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
In Greek legend, malicious creatures called Kallikantzaroi sometimes play troublesome pranks at Christmas time. In order to get rid of them, salt or an old shoe is burnt. The pungent burning stench drives off, or at least helps discourage, the Kallikantza
6
Louis Prang, a Bavarian-born lithographer who came to the USA from Germany in the 19th century, popularized the sending of printed Christmas cards. He invented a way of reproducing color oil paintings
, the "chromolithograph technique", and created a car
, the "chromolithograph technique", and created a car
1
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer was invented for a US firm's Christmas promotion in 1938.
113
Many theologians estimate that Jesus wasn't born on December 25 but sometime in September between 6BC and 30AD.
42
7.6 million Christmas trees are sold each year.
100
The sun sets on 24 December at 3.55pm in the UK, and rises the following morning at 8.05am.
81
Although now mostly vegetarian, in Victorian times, mince pies were made with beef and spices.
14