Nearly 60 million Christmas trees are grown each year in Europe.
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The abbreviation Xmas isn't irreligious. The letter X is a Greek abbreviation for Christ.
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Frumenty was a spiced porridge, enjoyed by both rich and poor. It was a forerunner of modern Christmas puddings. It is linked in legend to the Celtic god Dagda, who stirred a porridge made up of all the good things of the earth.
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Although now mostly vegetarian, in Victorian times, mince pies were made with beef and spices.
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The world's tallest Xmas tree at 221ft high was erected in a Washington shopping mall in 1950.
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In Greek legend, malicious creatures called Kallikantzaroi sometimes play troublesome pranks at Christmas time. In order to get rid of them, salt or an old shoe is burnt. The pungent burning stench drives off, or at least helps discourage, the Kallikantza
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The 26th of December is traditionally known as St Stephen's Day, but is more commonly known as Boxing Day. The reason it was called this is either alms boxes in church were opened and the money distributed to the poor, or alternatively it was named from t
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