In the Ukraine, if you find a spider web in the house on Christmas morning, it is believed to be a harbinger of good luck! There once lived a woman so poor, says a Ukrainian folk tale, that she could not afford Christmas decorations for her family. One Ch
26
The poinsettia is a traditional Christmas flower. In Mexico (its original birthplace), the poinsettia is known as the "Flower of the Holy Night".
15
The Queen's Christmas speech was first televised in 1957.
18
Gold-wrapped chocolate coins commemorate St Nicholas who gave bags of gold coins to the poor.
196
Nearly 60 million Christmas trees are grown each year in Europe.
74
The word Christmas comes from Cristes maesse, or "Christ's Mass." There is no set date for his birth in scripture and it wasn't celebrated on any particular day. However Christmas was first celebrated on the 25th of December in Rome in 336AD with an aim t
16
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
The sun sets on 24 December at 3.55pm in the UK, and rises the following morning at 8.05am.
81