This is the December and Christmas 2023 edition of my fascinating facts newsletter, which includes a range of interesting topics. This includes information including fun facts about December, St Patrick and some natural phenomena.

Fascinating Facts December 2023 Contents

You can download the full newsletter to read HERE, however some snippets are listed below.

FUN FACTS ABOUT DECEMBER

• December starts on the same day of the week as September starts every year and ends on the same day of the week as April ends every year.

• December is the twelfth and last month of the year, and one of seven months with a length of 31 days.
• The name December comes from the Latin decem for “ten”, as it was the 10th month in the Roman calendar.
• The Anglo-Saxons called it “Winter monath” or “Yule monath” due to the custom of burning the Yule log.
• When Anglo-Saxons became Christians, they called it “Heligh monath” or holy month, because the birth of Jesus is celebrated in December.
• December’s flower is the narcissus or holly. December’s birthstones are turquoise, lapis lazuli, zircon, topaz (blue), or tanzanite. Read More…

ST. PATRICK & THE SHAMROCK

Like many things in ancient history, the truth about St Patrick is not clear cut. According to legend, he was a fifth, century Romano British Christian missionary and Irish bishop who was known as the “Apostle of Ireland”. While Patrick was never a canonised saint, he is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church, the Church of Ire-land and in the Eastern Orthodox Church, where he is regarded as equal-to-theapostles and Enlightener of Ireland. Read More…

THE WORLDS LARGEST 11 FINANCIAL COMPANIES

Which are the world’s most valuable companies? The top 100 company’s market capitalisation decreased by 11% to March 2023, at $30,86 trillion, the first significant decrease since 2009. Between April 2021 and March 2022, it was $34.7 billion. Their combined market capitalisation increased to $35.16 trillion in 2022, so here is the top 10! Read More…

COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS

There are thousands of misconceptions often based on a common viewpoint which is often accepted as true but which is actually false. They generally arise from conventional wisdom (such as old wives’ tales), stereotypes, superstitions, fallacies, a misunderstanding of science, or the popularisation of pseudoscience. Some common misconceptions are also considered being urban legends, and they are often involved in moral panics. Read More…

OUR NHS 75 YEARS ON

With the recent strikes by nurses, doctors, ambulance personal etc, the glare of publicity has been shone on the function of the NHS. Introduced in 1948, it has grown and changed beyond all recognition. Some aspects have been good and other have certainly not improved. Our local doctor was on call 24 hrs per day—he saved my father’s life. But the biggest advance has been in technology which, as having had a heart attack and now the owner of two stents, I know it has saved my life! Read More…

WORLDS BIGGEST SNOWMAN

A snowman is a snow sculpture usually of a man and is a common winter tradition. In many places, typical snowmen consist of three large snowballs of different sizes with some additional accoutrements for facial and other features. Due to the sculptability of snow, there is also a wide variety of other styles. Accessories include branches for arms with a smiley face made of stones, a carrot used for a nose, and a hat or scarf. Read More…