16 Nutty Facts About Squirrels

People either love squirrels or hate squirrels. These adorable little critters always make an appearance in gardens, especially if bird feeders are present. They are highly intelligent, but also goofy at the same time. Their antics make one giggle. According to MSN.com writer Shaunacy Ferro, here are 16 nutty facts about our furry friends of the forest in honor of National Squirrel Appreciation Day, which is on January 21 of every year

1. Squirrels are amazing jumpers

-These little critters can really jump. According to a study done by researchers at the National University of Singapore, plantain squirrels can jump more than 8 feet from a tree stump to a feeding area. Flying squirrels can travel farther, because of the flap of skin between their hands and feet, acting as a sort of sail, allowing them to glide

2. Squirrels are organized

-A study done in 2017 found that squirrels are more organized than most humans. They store nuts based on type. They were given a mix of nuts consisting of walnuts, pecans, almonds and hazelnuts and the squirrels used in the study took time to place each nut type in its own spot. It may have even been discovered that they separate nuts based on size

3. Squirrels can be forgetful, and it's their forgetfulness that helps grow new trees

-Tree squirrels are extremely important for the growth of new trees. While they take care to plant nuts in specific spots, they will tend to forget where they buried them from time to time. This forgetfulness has an important result-new trees. The acorns they bury result in new oak trees growing and more acorns for squirrels

4. Squirrels help truffles grow

-Truffles are a type of mushroom that grows underground. Unlike other mushrooms who spread spores through the air, truffles spread their spores through animals picking up the spores and carrying them and eventually depositing the spores elsewhere. Most squirrels eat truffles and when they relieve themselves, the spores come out on to the forest floor and start growing

5. Squirrels are one of the few mammals that can come down a tree head first

-Squirrel's ankles can rotate 180 degrees, allowing them the fantastic feat of going down a tree head first. They can rotate their paws to go up the tree just as fast

6. Several towns are battling it out for "Home of the White Squirrel"

-White squirrels are pretty rare, as are black squirrels. Squirrels tend to be a popular mascot for a lot of towns. There are various cities fighting to be known as the "Home of the White Squirrel." Those cities include Brevard, North Carolina, Kenton, Tennessee, Marionville, Missouri, Exeter, Ontario, Canada. Olney, Illinois is the city with the highest population of white squirrels. Local law states it's at least a $750 fine from the local police for killing one of these furry critters. They even have the legal right of way on roads. Even the city keeps a census on the creature. As of 1997, local government decided that cats were a threat to these majestic creatures and urged local residents to keep their cats from running loose. 2002 saw a 100 year White Squirrel Celebration. This involved a monument being created and even a "squirrel blessing" by a local priest. The police wore special squirrel-themed patches for the event

7. Squirrels could aid in research for strokes

-It might sound like something out of a fantasy, but it's becoming a reality. Since ground squirrels hibernate in the winter, and their brain functions during that time, scientists have been using this as a research to form new drugs to reduce the brain damage caused by strokes. When ground squirrels hibernate, they can lower their body temperature to as low as 26.7 degrees Fahrenheit. During this period, squirrels' brains undergo cellular changes to help adjust with reduced blood flow. Scientists are researching drugs that could mimic that process, only in the human brain, preventing cells from death when blood flow to the brain is reduced during strokes

8. Squirrel fur might have been how leprosy was spread in the Middle Ages

-In the 9th century, it was thought squirrels spread leprosy. Scientists believe that Vikings, who often had squirrel furs, helped unintentionally introduce the disease into other parts of Europe

9. Squirrels can do more damage than hackers

-There is a website called Cyber Squirrel 1 that documents every record of a squirrel or other animals causing mayhem to power services. This site goes back as far as 1987. There have been more than 1100 squirrel-related power outages across the world. In a 2016 survey concerning public power utilities, wildlife was the top cause for power outages. With most power companies, squirrels are the number one suspect

10. Squirrels heat up their tails to fend off predators

-California ground squirrels have an interesting way of fending off would-be attackers. Like cats, squirrels can puff up in defense mode. Squirrels will wave its tail at a would-be attacker to show its strength. When these attackers can sense the heat coming off of them, they back off

11. Squirrels are the best way of determining if a forest is healthy

-Scientists look at the local squirrel population to determine if a forest is healthy. Forests depend on seeds, spores and more to grow and support a good ecosystem. High populations of squirrels tell scientists that a forest is doing excellent, and providing more than enough food for not just squirrels, but other animals as well. Dwindling squirrel populations tell scientists that there is something wrong, whether it be logging, fires or other forest-changing events

12. Squirrels are liars

-Gray squirrels can deceive both humans and other squirrels. When burying their food, they will keep an eye on the area, and "pretend" to bury something and then pat the dirt down. This fools other squirrels into thinking there is food there, when there is really nothing. The squirrel will actually have the food in its mouth to bury in another spot. It's called tactical deception

13. Squirrels were once America's most popular choice of pet

-Most states require a permit to keep squirrels as pets, since they are wild animals. Once upon a time, it was commonplace to have a squirrel as a pet. Warren G. Harding, one of the Presidents of the United States, kept a squirrel named Pete. He would bring Pete to White House meetings, where members of the cabinet would bring nuts. Pet squirrel ownership has dwindled due to exotic animal laws

14. Just one squirrel can attract more squirrels

-In the 1800s, American cities rarely saw wildlife. In the summer of 1856, a gray squirrel escaped from its cage inside a New York apartment and earned a write up in The New York Times. The paper's article stated several hundred people gathered to stare at the tree where the squirrel was located and they tried to entice it down. It took a police officer to disperse the crowd. Unfortunately, the fate of the squirrel was not mentioned

15. Squirrels were used to teach compassion in the 19th century

-The mid-1800s seen squirrels being introduced into city parks. It was a chance for city dwellers to witness wild life at its most unique. It also taught young boys a lesson. Observing / feeding wild squirrels was seen as a way of turning boys away from cruelty. Ernest Thompson Seton, founder of the Boy Scouts, said in a 1914 article that cities should have "missionary squirrels" for boys to learn how to befriend them. He thought this was a great way to have boys learn compassion and sympathy. Feeding squirrels was also considered an act of charity. It was thought that, even if you couldn't provide charity for a human being, providing charity for the squirrels was a good way to give back

16. Squirrels hate tax season too

-Not present in big cities, most of the US was once overrun with squirrels. In Ohio, the main breed of squirrel is Eastern Gray Squirrel. Once there was such a large population of squirrels that they caused farmers to want to hunt them to reduce the numbers. 1807 seen the Ohio General Assembly adding squirrel bodies on top of their taxes. Taxpayers had to submit a minimum of 10 squirrel pelts to the town clerk a year. 

My Word is My Bond by Roger Moore

I actually found this book by complete accident on Amazon. I was adding the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming to my wish list and this book came up as a suggestion. After reading the description, I decided to buy it. I just finished this book yesterday It's quite good and funny in some parts. That's why Roger Moore was my favorite actor to play James Bond; he always had funny, but sarcastic comments and he didn't look like your typical action film hero

He was born Roger George Moore on 10/14/1927 to Lily Pope and George Alan Moore. His father worked as a policeman and was only 23 when Roger was born. Roger talks about growing up in London, how someone asked him what he wanted to be when he got older and he replied a policeman. He talks about the various illnesses that struck him in his younger years. He describes it as being a frequent thing. Such as going into the hospital to have his tonsils removed and being scared at the hospital surroundings. Or having double bronchitis. Or having to go into the hospital for a circumcision

He mentions that there was a story going around that he had been "abused" as a child and abused by his father. He stated that these stories were untrue and especially hurtful. While it never states exactly what type of abuse, he does mention that when he was in the Cubs (cub scouts in the US), he and a friend encountered a stranger who said Roger had "nice knees", which Roger took to mean something darker, possibly something of a sexual nature. The stranger wanted to flash him and Roger ran for it. The stranger took off with the food that Roger and his friend Reg had brought. He stated something to the effect of "if the stranger couldn't have our bodies, he would have our food", calling the stranger a "dirty pervert." He told his mother when he was in his teens about it because he felt ashamed, despite nothing of a sexual nature happening

As the 1930s turned into the 1940s, Roger talks about how London and the rest of England braced for impact in what would become known as The Blitz. How all children were sent to the countryside for their protection. He was sent to stay with a family who all but hated his mere presence. Then he was sent to a family who he absolutely adored. The mother, he says, made the best pies in the world. He states one of his favorite activities was swimming and, one day, while swimming with his father, they both had to seek shelter as they saw an aerial battle between a German fighter plane and a British RAF Hurricane and how the Hurricane did a barrel roll, which he called a Victory Roll, after winning the aerial fight

As a teen, he had a close friend named Norman. One day, they both thought it would be a great idea to "borrow" Roger's dad's air rifle and air pistol. While Roger was loading his air pistol, his friend Norman already had the air rifle loaded. He proceeded to shoot Roger in the leg, thinking it was funny. The comedy wore off quickly as Roger's leg proceeded to hurt him and lock up completely. Once again, Roger was off to the hospital to find out that the lead BB from the gun had not only left a bruise, but broken skin and lodged itself in the bone of his leg, a few inches below his knee. He had to undergo surgery to have it removed and be monitored for lead poisoning afterward. Since then, he has hated firearms or any kind of violence. His hatred of blood sports and hunting came from an incident when he was a child. He had thrown a small rock at a bird's nest, killing it. He was so devastated by it that, from that point on, he began to strongly hate any kind of blood sport. He does not support hunting of any kind

To make some extra money, Roger heard some people were taking up "extra" work on films. Appearing as extras in the background. Roger decided to give this a go and had a revelation-he really enjoyed acting and performing. As such, the director of a play he was in suggested Roger enroll in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA). There, he would learn the essentials of becoming an actor. While there, he befriended a female classmate, who was from Canada, who would, later on, appear in at least seven of his films. That classmate was Lois Maxwell, and she would go to star as the lovely Miss Moneypenny in the seven James Bond films that Roger would star in. Not surprisingly, as a teen, Roger also did a stint in the military. And, as he said, health issues would come back to haunt him. He suffered, for a short time, with yellow jaundice and kidney stones. After his stint in the military, he went back into acting in rep theatre. As time went on, he would star in films and, with the advent of television, television programs. He surprisingly ended up on a few American-based television programs, such as Maverick, starring James Garner. He appeared on that program playing Brett Maverick's English cousin Beau. For some reason, some people thought the small facial mole that Roger has under his left eye was not photogenic, so they would airbrush it out of photos

Roger Moore and Lois Maxwell

Roger Moore as Brett Maverick's English cousin Beau Maverick

As time went on, he would star in more films and television shows. When the 1960s rolled around, he would appear in the television program that would really make his name big. That program was The Saint, where he starred as Simon Templar. He would also appear on the television program The Persuaders. With the 1960s, he also married an Italian actress named Luisa Mattioli and they both had two children, a daughter named Deborah and a son named Geoffrey, whom Roger named in honor of an actor named Jeffrey Hunt. Roger said he couldn't wipe the smile off of his face with the birth of his two kids. Like any new parent, he learned what worked with kids and what didn't. He found out that, while on set for a film one day, he had Deborah with him. The film required a 21 gun salute and Deborah screamed at the gunshots. Afterwards, he had to calm his daughter down. As the 1960s morphed into the 1970s, he would get a call regarding a role that he would now be world famous for. The role concerned a certain British spy who is a definite ladies man. That role would be the world famous British super spy James Bond

Roger Moore as Simon Templar, The Saint

Roger Moore in The Persuaders

The first James Bond film for Roger Moore would be Live and Let Die. Paul McCartney and his band Wings ended up providing the iconic theme song. While filming, there were a few problems here and there. While filming a car chase scene in New York, one of the stunt drivers, who was black, was arrested by police, who were suspicious about a black man driving a Cadillac, the car used for the chase scene. When they ran the plates, they discovered the plates were fake. It was up to one of the directors to clear up everything. And then, while filming the boat chase scene in Louisiana, Roger fell ill with kidney stones. Doctors prescribed him a medicine called methylene, which had the unfortunate issue of turning urine bright blue. Because of this and other painkillers, he was quite out of it and accidentally urinated on his clothing in his wardrobe, thinking it was the bathroom. He also managed to crack two of his teeth and twist his knee during the boat chase scene

After Live and Let Die, it was on to The Man With the Golden Gun. This would be one of the more popular and successful of the Roger Moore-era James Bond films. The director and producers wanted to "toughen" James Bond up a bit, and to do that, in one scene, where Bond is looking for information on a mysterious arms dealer named Francisco Scaramanga (Christopher Lee), he threatens to break a woman's arm. Roger didn't feel comfortable with that. He states that his version of Bond would have rather charmed the information out of her. The 1970s also seen Roger and his wife Luisa bringing another child into the world, a son they named Christian. While filming The Man with the Golden Gun, he mentions that a body double was used in certain scenes for the main Bond girl, Britt Ekland. This body double was larger in certain areas that Britt Ekland. He would go to do other James Bond films after this. After this, it was Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, The Spy Who Loved Me, Octopussy

Roger in The Man with the Golden Gun

Roger Moore in Moonraker

For Your Eyes Only

The Spy Who Loved Me

Octopussy

His last Bond film was to be A View to A Kill. He wanted this to be his last outing as James Bond because he felt he was getting too old for that type of stuff, being fifty four years old at the time. He thoroughly enjoyed doing the movie, but states it's his least favorite film only because of the villain, Max Zorin (Christopher Walken), machine gunning innocent people towards the end. Despite the "difficult to work with" reputation that Christopher Walken had been given, Roger felt this was an unfair judgement. He thought Christopher was a decent, nice man and that Christopher stated he liked being prepared and preferred that others be prepared as well to do a good job

He'd also had a lot of issues with the leading ladies, Tanya Roberts and Grace Wilson. He stated they both were worried more about appearance than performance. They would frequently touch up their hair and lipstick. It had gotten to a point where Roger hid their compacts and lipsticks, only to discover they had multiple compacts and lipsticks inside their handbags. He is a firm believer of "If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all." This rule, he states, firmly applies to Grace Jones. Both Roger and Grace had dressing rooms next door to each other. When Roger wasn't shooting, he would take an afternoon nap. That was out of the question as Grace liked to play loud music. Specifically music of the heavy metal variety. Roger had asked her time and time again to turn down the music. It had gotten to a point where he took a chair and beat it against the wall in frustration

Roger Moore with Tanya Roberts

Roger Moore with Grace jones

And if it wasn't bad enough he had to contend with leading ladies more concerned about appearances than performance, he had to contend with mother falling ill and eventually passing away. He left the set one day to attend his mother's funeral, much to the dismay of the director and producers of a film he was working on. "His mother just passed" said one producer, obviously sympathizing with Roger. The director and other crew were far less sympathetic

As the 1980s turned into the 1990s, Roger focused his time and efforts on working with UNICEF. He was deeply passionate about helping those less fortunate. And, as he stated, illness would once again creep back into his life. He had undergone a physical, only to discover that he had the big C-cancer. He underwent treatment for it and was declared free of cancer. Later on, he had to go into the hospital again, this time to have a pacemaker put in because he blacked out. He spent less time working on films and TV and more time working with UNICEF. He was even awarded a knighthood, making him "Sir" Roger Moore and his wife Kristina Lady Moore. He was also awarded a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) for his humanitarian work with UNICEF

Sam Moore, the man behind "Soul Man" is gone at 89

This iconic jazz singer, behind such monstrously massive hits like "Hold On, I'm Coming" and "Soul Man", is gone at 89

He was one part of the soul duo Sam & Dave. The news was broken by a reporter named Roger Friedman. He stated that the cause of death was complications while recovering from surgery. Moore was born in 1935 in Miami, Florida. He started out his music career singing gospel music. An encounter with Dave Prater was like destiny. This chance encounter would prove beneficial for both of them. They formed Sam & Dave in 1961.

Four years later, they hit massive success with "You Don't Know Like I Do." After that, it was one successful song after another, including the hugely successful 1966 song "Hold On! I'm Comin'", the 1966 song "You Got Me Hummin'", 1967's "When Something is Wrong with My Baby", 1967's "Soul Man" (featured in The Blues Brothers films), 1968's "I Thank You".

Despite their popularity in the music world, both Moore and Prater had a bad relationship. They broke up in 1970 and each went their own way. Moore was due to release an album in 1971 produced by King Curtis, but unfortunately Curtis was murdered and the album was never released. Moore struggled with addiction to heroin, once admitting he would be "in my apartment putting a needle into my arm" when it came time to make music. The material of Sam & Dave got recognition later on thanks to The Blues Brothers, who used the song "Soul Man". Legendary Texas rockers ZZ Top even covered "I Thank You" on their 1979 Deguello album. These two instances helped reignite interest in Sam & Dave.

After the renewed interest in their music, the duo reunited, lasting until Dec. 31, 1981, their final performance. Their last and final split was not pleasant. In a 2002 interview with SFGate, Moore stated "When I left him 1981, I told him I wanted to get off [drugs] and then we could play some specials or something like that. But he was so hurt he went and got an impostor and called it Sam & Dave. Word got out that I was dead or had throat cancer or that I had retired. All kinds of stuff. So from that time until Dave died in 1988, I hadn't spoken to him. That's how the whole thing played out."

Moore was able to get himself clean and sober and enjoy a new lease on life. Sam & Dave were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, the same year he put his creative work on Bruce Springsteen's Human Touch album. 2002 saw the release of Plenty Good Lovin', the album he'd made with King Curtis years ago. It did incredibly well. Four years later, he released another album called Overnight Sensational, featuring collaborations with Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Mariah Carey, Eric Clapton, Paul Rodgers, Steve Winwood and Billy Gibbons.

January Birthdays

Since it's January, time to say Happy Birthday

Jensen Button

-Birth name: Jensen Alexander Lyons Button

-DOB: 1/19/1980

-Where: Frome, United Kingdom

-Competed in Formula 1 from 2000-2017. Now does interviews in the pit area

Lewis Hamilton

-Birth name: Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton

-DOB: 1/7/1985

-Where: Stevenage, United Kingdom

-As of the next Formula 1 season, Lewis Hamilton will be said to be driving for Ferrari

Karun Chandhok

-DOB: 1/19/1984

-Where: Chennai, India

-He now works as a sports analyst for Sky Sports

Sergio Perez

-Birth name: Sergio Michel Perez

-DOB: 1/26/1990

-Where: Guadalajara, Mexico

-He is no longer on the Red Bull F1 team, alongside Dutch driver Max Verstappen

Peter Steele

-Birth name: Peter Thomas Ratajczyk

-DOB: 1/4/1962

-Where: Red Hook, New York

-DOD: 4/14/2010

-Where: Scranton, Pennsylvania

-Did 30 days in prison for assault. He discovered his girlfriend was cheating on him and showed up at the man's apartment and smacked him in the face

Janick Gers

-Birth name: Janick Robert Gers

-DOB: 1/27/1957

-Where: Hartlepool, England

-He replaced Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith in 1990, but stayed in the band even when Smith returned in 1999

Ian Hill

-DOB: 1/20/1952

-Where: West Bromwich, England

-He is one of the founding members of Judas Priest

Richie Faulkner

-Birth name: Richard Ian Faulkner

-DOB: 1/1/1980

-Where: London, England

-Underwent a 10.5 hour surgery in 2021 to correct an aortic aneurysm after he collapsed at the Louder Than Life music festival

Rod Stewart

-Birth name: Roderick David Stewart

-DOB: 1/10/1945

-Where: Highgate, London, England

-He started his music career in 1962 playing harmonica for money

David Bowie

-Birth name: David Robert Jones

-DOB: 1/8/1947

-Where: Brixton, London, England

-DOD: 1/10/2016

-Where: New York, New York

-It's said that, to this day, his wife Iman still misses him

James May

-Birth name: James Daniel May

-DOB: 1/16/1963

-Where: Bristol, England

-He does a cooking show called Oh Cook

Kate Middleton

-DOB: 1/9/1982

-Where: Reading, England

-She recently was declared to be in remission from cancer. As a token of gratitude, she visited the hospital where she received treatment and spent time with the patients and the doctors and nurses

Phil Collins

-Birth name: Phillip David Charles Collins

-DOB: 1/30/1951

-Where: Chiswick, London, England

-He moved to Los Angeles for a time to be near his daughter Lily, who was pursuing acting as a career

Malcolm Young

-Birth name: Malcolm Mitchell Young

-DOB: 1/6/1953

-Where: Glasgow, Scotland

-DOD: 11/18/2017

-Where: Sydney, Australia

-His nephew Stevie Young took over for him in AC/DC

The Avengers (1998)

This film is based on the television program of the same name. It includes the iconic characters John Steed and Emma Peel

Summary

-Legendary British agents John Steed and Emma Peel work together to stop Sir August de Wynter from using his weather machine to destroy the world

Cast

-Ralph Fiennes: John Steed

-Uma Thurman: Dr. Emma Peel

-Sir Sean Connery: Sir August de Wynter

-Jim Broadbent: Mother

-Fiona Shaw: Father

-Eddie Izzard: Bailey

-Eileen Atkins: Alice

-John Wood: Trubshaw

-Carmen Ejogo: Brenda

Did You Know?

-When asked about this movie, Ralph Fiennes said "I think it's a real badge of honor to have a real flop on your resume."

-At the 2006 AFI Lifetime Achievement Award Ceremony, Eddie Izzard said he took role in the movie so he could meet Sir Sean Connery

-This film, along with the 2003 film The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, was part of the reason Sir Sean Connery decided to retire from acting

-Ralph Fiennes had signed on to this film while he was in the process of filming the 1996 film The English Patient

-Eileen Atkins was offered the role of Father initially. But she felt it would be more fun to play the gun-toting Alice

-Playing the role of Mother, Jim Broadbent had to be made up with padding to appear heavier and he smoked no-tipped Senior Service cigarettes

-Sean Connery's character, Sir August de Wynter, is the chairman of an organization called B.R.O.L.L.Y. (British Royal Organization for Lasting Liquid Years). Their logo is a multi-colored umbrella. In Britain, "brolly" is a slang term for umbrella

-Drew Barrymore, Elizabeth Hurley, Miranda Richardson were three of the many actresses who auditioned for the role of Emma Peel

-John Steed and Emma Peel are able to get across the frozen river by walking on top inside inflatable plastic bubbles. This concept was also used in the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever. It's how James Bond is able to get on to Blofeld's oil rig

-In the Winter Wonderland HQ, John Steed and Emma Peel split up to go after the teddy bears. Peel says "I'll take the high road" and Steed replies "I'll take the low road". These are lyrics to a folk song called "Loch Lomond" from 1841

-Sir Michael Caine was considered for the role of Sir August de Wynter

-Ironically, Sir Sean Connery and Ralph Fiennes are part of the James Bond series of films. Sean played James Bond while, later on, Ralph Fiennes played M

-At least people from this film appeared in the Harry Potter film series. Jim Broadbent, who plays Mother in this film, played Potions professor Horace Slughorn in Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince. Fiona Shaw, who plays Father in this film, played Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter series. Ralph Fiennes, who plays John Steed in this film, played Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter series

18 Quirky British Christmas Traditions That Could Confuse Other People

Not surprisingly, Britain does have a very unique culture not found elsewhere. There are traditions that are practiced there that are held with the utmost respect. These traditions have been going on for years and they are very much a part of the Christmas holidays. According to MSN.com and writers Ann Schmidt and Erin McDowell, here are 18 quirky British Christmas traditions

Also, you might see put in my two cents on them. First and foremost, I wouldn't ever think them weird. Quirky, yes. But weird, no. I would most likely enjoy them very much. It's creating memories, laughs and good times to celebrate.

1. Pantomimes or "pantos" are performed around the Christmas holidays in the UK

-This is family entertainment. This is silly little plays or music played by someone, sometimes featuring men in drag. These little pantos are sometimes based on fairy tales or books, such as "Cinderella", "Peter Pan" or "The Wizard of Oz"

2. Yorkshire Puddings are great with gravy, but those from outside the UK may not be familiar

-In the UK, things are quite different around the holidays compared to those from the US. Yorkshire Pudding is a popular meal. They closely resemble what some Americans would call a popover because of the hole in the middle. While they are popular year round at Sunday dinners in the UK, they're eaten around the holidays as well. They will often be eaten with gravy, which might repulse a person or two

3. Santa Claus is the US name for the man who brings gifts while Father Christmas is like Santa's British cousin

-In the UK, "Father Christmas" is the British equivalent of Santa Claus. If you're in England or any part of the UK, make sure to refer to the man in the red suit as Father Christmas. It's his proper title there

4. Children in Britain hang their stockings on the end of their beds

-In America, it's tradition to hang stockings over the fireplace because that is where Santa Claus is believed to enter the house, to bring gifts and goodies for good kids and leave coal for bad kids. In Britain, however, it's believed Father Christmas fills the stockings of children while they sleep

5. Christmas Eve is the perfect school friend reunion time

-In Britain, it's not uncommon to nip off to the local bar or pub to meet up with friends from school on Christmas Eve. In the US, something similar is done, only it's done at Thanksgiving. So it's not surprising that if you were in the UK around Christmastime, most if not all of the pubs and bars will have a highly Christmas-y festive vibe and you'll hear plenty of laughs and memories being shared

6. Christmas Pudding is the popular choice of dessert during the holidays

-This popular and yet traditional British food is one of the most iconic traditions of the British Christmas season. It's made weeks or months in advance, it consists of a dense fruit cake soaked in alcohol that is poured into it. During Christmas, it's set alight and on top, one usually puts brandy butter, rum butter, lemon cream, ice cream, custard. It can also be sprinkled with powdered sugar. It's even been said that Queen Elizabeth II gifted many of her staff with a Christmas pudding from the local grocery chain Tesco

7. Another choice for dessert is Christmas cake, a fruit cake covered in icing and marzipan

-If Yorkshire Pudding or Christmas Pudding is not to your liking, then there is Christmas cake. Fruit cake in many parts of the world is considered an unwanted, uneaten gift. The Brits seem to have made it actually good by adding icing. There are sometimes even festive decorations added that make it so beautiful you almost don't want to eat it, for fear of ruining its beauty

8. Mince pies are another option. These miniature pies are filled with fruit and spices and consumed around the holidays

-According to the BBC, the first reported mince pie recipe dates back to the 1830s, from an English cookbook. Around the mid 17th century, people began equating these pies to the holiday season. At that time, they were traditionally made with pork or other meat, sage and other spices. Now, they are filled with fruit and powdered sugar

9. Desserts in the UK are often enjoyed with brandy butter

-Rum or brandy butter is, you guessed it, butter laced with rum or brandy. Most in the UK consider this a perfect complement to a perfect dessert. It's served cold, which is something people in the US might call "hard sauce"

10. Instead of "Merry Christmas", it's "Happy Christmas"

-If you've seen the first Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Philosopher's Stone in the UK and other parts of the world), there is a scene showing Harry waking up on Christmas morning and going to the Gryffindor common room to find his friend Ron opening presents. He looks up at Harry and says "Happy Christmas, Harry" and he replies "Happy Christmas, Ron.". In the UK, it's customary to say "Happy Christmas." It might sound strange to a person from the US, but it's not as strange as one would think. It's the British equivalent of a person in the US saying "Merry Christmas"

11. Christmas crackers are small tubes wrapped at both ends, in a cardboard tube, and two people pull at both ends to reveal a prize within

-Often done at the start of a meal, Christmas crackers often contain hats that are worn throughout the meal. Also contained within is a "banger", which often makes a loud pop when pulled, along with a joke and prize as well. The jokes are usually cheesy, dad-joke types, such as "Why did Santa's helper go to the doctor? Because he had low elf esteem!" If you plan on going to the UK for the holidays and have to travel there by airplane, don't pack them in your luggage. TSA will confiscate them. TSA knows that Christmas crackers are popular in the UK and they know these items contain bangers, which could set off panic if they go off

12. "Top of the Pops" is a highly popular music television program featuring the year's most popular songs

-Around the Christmas holidays, the BBC will have Top of the Pops running a holiday special. This program ran from 1964-2006, when it was cancelled and no longer aired. People became so enraged at this legendary show being cancelled that the BBC decided to keep airing the Christmas special, which airs late into the morning of December 25

13. Millions tune in for the King's televised Christmas Day speech each year

-Every year, millions of families in England gather around the television (telly in British English) to hear the Royal Family give their heartwarming and inspiring Christmas Day speech. It's known informally as the King's Speech or the Queen's Speech. A newspaper in England, The Telegraph, reported that the first Christmas Day speech was only 251 words long. Later on, when Queen Elizabeth II did her speeches, they averaged 656 words each time. It's one of the most heavily watched programs on TV on Christmas Day in the UK

I had to add the Queen. She was a lovely, inspirational person

14. Christmas commercials are very similar to Super Bowl commercials in the US

-In the UK, people talk about Christmas commercials with the same hype and excitement as those in the US talk about commercials for the Super Bowl. It's a common tradition to see the John Lewis ad (advert) and now supermarkets and clothing brands are trying their hand at getting a talked-about holiday commercial going

15. People in Britain also anticipate what the No. 1 Christmas single will be

-In Britain, the "Christmas No. 1" has been a long-held tradition for over half a century. Appearing in 1952, the number one song on the British singles chart had been a widely coveted spot every year around the holidays. Christmas No. 1 albums include The Beatles, Queen, Ed Sheeran and many more. While some have had the irony of being Christmas songs, they do not have to be Christmas-related

16. School nativity plays are a widely held tradition in UK primary schools

-While religious schools in the US may focus on nativity plays, this is far more popular and part of the Christmas holidays in Britain. It's not uncommon for most UK primary schools to put on a nativity play. They've even made it into pop culture. In the Christmas rom-com Love Actually, the characters featured even attend a nativity play

17. There are after-Christmas sales on Boxing Day

-In Britain, Boxing Day is the British equivalent to the American Black Friday, where shoppers can score massive deals and discounts on various items. There are some differences, however. Boxing Day is the day after Christmas and originated in the mid-1600s. It was to be a day off for servants. They would receive a "Christmas Box" or gift from their master. With these "Christmas Boxes" in tow, they would go home to spend the day with their families

18. It's considered bad luck to keep your Christmas decorations up for more than 12 days after Christmas in the UK

-A lot of people believe in leaving up the Christmas decorations for at least 12 days afterwards, for the Three Wise Men in the US. But in the UK, it's customary to remove your decorations 12 days after Christmas. The twelfth day is known as Twelfth Night, and the reason it's customary to remove the decorations is to avoid bad luck in the new year. In the Anglican faith, Twelfth Night is also known as Epiphany Eve. It's the day before Epiphany, celebrating the Magi (Three Wise Men, depending on the faith you follow) coming to see the baby Jesus and marking the end of the 12 days of Christmas