Robins on cards were a joke 150 years ago when postmen wore red tunics and were named after them.
20
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer was invented for a US firm's Christmas promotion in 1938.
113
The sun sets on 24 December at 3.55pm in the UK, and rises the following morning at 8.05am.
81
The abbreviation Xmas isn't irreligious. The letter X is a Greek abbreviation for Christ.
273
The "Urn of Fate" is part of the Christmas celebrations in many Italian households. The Urn of Fate is brought out on Christmas Eve. It holds a wrapped present for everyone. The mother tries her luck first, then the others in turn. If you get a present wi
-19
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.
5
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.
42