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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7.6 million Christmas trees are sold each year.
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The first postage stamp to commemorate Christmas was issued in Austria in 1937.
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Carols began as an old English custom called wassailing, toasting neighbours to a long life.
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The first Christmas card was designed in 1843 by J.C. Horsley.
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Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer was invented for a US firm's Christmas promotion in 1938.
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There are 13 Santas in Iceland, each leaving a gift for children. They come down from the mountain one by one, starting on December 12 and have names like Spoon Licker, Door Sniffer and Meat Hook.
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Nearly 60 million Christmas trees are grown each year in Europe.
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