In many households, part of the fun of eating Christmas pudding is finding a trinket that predicts your fortune for the coming year. For instance, finding a coin means you will become wealthy. A ring means you will get married; while a button predicts bac
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Electric lights for trees were first used in 1895.
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Although now mostly vegetarian, in Victorian times, mince pies were made with beef and spices.
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The first postage stamp to commemorate Christmas was issued in Austria in 1937.
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The poinsettia is a traditional Christmas flower. In Mexico (its original birthplace), the poinsettia is known as the "Flower of the Holy Night".
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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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The sun sets on 24 December at 3.55pm in the UK, and rises the following morning at 8.05am.
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Nearly 60 million Christmas trees are grown each year in Europe.
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