The world's tallest Xmas tree at 221ft high was erected in a Washington shopping mall in 1950.
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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 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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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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Nearly 60 million Christmas trees are grown each year in Europe.
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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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Gold-wrapped chocolate coins commemorate St Nicholas who gave bags of gold coins to the poor.
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Although now mostly vegetarian, in Victorian times, mince pies were made with beef and spices.
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