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
In Greek legend, malicious creatures called Kallikantzaroi sometimes play troublesome pranks at Christmas time. In order to get rid of them, salt or an old shoe is burnt. The pungent burning stench drives off, or at least helps discourage, the Kallikantza
6
Black Friday in the UK is the Friday before Christmas. Instead of shopping, many people get very drunk!
10
Nearly 60 million Christmas trees are grown each year in Europe.
74
The sun sets on 24 December at 3.55pm in the UK, and rises the following morning at 8.05am.
81
Popular belief holds that 3 wise men visited Bethlehem from the east bearing gifts. However there is no mention in the bible about the number of wise men who visited. Three gifts were brought - gold, frankincense and myrrh, but names commonly attributed t
101
Carols began as an old English custom called wassailing, toasting neighbours to a long life.
33
Electric lights for trees were first used in 1895.
62