The poinsettia is a traditional Christmas flower. In Mexico (its original birthplace), the poinsettia is known as the "Flower of the Holy Night".
15
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.
5
Many theologians estimate that Jesus wasn't born on December 25 but sometime in September between 6BC and 30AD.
42
The sun sets on 24 December at 3.55pm in the UK, and rises the following morning at 8.05am.
81
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
16
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer was invented for a US firm's Christmas promotion in 1938.
113
The definition of a white Christmas in the UK is for a single snow flake (perhaps amongst a shower of mixed rain and snow) to be observed falling in the 24 hours of December 25th.
32
In 1999, residents of the state of Maine in America built the world's biggest ever snowman. He stood at 113ft tall.
103