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.
42
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
Electric lights for trees were first used in 1895.
62
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer was invented for a US firm's Christmas promotion in 1938.
113
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
The world's tallest Xmas tree at 221ft high was erected in a Washington shopping mall in 1950.
82
The sun sets on 24 December at 3.55pm in the UK, and rises the following morning at 8.05am.
81
