Meter

Parking Meter

A meter for parking. Well not really…

  • The parking meter was designed to prevent early workers parking on public streets, which stopped shoppers finding parking spaces.
  • The first parking meter was installed in Oklahoma City on the 16th of July, 1935.
  • The first parking meter fine was given out on August, 1935.
  • The parking meter was invented by Carlton C. Magee in 1932.
  • Some mordern parking meters use solar power.

Parking Meter, Australia, Gray, 0:00, Ten Random Facts

  • On 19 of September, 1960, 344 parking meter fines were handed out in London.
  • In 1992, the Park-O-Meter inc. invented an entirely electronic parking meter, called the Advanced Parking Meter.
  • Church leader, Reverend North, was the first person to get a parking meter fine.
  • The first parking meter looked like a pole with a box on top of it.
  • Before electrical parking meters were invented, people, called traffic wardens or meter maids would stand by a parking meter for assistance.
Bibliography:
Harrison, I 2004, The Book of Inventions, Cassell Illustrated, Great Britian

Paper Clip

Paper Clip

One of the most common inventions!

  • The modern paper clip is a bendable, double oval, metal paper clip.
  • There are many inventors of the paper clip but JohnVaaler of Norway is most notable for his patent in 1899.
  • In 1896, Matthew Schooley invented a bent wire paper clip or holder.
  • The paper clip was invented by several people in different countries around the same period of time.
  • Of all the early inventors, John Vaaler’s paper clip looked most similar to the modern paper clip.

Multiple Paperclips, Metal, Silver, Ten Random Facts

  • Various designs and variations of the modern paper clip were invented from the period 1896-1950s.
  • In 1958, paper clips were surveyed for their uses. Some of the results of the survey included: paper clips were used as toothpicks, fingernail and ear cleaners, fasteners for nylon, bras and blouses, tie clasps, chips and markers in games, chains and childish weapons.
  • During World War II, the Norwegians wore paper clips to protest against the occupation of the Nazi.
  • The largest paper clip was displayed in Oslo, Norway in 1989, and was made from iron, and was 7 metres (22 feet, 11 inches) long and weighed 602 kg (1327 pounds).
  • The modern paper clip is thought to have originated from the company Gem Manufacturing Ltd in England.
Bibliography:
Harrison, I 2004, The Book of Inventions, Cassell Illustrated, Great Britian
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