The poinsettia is a traditional Christmas flower. In Mexico (its original birthplace), the poinsettia is known as the "Flower of the Holy Night".
15
Gold-wrapped chocolate coins commemorate St Nicholas who gave bags of gold coins to the poor.
196
The world's tallest Xmas tree at 221ft high was erected in a Washington shopping mall in 1950.
82
In Sweden, a common Christmas decoration is the Julbukk, a small figurine of a goat. It is usually made of straw. Scandinavian Christmas festivities feature a variety of straw decorations in the form of stars, angels, hearts and other shapes, as well as t
2
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer was invented for a US firm's Christmas promotion in 1938.
113
The first postage stamp to commemorate Christmas was issued in Austria in 1937.
28
The abbreviation Xmas isn't irreligious. The letter X is a Greek abbreviation for Christ.
273
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