Carols began as an old English custom called wassailing, toasting neighbours to a long life.
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The abbreviation Xmas isn't irreligious. The letter X is a Greek abbreviation for Christ.
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Gold-wrapped chocolate coins commemorate St Nicholas who gave bags of gold coins to the poor.
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There are 13 Santas in Iceland, each leaving a gift for children. They come down from the mountain one by one, starting on December 12 and have names like Spoon Licker, Door Sniffer and Meat Hook.
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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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Coca Cola was the first beverage company to use Santa for a winter promotion.
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One town in Indiana is called Santa Claus. There is also a Santa, Idaho.
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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.
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