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
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The poinsettia is a traditional Christmas flower. In Mexico (its original birthplace), the poinsettia is known as the "Flower of the Holy Night".
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Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer was invented for a US firm's Christmas promotion in 1938.
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The world's tallest Xmas tree at 221ft high was erected in a Washington shopping mall in 1950.
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Gold-wrapped chocolate coins commemorate St Nicholas who gave bags of gold coins to the poor.
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In 1999, residents of the state of Maine in America built the world's biggest ever snowman. He stood at 113ft tall.
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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 Queen's Christmas speech was first televised in 1957.
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