Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer was invented for a US firm's Christmas promotion in 1938.
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Coca Cola was the first beverage company to use Santa for a winter promotion.
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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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The first Christmas card was designed in 1843 by J.C. Horsley.
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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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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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