The abbreviation Xmas isn't irreligious. The letter X is a Greek abbreviation for Christ.
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The Queen's Christmas speech was first televised in 1957.
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Carols began as an old English custom called wassailing, toasting neighbours to a long life.
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One town in Indiana is called Santa Claus. There is also a Santa, Idaho.
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Although now mostly vegetarian, in Victorian times, mince pies were made with beef and spices.
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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
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In 1999, residents of the state of Maine in America built the world's biggest ever snowman. He stood at 113ft tall.
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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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