The sun sets on 24 December at 3.55pm in the UK, and rises the following morning at 8.05am.
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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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Robins on cards were a joke 150 years ago when postmen wore red tunics and were named after them.
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Carols began as an old English custom called wassailing, toasting neighbours to a long life.
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Although now mostly vegetarian, in Victorian times, mince pies were made with beef and spices.
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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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In Sweden, a common Christmas decoration is the Julbukk, a small figurine of a goat. It is usually made of straw. Scandinavian Christmas festivities feature a variety of straw decorations in the form of stars, angels, hearts and other shapes, as well as t
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The first Christmas card was designed in 1843 by J.C. Horsley.
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