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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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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Carols began as an old English custom called wassailing, toasting neighbours to a long life.
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The abbreviation Xmas isn't irreligious. The letter X is a Greek abbreviation for Christ.
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7.6 million Christmas trees are sold each year.
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The definition of a white Christmas in the UK is for a single snow flake (perhaps amongst a shower of mixed rain and snow) to be observed falling in the 24 hours of December 25th.
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Christmas trees become popular in the UK from 1841 when Prince Albert erected a tree in Windsor Castle following a German tradition. Fir trees have been decorated at Christmas time in Germany since the 8th century.
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The sun sets on 24 December at 3.55pm in the UK, and rises the following morning at 8.05am.
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