Coca Cola was the first beverage company to use Santa for a winter promotion.
251
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".
27
The first postage stamp to commemorate Christmas was issued in Austria in 1937.
28
Robins on cards were a joke 150 years ago when postmen wore red tunics and were named after them.
20
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer was invented for a US firm's Christmas promotion in 1938.
113
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
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.
191
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.
415