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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Black Friday in the UK is the Friday before Christmas. Instead of shopping, many people get very drunk!
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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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One town in Indiana is called Santa Claus. There is also a Santa, Idaho.
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The first postage stamp to commemorate Christmas was issued in Austria in 1937.
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The first Christmas card was designed in 1843 by J.C. Horsley.
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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.
26
Although now mostly vegetarian, in Victorian times, mince pies were made with beef and spices.
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