10 Products Sold Only During the Christmas Holiday

There are at least 10 products that come out only at Christmastime. You can find them on the days leading up to Christmas. As soon as the holiday is over, the items disappear for an entire year. Perhaps you are familiar with some of the seasonal products that are described below.

1. Candy Canes

Candy canes are found in some stores throughout the year, but their sales increase at Christmastime. That's because they are not only eaten but they're also used as decorations.

The most popular candy cane is the red and white striped ones that are peppermint flavored, but they also come in various other colors and flavors.

2. Chia Pets

Chia Pets are advertised on television and sold in stores across the country in time to be purchased for Christmas gifts. The terracotta figurines are called Chia Pets because when they first became popular, they came only as pet heads. They were manufactured in China, and the first one was made on September 8, 1977. The first Chia Pet that became popular was the ram in 1982. Chia Pets come in a wide variety of shapes, such as this cat.

Today, there are heads of famous people who sprout chia. It takes only a couple of weeks for the chia to sprout and grow to fill the entire head, resembling the pet's fur or the person's hair.

Even though Chia Pets are sold only during the Christmas holiday, approximately 500,000 are sold each year.

3. The Clapper

Like the Chia Pet, the Clapper comes out only during the days leading up to Christmas. It is a sound-activated electrical switch. It was invented by Carlile Stevens and Dale Reamer and patented in 1996.

The device is not just activated by clapping. It will come on with other noises, such as a cough, a laugh, someone crying, a dog barking, a door being slammed, and other loud sounds.

4. Eggnog

In the United States and Canada, eggnog is traditionally consumed during the Christmas season from late November until the end of the holiday season. No one knows why eggnog is only a seasonal drink, available only around the Christmas holidays.

During the days before Christmas, store-bought eggnog is found in the dairy section of grocery stores. After Christmas, it disappears until the next year. That doesn't mean people can't make their own by using an easy recipe.

The beverage is rich because it is made with milk, cream, sugar, and eggs, which gives it its name. Some eggnogs contain alcoholic spirits such as rum, brandy, whiskey, or bourbon. Sometimes the beverage is served with nutmeg or cinnamon.

5. Fruit Cakes

If you want to eat fruit cakes after December, you should stock up on them around Christmastime because they are not in the stores after Christmas.

Fruit cake is a rich dessert made with candied or dried fruit, nuts, and spices. A lot of people do not want to receive a fruitcake for a Christmas present. On the other hand, some people, like this writer, love fruitcakes and wish they were available all year long.

6. Gingerbread Houses

Gingerbread houses are popular around the holidays. They are often made by children with their parents or friends. Just like its name says, a gingerbread house is made out of crisp gingerbread. It is decorated with candies and icing. Usually, no two gingerbread houses are exactly alike.

The fun of making a gingerbread house is to make it elaborate, with many items on it and surrounding it, including flowers and animals in the yard. While gingerbread houses can be eaten one piece at a time, the joy comes from making it.

The tradition started in Germany in the 1800s. Legend says the first gingerbread house came from the well-known fairy tale Hansel and Gretel published in 1812 by brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm with illustrations by Theodor Hosemann.

The story is about a young brother and sister abandoned in the forest. They survived after finding a house made of bread with sugar and other edible treats. Gingerbread houses are typically more fun to make than to eat.

7. Hard Candy

Candy is plentiful in stores all year long, but only certain candies are available at Christmastime. The candies are known as hard Christmas candies.

The many different pieces are favorites of older people, but the candy cane is the favorite for young children. The candy cane is also much safer for small children because of its handle. Hard candies can slip down a young child's throat, and the child could choke. Therefore, keep the hard Christmas candy away from small hands.

8. Holiday Nuts

Some nuts are available in the grocery stores year-round. However, there is a better variety around the Christmas holidays. There are many kinds of nuts, but homeowners put their favorites in dishes for guests to munch on when they visit.

Some of the most common holiday nuts are walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, almonds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts.

9. Poinsettias

The poinsettia is a beautiful plant and is popular in December as a Christmas favorite. It is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett who discovered it in the wild when he was the first United States Minister to Mexico. He named the plant after himself and introduced it to the United States in 1825.

Poinsettias are found in most houses as part of the Christmas decorations. People purchase them for their leaves, not for the flowers, which are the small yellow structures found in the center of each bunch of leaves. The flowers are barely seen because of the beautiful, colorful leaves. The popular poinsettias have red leaves, but some plants have pink, yellow, and white leaves.

Even though poinsettias are popular around Christmastime, they can last much longer after the holiday season with proper care.

10. Ugly Sweaters

Some people are glad the ugly sweater is seasonal. Almost everyone has at least one, and the uglier the sweater, the better. Some are forced to wear them to Christmas parties and family holiday gatherings.

Those tacky garments are popular in the United States. Cliff Huxtable, played by Bill Cosby, used to wear them not just on Christmas but all during the winter on The Cosby Show in the 1980s. The trend is very popular during the Christmas season when people of all ages wear them. Unlike the Huxtable sweaters, the ugly ones at Christmas are decorated on the front and back with symbols of the season.