The first postage stamp to commemorate Christmas was issued in Austria in 1937.
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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.
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Nearly 60 million Christmas trees are grown each year in Europe.
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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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The poinsettia is a traditional Christmas flower. In Mexico (its original birthplace), the poinsettia is known as the "Flower of the Holy Night".
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Coca Cola was the first beverage company to use Santa for a winter promotion.
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The world's tallest Xmas tree at 221ft high was erected in a Washington shopping mall in 1950.
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The first Christmas card was designed in 1843 by J.C. Horsley.
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