The tradition of putting tangerines in stockings comes from 12th-century French nuns who left socks full of fruit, nuts and tangerines at the houses of the poor.
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The abbreviation Xmas isn't irreligious. The letter X is a Greek abbreviation for Christ.
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In the Ukraine, if you find a spider web in the house on Christmas morning, it is believed to be a harbinger of good luck! There once lived a woman so poor, says a Ukrainian folk tale, that she could not afford Christmas decorations for her family. One Ch
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Many theologians estimate that Jesus wasn't born on December 25 but sometime in September between 6BC and 30AD.
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Electric lights for trees were first used in 1895.
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Gold-wrapped chocolate coins commemorate St Nicholas who gave bags of gold coins to the poor.
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Nearly 60 million Christmas trees are grown each year in Europe.
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The first postage stamp to commemorate Christmas was issued in Austria in 1937.
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