Today, Christmas is the most popular and best-loved of all American holidays. It is the only religious holiday in America that is also a legal holiday. December 25 was selected as the date to observe Christmas by Pope Julius in 349 A.D. In 1836, Alabama was the first state to declare Christmas a legal holiday and, by 1890, all the other states had done the same.

Christmas trees as a custom was introduced in the United States during the Revolutionary War by a homesick Russian soldier who decorated a tree at Trenton, NJ. While the legend of Santa Claus dates back to the fourth century figure of St. Nicholas, Santa Claus did not become a popular American folk hero until 1822 when Dr. Clement Clarke Moore wrote "A visit from St. Nicholas" for his children. In 1863, cartoonist Thomas Nast used Moore’s description to draw Santa Claus for Harper’s Weekly magazine. This became the model for Santa Claus that most artists use today.

The first Christmas card was produced by artist John Horsley for London businessman Henry Cole in 1843, the same year as "A Christmas Carol" was written. The card added "Happy New Year" to its message of "Merry Christmas".

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