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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Electric lights for trees were first used in 1895.
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Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer was invented for a US firm's Christmas promotion in 1938.
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Frumenty was a spiced porridge, enjoyed by both rich and poor. It was a forerunner of modern Christmas puddings. It is linked in legend to the Celtic god Dagda, who stirred a porridge made up of all the good things of the earth.
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The first postage stamp to commemorate Christmas was issued in Austria in 1937.
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Although now mostly vegetarian, in Victorian times, mince pies were made with beef and spices.
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Nearly 60 million Christmas trees are grown each year in Europe.
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