Top Ten Christmas Record Breakers

Christmas is loved by millions of people all over the world. Why not try to break a record while you are baking Christmas cookies or folding paper angels? Here is a list of some amazing Christmas records.

1. Biggest selling christmas song is Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" The song was written by Sir Bob Geldof, and sold fifty million copies and continues to be a holiday favorite today!

2. The world's largest gift was the Statue of Liberty. The people of France gave it to the US in 1886. It's 151 feet, 1 inch high and weighs 225 tonnes.

3. The most valuable Christmas card was sold at an auction in Devizes, Wiltshire, UK in 2001 for £20,000 (approx. $40.000). The card was originally sent by Sir Henry Cole of Bath to his grandmother in 1843!

4. The largest Christmas angel ornament is over 18 feet (5.57 meters) high and over 8 feet wide at the bottom. It's made out of 2946 beer bottles. The angel was displayed on Alfonso Reyes Avenue, Nuevo Leon, Mexico in January 2000.

5. World's largest working Christmas cracker is 181 foot, 11 inch long and 11 foot, 9 inch high. It was made in Australia. It was pulled at a shopping center in Sydney, Australia on December 16, 1998.

6. With 3,000 Christmas lights, a towering Eucalyptus regnans, 80 meters (262 ft) tall, became the tallest-ever Christmas tree in the world. This record was set in Tasmania in 1999. Later The Guinness Book of Records has rejected The Wilderness Society's claim for the world's tallest Christmas Tree on the grounds that the tree was a eucalypt and not a spruce. "This is a mean-spirited, pedantic snub," said the Wilderness Society's Tasmanian Campaign Coordinator, Geoff Law.

7. Every year, the citizens of Gävle Sweden build the world's largest christmas goat out of straw. This is their Christmas tradition. Unfortunatley for them, almost every year the poor goat gets burned down. Its an 13-metre tall, 7-metre long, 3 tonne goat.

World's biggest Christmas Goat from Sweden.

8. Bronner's Christmas Wonderland is a retail store in Frankenmuth, Michigan that bills itself as the "World's Largest Christmas Store". The store has grown to the size of five-and-a-half football fields and is home to over 50000 gifts.

9. Five-hundred-and-nineteen Christmas carollers have braved the New York cold to sing themselves into the Guinness World Records Book. The group has become the largest carol service, breaking the previous record of 517. The singers gathered on the steps of Manhattan's General Post Office across the street from Madison Square Garden.

10.Forget modern novelists and TV tie-ins, the Bible is the best-selling book every year. The Bible was the first book and is the all-time best selling book with 1 billion copies having been sold.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

*We will be starting up work days again after the new Year. Check our Website for more details or send us an email at vista@nslchfh.org with the email update in the subject line to sign up for our weekly email updates on volunteer opportunities.*

SEE YOU AT THE BUILD SITE!



North St. Louis County Habitat for Humanity celebrates continued support for affordable housing efforts in 2011 with $10.4 million in funding from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

North St. Louis County Habitat for Humanity celebrates continued support for affordable housing efforts in 2011 with $10.4 million in funding from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans announces $10.4 commitment to build Habitat for Humanity homes in 33 states across the country

Virginia, Minn. (Dec. 6, 2010) – North St. Louis County Habitat for Humanity received $55,000 in funding to help build 1 house in Virginia as part of Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity in 2011. 

Nationally, Thrivent Financial announced a  commitment of $10.4 million to Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity and its homebuilding program, continuing its support of Habitat’s mission for a sixth year. This funding will make the construction of 164 additional homes in 33 states possible.

In 2011, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, through its unique partnership with Habitat for Humanity International called Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity, will surpass more than $150 million in its total commitment over six years to create affordable housing. North St. Louis County Habitat for Humanity built 4 homes homes as part of that effort.

“The Thrivent Builds partnership has helped North St. Louis County Habitat increase the number of families served in our community,” said Nathan Thompson, Executive Director. “We are so grateful for Thrivent Financial’s support of our efforts to provide decent, affordable homes in partnership with families in need.”

While Thrivent Financial provides at least 55 percent of the funding for each Thrivent Builds home, local volunteers—many of them Thrivent Financial members and members of area Lutheran congregations—assist with construction and help raise additional funds.  
Since its inception in 2005, Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity has helped more than 2,500 families in the U.S. and around the world achieve the dream of homeownership. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans continues to be one of the largest non-government supporters of Habitat for Humanity International.
About North St. Louis County Habitat for Humanity
Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity is a multi-year, multi-million dollar partnership between Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Habitat for Humanity International. Thrivent Builds is designed to involve Thrivent members and Lutherans in helping provide a “hand up” to people who lack decent shelter, offering them a path to greater economic independence. Excluding government funding, Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity is Habitat's largest single source of funding, constructing nearly 2,500 homes in the U.S. and around the world since 2005. For more information, visit ThriventBuilds.com.

About Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a not-for-profit, Fortune 500 financial services membership organization helping approximately 2.6 million members achieve financial security and give back to their communities. Thrivent Financial and its affiliates offer a broad range of financial products and services including life insurance, annuities, mutual funds, disability income insurance, bank products and more. As a not-for-profit organization, Thrivent Financial creates and supports national outreach programs and activities that help congregations, schools, charitable organizations and individuals in need. For more information, visit Thrivent.com. Also, you can find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Insurance products issued or offered by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Appleton, WI.  Not all products are available in all states.  Securities and investment advisory services are offered through Thrivent Investment Management Inc., 625 Fourth Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55415, 800-847-4836, a FINRA and SIPC member  and a wholly owned subsidiary of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Thrivent Financial representatives are registered representatives of Thrivent Investment Management Inc.  They are also licensed insurance agents of Thrivent Financial. 

Bank products and trust services are offered through Thrivent Financial Bank, (Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender), a wholly owned subsidiary of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Insurance, securities, investment advisory services, and trust and investment management accounts are not deposits, are not guaranteed by Thrivent Financial Bank, are not insured by the FDIC or any other federal government agency, and may go down in value.
For additional important disclosure information, please visit Thrivent.com/disclosures.

Habitat for Humanity International is an ecumenical Christian ministry that welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has built, rehabilitated, repaired or improved more than 350,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 1.75 million people. For more information, or to donate or volunteer, visit Habitat.org.

*Check out the Thrivent Builds 2011 You Tube Video