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
The Queen's Christmas speech was first televised in 1957.
18
Carols began as an old English custom called wassailing, toasting neighbours to a long life.
33
Coca Cola was the first beverage company to use Santa for a winter promotion.
251
The poinsettia is a traditional Christmas flower. In Mexico (its original birthplace), the poinsettia is known as the "Flower of the Holy Night".
15
The 26th of December is traditionally known as St Stephen's Day, but is more commonly known as Boxing Day. The reason it was called this is either alms boxes in church were opened and the money distributed to the poor, or alternatively it was named from t
-1
The sun sets on 24 December at 3.55pm in the UK, and rises the following morning at 8.05am.
81

