Why the Swedes Watch Donald Duck on Christmas Eve?

It’s a tradition in Sweden to watch Donald Duck cartoons on Christmas Eve.

Disney devotees may be familiar with the 1958 Donald Duck Christmas special From All of Us to All of You, but they probably haven’t seen it as many times as the average Swede. 

The special first aired in Sweden at 3 p.m. on December 24, 1959, and celebrating Christmas Eve with the temperamental waterfowl quickly became one of the country’s signature holiday traditions. 

Known in Sweden as Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul (which translates to Donald Duck and His Friends Wish You a Merry Christmas), the special airs on SVT1, the main public television channel, and is presented by a host playing Walt Disney. 

It’s also slightly different each year, as a contractual obligation requires SVT1 to include a snippet from the Mouse House’s latest film.

If you’re wondering how Kalle Anka became so popular in the first place, it’s partially explained by the fact that Sweden had only two TV channels at the time, and Christmas was the only time Swedes could get a dose of Disney. 

Traditions have a way of sticking, and Kalle Anka is frequently the most-watched program of the year: 40% of the country tunes in during an average year, and in 1997 more than half the population did. 

They also tend to do so sans distractions: In 2016, cellphone data usage dropped by 28% while the show was on.

Which First Lady Took a Ride with Amelia Earhart?

Amelia Earhart once took Eleanor Roosevelt on a nighttime ride.

Although her aviation career lasted just 17 years, Amelia Earhart remains one of the most famous people ever to take to the sky. 

In addition to being renowned for her many firsts, including being the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic and the first person to fly alone from Hawaii to the mainland U.S.

How Often Does a Person Get a New Skeleton?

Humans get a new skeleton about every 10 years.

The human skeleton is sometimes called the scaffolding of the body, and the name is apt because, like scaffolding, our bones are less permanent than you might think. 

Human bones grow in a process known as modeling, and once a person reaches adulthood, the skeleton system refreshes itself in a process known as remodeling.

Bananas are Technically Berries

Bananas are technically berries.

Berry classification is a confusing business.

People began referring to some fruits as “berries” thousands of years before scientists established their own definitions, some of which are still debated. 

Today, little effort is made to teach the public about what botanically constitutes a berry, so here is a bit of help. 

When Did We Start Wrapping Gifts?

Decorative wrapping has long been an integral part of gift-giving. 

Over the years, studies have shown that gift wrap can even positively influence the perception of a gift, a fact that was clearly understood in some ancient cultures. 

When paper first emerged in ancient China around the second century BCE, it was primarily used for wrapping medicine and delicate goods. 

Parachutes Were Invented Before Airplanes

Parachutes were invented before airplanes.

Most grade school students can tell you that the first airplane was flown by Orville and Wilbur Wright in 1903. 

But the origins of the parachute go back further, much further, depending on your criteria.

Which U.S. City Has the Most Cherry Blossoms?

People have been celebrating cherry blossoms for over a thousand years.

Few trees are more beautiful than cherry trees when in full bloom. 

Although millions flock to see cherry blossoms around the world, the trees have a special resonance in Japan, where they are known as sakura.

The Jellyfish That is Considered Immortal

There's a jellyfish that is considered immortal. That is biologically immortal.

Immortality is the dream of ancient mystics and futuristic transhumanists alike.

But for humans and most other animals on Earth, the promise of such longevity remains out of reach. 

That is, unless you are a jellyfish known scientifically as Turritopsis dohrnii, nicknamed the “immortal jellyfish.” 

May 1 was Moving Day for Everyone in New York City

May 1 used to be moving day for everyone in New York City.

The crowds at Manhattan's Rockefeller Center get crazy during the holidays.

Imagine the majority of the city's population packing the streets with beds and other personal belongings on a single day of the year. 

Beach That Glows in the Dark

There is a beach in the Maldives that glows in the dark.

If you were wowed by those glow-in-the-dark stars on your bedroom ceiling as a kid, you may need to book a trip to the Maldives.

The small nation of more than 1,000 islands in the Indian Ocean is home to at least one beach, on Mudhdhoo Island, that often glows in the dark and it’s a completely natural phenomenon.

People in US Still Get Their Mail Delivered by a Mule

There's a village inside the Grand Canyon.

Many of the Grand Canyon's visitors make a point of packing into the tourist stop known as Grand Canyon Village. 

Far fewer realize there's a bona fide village nestled into Havasu Canyon some 3,000 feet below. 

Chocolate Chips Came After Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chips were invented after chocolate chip cookies.

Ruth Wakefield was no cookie-cutter baker. In fact, she is widely credited with developing the world’s first recipe for chocolate chip cookies. 

In 1937, Wakefield and her husband, Kenneth, owned the popular Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts.

Kids Grow Faster in the Spring

If you think the son/niece/grandchild in your life is sprouting before your eyes now that the winter clothing has been shed, you're probably not imagining things.

Researchers have long studied the connection between seasonal changes and youth growth patterns, with substantial evidence pointing to higher rates of growth among children in the Northern Hemisphere during the spring and summer months.

Why This Montana Town is the Most Isolated in the U.S.

Glasgow, Montana, is the most isolated town in the contiguous U.S.

The American West is known for its wide open spaces, but nowhere is quite as wide open as the area around Glasgow, Montana. 

Crunching some numbers back in 2018 in an effort to definitively define “the middle of nowhere,” The Washington Post found that a whopping 98% of Americans in the contiguous U.S. live within an hour of some kind of urban center (that is, a metropolitan area with at least 75,000 people). 

Redheads Need More Anesthesia

There are all sorts of (false) rumors and superstitions floating around about redheads. They bring bad luck. 

They have fiery tempers. They are more susceptible to pain sometimes and hate going to the dentist. 

On that last account, at least, there's a decent amount of research that might explain the anecdotal evidence. 

Tater Tots Were Invented to Reduce Waste

If Tater Tots are your favorite fast-food side, you have the ingenuity of two brothers to thank: Golden and Francis Nephi Grigg. 

However, when the pair invented the crispy potato composites in the 1950s, they didn’t set out to change snack food history. 

Instead, their potato creation came from a quest to reduce the amount of food waste produced at their frozen foods plant.

Humans Have Been on Earth Very Short Time

Modern humans have been on Earth less than 0.01% of the planet’s existence.

The Earth has been around for a while, about one-third as long as the universe itself. By comparison, Homo sapiens are the new kids on the block. 

Earth’s story began at the outset of the Hadean eon, about 4.6 billion years ago. It took 600 million years just for the Earth’s crust to take shape.

The Grand Canyon is Bigger Than the State of Rhode Island

The Grand Canyon attracts millions of visitors to northern Arizona each year, all hoping to snap an amazing photo of the canyon’s vast landscape.

The mile-deep gorge is the centerpiece of such an expansive view that it can’t all be seen at once.

At 277 miles long and up to 18 miles wide, the Grand Canyon is so large, it creates its own weather. In fact, getting a view from its two most popular rims (aka tops) requires nearly five hours of travel time.

Chickens are Among the Closest Living Relatives of the T. Rex

The end of the dinosaurs is often pictured as an apocalyptic event complete with a giant asteroid, a cataclysmic collision, and general fire and brimstone-type stuff. 

But the ends of biological epochs are rarely so cut-and-dried. 

In fact, the story of the dinosaurs didn’t even end on that unfortunate spring day 65 million years ago, because dinosaurs still live among us. We just call them birds.

Rome Still Uses an Aqueduct Built During the Roman Empire

“If it isn't broken, don’t fix it” is a motto that works well for Rome. 

Because of the incredibly advanced craftsmanship of ancient Rome’s architects, as well as their remarkably long-lasting building materials, many of the ancient empire’s most marvelous construction projects can still be seen by millions of tourists today. 

Some 6 million people visit the Colosseum each year alone. However, the most amazing engineering achievement might be Rome’s eye-catching aqueducts, one of which still supplies Rome with water millennia after it was built.

The Appalachian mountains are older than the Atlantic Ocean

The Appalachian Mountains are older than the Atlantic Ocean.

The Appalachian Mountains aren’t the world’s largest mountains. 

And though they stretch from Canada to Alabama, they aren’t even the world’s longest (that honor goes to the mid-ocean ridge, a chain 40,389 miles long). 

Eggo Waffles

Eggo waffles were originally called Froffles.

The brothers behind your favorite frozen waffles took a while to iron out the details of their signature product. 

Working in their parents’ basement in San Jose, California, in the early 1930s, Frank, Anthony, and Sam Dorsa first whipped up their own brand of mayonnaise. 

The Only Animal With a True Chin

Humans are the only animals with true chins.

Humans have a few biological advantages compared to other species. The most obvious is our big brains, which have empowered us to become the dominant species on Earth. 

But another feature that is often overlooked is our chins — yes, we’re the only animals on Earth with true chins. 

First Cell Call in the World

On May 21, 2007, Rod Baber placed a 1-minute, 48-second phone call. 

He called a voicemail account to leave a message, a move that cost him $4.72. 

By all accounts, Baber’s call was much like millions made from cellphones every day — except that the renowned British climber was standing on the summit of Mount Everest. 

Birds in Colombia

South America is known for its stunning avian diversity, with colorful toucans,  ubiquitous parrots, and an untold number of other feathered friends. 

There are new species of birds being discovered every year.

But no country in South America — or the world, for that matter — compares to Colombia. With around 1,900 bird species within its borders, the country hosts nearly 20% of all avian species in the world, which is more than any other nation.

Oceans Have Lakes and Rivers

The Earth’s oceans are just as dynamic a landscape as the bits of rock that peek above its surface. 

Our seas are home to the world’s longest mountain chain, its deepest trenches, and other impressive natural structures that boggle the mind. 

The ocean is even home to its own underwater lakes and rivers. When seawater seeps up from the seafloor, it mixes with the salt layers above and creates a depression in the seabed, where this heavy, dense, and briny mixture rests.