Did You Know: Christmas Facts

 by Nathaniel Gingell

Every year more than 80,000 people in the UK arrive in A & E with Christmas-related accidents – everything from fairy light burns, children choking on decorations or being poisoned by batteries, to falling out of the attic retrieving the Christmas decorations.

One of the most common Christmas-related injuries involves parents who stab themselves with scissors while wrapping or opening Christmas presents.

Another involves broken toes from dropping the frozen Christmas turkey on them.

Every year approximately 1,000 people are injured decorating the Christmas tree, usually by falling off a ladder or chair.

 Each year a number of people seek medical help after they hit themselves in the eye with a flying champagne cork.

 350 people a year are injured by Christmas tree lights, including falls while they are being put up, children swallowing the bulbs, and electric shocks and burns.

 A number of people have died while watering their Christmas tree with the lights on…don’t do this!

 It is possible to break your arm pulling that Christmas cracker - it has happened!

 Back injuries are more common at Christmas time, caused by lifting heavy things. The most frequent reports come from a Mr Santa Claus who explained that he has a rather large sack of toys each year that he carries around the world each year.

 Since 1997 over 200 people have been admitted to hospital to have small plastic Christmas toy parts removed from their feet.

 In recent years more than 600,000 people have burnt themselves roasting chestnuts on an open fire.

 Last year 22 children were injured falling off Santa’s lap.

 Last year there were 51 reports to the Police of people knocked down by Santa’s sleigh. Santa claimed that he couldn’t see where he was going as Rudolph’s nose wasn’t so bright after all (and neither was Santa).