The sun sets on 24 December at 3.55pm in the UK, and rises the following morning at 8.05am.
81
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
6
The world's tallest Xmas tree at 221ft high was erected in a Washington shopping mall in 1950.
82
The abbreviation Xmas isn't irreligious. The letter X is a Greek abbreviation for Christ.
273
Many theologians estimate that Jesus wasn't born on December 25 but sometime in September between 6BC and 30AD.
42
Nearly 60 million Christmas trees are grown each year in Europe.
74
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
-1