Carols began as an old English custom called wassailing, toasting neighbours to a long life.
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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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The abbreviation Xmas isn't irreligious. The letter X is a Greek abbreviation for Christ.
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Although now mostly vegetarian, in Victorian times, mince pies were made with beef and spices.
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7.6 million Christmas trees are sold each year.
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US scientists calculated that Santa would have to visit 822 homes a second to deliver all the world's presents on Christmas Eve, travelling at 650 miles a second.
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The sun sets on 24 December at 3.55pm in the UK, and rises the following morning at 8.05am.
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Gold-wrapped chocolate coins commemorate St Nicholas who gave bags of gold coins to the poor.
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