English Puritan leader Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas between 1647 and 1660 because he believed such celebrations were immoral for the holiest day of the year.
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In the Ukraine, if you find a spider web in the house on Christmas morning, it is believed to be a harbinger of good luck! There once lived a woman so poor, says a Ukrainian folk tale, that she could not afford Christmas decorations for her family. One Ch
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The first postage stamp to commemorate Christmas was issued in Austria in 1937.
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Popular belief holds that 3 wise men visited Bethlehem from the east bearing gifts. However there is no mention in the bible about the number of wise men who visited. Three gifts were brought - gold, frankincense and myrrh, but names commonly attributed t
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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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The first Christmas card was designed in 1843 by J.C. Horsley.
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Robins on cards were a joke 150 years ago when postmen wore red tunics and were named after them.
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Gold-wrapped chocolate coins commemorate St Nicholas who gave bags of gold coins to the poor.
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