At Christmas, it is traditional to exchange kisses beneath the mistletoe tree. In ancient Scandinavia, mistletoe was associated with peace and friendship. That may account for the custom of "kissing beneath the mistletoe".
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English Puritan leader Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas between 1647 and 1660 because he believed such celebrations were immoral for the holiest day of the year.
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'Klaxon' is a name that does not belong to one of Santa's reindeer. A klaxon is actually a powerful electric horn. Its name comes from a German word meaning "shriek".
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The first postage stamp to commemorate Christmas was issued in Austria in 1937.
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Although now mostly vegetarian, in Victorian times, mince pies were made with beef and spices.
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In 1999, residents of the state of Maine in America built the world's biggest ever snowman. He stood at 113ft tall.
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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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Coca Cola was the first beverage company to use Santa for a winter promotion.
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