Carols began as an old English custom called wassailing, toasting neighbours to a long life.
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The Queen's Christmas speech was first televised in 1957.
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The first Christmas card was designed in 1843 by J.C. Horsley.
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7.6 million Christmas trees are sold each year.
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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.
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The abbreviation Xmas isn't irreligious. The letter X is a Greek abbreviation for Christ.
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The word Christmas comes from Cristes maesse, or "Christ's Mass." There is no set date for his birth in scripture and it wasn't celebrated on any particular day. However Christmas was first celebrated on the 25th of December in Rome in 336AD with an aim t
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Black Friday in the UK is the Friday before Christmas. Instead of shopping, many people get very drunk!
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