Gold-wrapped chocolate coins commemorate St Nicholas who gave bags of gold coins to the poor.
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The first postage stamp to commemorate Christmas was issued in Austria in 1937.
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Nearly 60 million Christmas trees are grown each year in Europe.
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Carols began as an old English custom called wassailing, toasting neighbours to a long life.
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The typical image we have of Santa Claus dressed in red clothes with white fur trim, is an amalgamation of cultural input over many years. Some people claim the image of Santa we know today is from Coca-cola advertising, but this simply isn't true. The st
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The tradition of putting tangerines in stockings comes from 12th-century French nuns who left socks full of fruit, nuts and tangerines at the houses of the poor.
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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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