The end of the year is fast approaching and offices around the world are getting emptier and emptier as people go on holiday. While the online world never stops, things do slow down just a tad and we thought we would take this quiet(er) time in QuirkStation to write a few, slightly less serious posts (‘cos we are such a serious bunch normally).

So, to start off – some weird Christmas facts. I love the Internet.

• Father Christmas has to visit at least 983 homes per second just to drop off gifts for the kids in North America and Europe.
• Kris Kringel is actually a real man in his 40s, who does lives at the North Pole, (a town in Alaska) and delivers pizzas for a living. He drives a 1984 Ford Tempo.
• A third of men wait until Christmas Eve to finish their shopping (that’s not weird, we knew that already).
• Christmas pudding should be stirred from east to west.
• Saint Nicholas of Myra, the original Santa Claus, was the patron saint of children, thieves and pawnbrokers. See, Father Christmas was always a multi-tasker.

And now, to get back to something a little bit (but not completely) eMarketing related, we have compiled a list of some awesome Christmas sites for you to enjoy this festive season.

• Symbols and Traditions of Christmas – Here you can find out why we roast turkey (or braai in South Africa’s case), kiss under mistletoe and do all those other odd things at Christmas that really are odd when you sit down and think about them.
• Elf Yourself – This one was a favourite in the QuirkStation last year. Create elves out of all your nearest and dearest and send them a Christmas card with a difference. No corny snow scenes or reindeer here.
• Ugly Christmas Lights– Ever driven out your driveway and cringed at the neon Christmas display your neighbours have going on? Just be grateful that they didn’t go as far as these people went.
• A Merry Veggie Christmas – Every wondered how fun it is for vegetarians to sit amongst turkey, gammon and braai meat on Christmas Day? A plate of vegetables just isn’t a Christmas dinner either. Find out more about how to cater for veggies on this special day.
• Compare Prices– With the changing economy, most of us are on a tight budget this Christmas. So make sure you don’t get ripped off or have to traipse around a thousand shops to find the best prices. Pricecheck.co.za finds you the best bargains from the comfort of your armchair.

Happy festive season from everyone at Quirk!