Fun facts about Christmas
One of the most famous holidays in the world, Christmas is celebrated in over 150 countries across the globe, serving as an important calendar date for religious and non-religious communities alike.
Year on year, families take their seats around the dinner table, ready to tuck into fulsome festive feasts and gorge themselves on mince pies and Christmas cake. So, here at BBC Bitesize, we thought we'd bring you some top-tier tinsel-time trivia, so you can be the (jingle) belle of the ball for the entire festive season!
1. The Trafalgar Square Christmas tree is a gift from Norway
On the first Thursday of December, a large Christmas tree is lit in London's Trafalgar Square. It's an iconic part of British Christmas tradition, but did you know the tree was actually a gift from Norway?
During World War Two, Britain was one of Norway's greatest allies, providing refuge for the Norwegian king and government whilst the country was under Nazi occupation. After the war, Norway began sending a Christmas tree to London each year, as a thank you for Britain's support during the country's time of need.
The tradition has been ongoing since 1947, with this year's tree standing 25 metres tall!
2. The 12 days of Christmas aren't when a lot of people think
It's not entirely unreasonable to assume that the 12 days of Christmas are referring to the 12 days before the festive feast, but this isn't actually the case.
In reality, the 12 days of Christmas actually begin on Christmas day and take us through to a celebration known as Twelfth Night, on 5 January. Twelfth Night is a Christian festival that marks the coming of the Epiphany, which is celebrated by many on 6 January.
Sometimes known as Three Kings' Day, the Epiphany is an important date for many Christians, marking the moment the magi - often known as the Three Kings or wise men - arrived at the manger of the baby Jesus.
3. How many presents are in the 12 days of Christmas?
Staying with the 12 days of Christmas theme – how many presents would this Christmas classic actually provide?
Well, in total, there are 364 presents doled out in the song, all provided in the spirit of true love.
Totting it all up, by Twelfth Night, you'd have garnered:
- 12 partridges
- 22 turtle doves
- 30 french hens
- 36 calling birds
- 40 gold rings
- 42 geese a-laying
- 42 swans a-swimming
- 40 maids a-milking
- 36 ladies dancing
- 30 lords a-leaping
- 22 pipers piping
- 12 drummers drumming.
Not a bad holiday haul!
4. Jingle bells was the first song played in outer space
On 16 December 1965, Jingle Bells became the first song played in space, broadcast during NASA’s Gemini 6A space flight.
Gemini 6 astronauts tricked NASA mission control by pretending to have spotted a UFO, before playing the festive favourite on a harmonica and miniature sleigh bells.
But is Jingle Bells actually a Christmas song, find out with Other Side of The Story's Christmas Myths quiz!
5. What people eat for Christmas dinner in other countries
In Britain, the most common Christmas delicacy is turkey, with lots of families around the country tucking into a turkey dinner come Christmas Day.
But this isn't the case everywhere, with different countries having different traditional foods for the festive season. In Japan, fried chicken has become the customary Christmas cuisine, with an estimated 3.6 million families tucking into a KFC on Christmas Day.
The fast-food chain became a festive mainstay in Japan following a successful marketing campaign in the 1970s, with some families ordering their food weeks in advance. At some restaurants, daily sales can be up to 10 times higher than usual during the Christmas period.
6. Santa has an official address
Year on year, children around the world send letters to Santa Claus, with an estimated half a million letters arriving in his post box in the Arctic circle.
To make sure these letters reach their destination, Royal Mail have released Santa's official address. To make sure your letter makes it to Father Christmas, be sure to address it to:
Santa/Father Christmas
Santa's Grotto
Reindeerland
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7. The most watched programme in UK TV history
In 1986, UK television history was made, as over 30 million people tuned in to see Den Watts serve his wife Angie with divorce papers, in the EastEnders Christmas Special. This marked the largest viewing audience for any non-documentary TV programme in UK history, only beaten out by Royal and sporting events.
EastEnders isn't the only show that saw its viewing numbers peak at Christmas, with Only Fools and Horses, Doctor Who and Gavin and Stacey also pulling in record views on Christmas Day.
Gavin and Stacey was the most watched programme of 2024, with the finale airing on Christmas Day to an audience of 19.11 million viewers. This isn't the only time the famous sitcom achieved this feat, with the 2019 Christmas special also topping viewing charts, drawing in around 17.9 million viewers.
8. LadBaby hold the record for the most UK Christmas number ones
Announced by BBC Radio 1 on Friday 19 December, Christmas number one is the most coveted UK chart position of the year. A number of famous faces have captured the crown over the years, including the Spice Girls, Ed Sheeran and Wham!
It is LadBaby, however, who've accumulated the most Christmas number ones, having taken the title on five separate occasions. The record was previously held by The Beatles, who achieved Christmas number one four times between 1963 and 1967.
Find out what got Christmas number one the year you were born with this quiz from BBC Bitesize!
9. Christmas used to be illegal in England
In 1647, Parliament banned the feast days of Christmas, Easter and Whitsun in Britain. Parliament at the time was dominated by Puritan values, which objected to the Catholic associations of Christmas, and felt 25 December should be a time of fasting instead.
As such, many Christmas traditions were forbidden, with soldiers sent to break up services and celebrations in public places. In London, soldiers patrolled the streets in search of people cooking for Christmas celebrations when they should've been fasting. Traditional decorations, such as holly and ivy were banned, and the singing of Christmas carols was forbidden.
The public responded badly to the ban, with Christmas returning in 1660 during the Restoration.
10. What is the most popular Christmas film of all time?
The highest-grossing Christmas film of all time is The Grinch (2018), which brought in a worldwide total of £379 million over its various releases between November 2018 and December 2020.
It took the record from Home Alone, which has maintained its status as a surefire Christmas classic since its release in 1990.
The 2000 version of The Grinch, starring Jim Carrey under the title 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas', also features in the top five, alongside 'Home Alone 2: Lost in New York' (1992) and the 2009 Disney adaptation of 'A Christmas Carol'.
