Christmas is one of the most widely celebrated holidays on the planet, marked in more than 150 countries by people of many faiths and none. Beyond the presents, the carols, and the enormous dinners, though, lies a treasure trove of quirky trivia that most people have never heard. From royal wartime gifts to songs sung in outer space, these Christmas fun facts prove that the holiday season has a far stranger and richer history than the average stocking-filler would suggest.
Whether you are planning to impress your family at the dinner table or simply want to understand the traditions behind the tinsel, read on for ten surprising stories that show just how much history, culture, and humor is packed into this single winter celebration.
1. The Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree Is a Gift From Norway
Every year, on the first Thursday of December, an enormous Christmas tree is lit in London’s Trafalgar Square, drawing crowds from across the city. Few visitors realize, however, that this towering evergreen is actually an annual gift from Norway.
During World War Two, Britain sheltered the exiled Norwegian king and government while their homeland endured Nazi occupation. As a lasting thank-you for that wartime solidarity, Norway has sent a Christmas tree to London every year since 1947. This year’s tree stands an impressive 25 meters tall, a living symbol of a friendship forged in difficult times.
2. The Twelve Days of Christmas Don’t Start Where You Think
Many people assume the “twelve days of Christmas” refer to the twelve days leading up to the holiday. In fact, the opposite is true: the twelve days begin on Christmas Day itself and run through to January 5th, a date known as Twelfth Night.
Twelfth Night is a Christian festival marking the eve of the Epiphany, celebrated by many on January 6th. Also known as Three Kings’ Day, the Epiphany commemorates the arrival of the magi — the Three Kings or wise men of the Nativity story — at the manger where the infant Jesus lay. In countries like Spain, this day is celebrated with vibrant parades and floats.
3. How Many Gifts Are Really in “The 12 Days of Christmas”?
Since we’re on the subject, have you ever wondered exactly how many presents are described in the classic carol “The 12 Days of Christmas”? Add them all up, and the tally is staggering: 364 gifts in total, all offered in the spirit of true love.
By the time Twelfth Night arrives, the recipient in the song will have collected:
- 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
That is quite the holiday haul, even before you count the cost of feeding all those birds.
4. “Jingle Bells” Was the First Song Ever Played in Space
On December 16, 1965, “Jingle Bells” made history as the first song ever performed in outer space, broadcast live during NASA’s Gemini 6A mission. The astronauts aboard first radioed mission control with a playful hoax, claiming to have spotted a UFO, before revealing that the “unidentified object” was actually them playing a harmonica and a set of miniature sleigh bells.
5. What People Eat for Christmas Dinner Around the World
In Britain and much of the English-speaking world, turkey is the undisputed centerpiece of the Christmas table. But traditions vary enormously from country to country. In Japan, for example, fried chicken has become the customary Christmas meal, with an estimated 3.6 million families sitting down to a bucket of KFC on Christmas Day.
This unlikely tradition traces back to a hugely successful marketing campaign the fast-food chain launched in the 1970s. Today, some families place their orders weeks in advance, and certain restaurants see daily sales spike to ten times their usual volume during the festive season.
A Christmas-themed KFC box from Japan featuring an illustration of Colonel Sanders
6. Santa Claus Has an Official Postal Address
Every year, children around the world write letters to Santa Claus, and an estimated half a million of them arrive at a post box in the Arctic Circle. To make sure a letter reaches Santa in time, Royal Mail publishes his official address for hopeful children to use:
Santa/Father Christmas
Santa’s Grotto
Reindeerland
XM4 5HQ
7. A Christmas Soap Opera Once Broke UK Television Records
In 1986, British television history was made when over 30 million viewers tuned in to watch a pivotal scene in the soap opera EastEnders, in which the character Den Watts served his wife Angie with divorce papers on Christmas Day. It remains the largest audience ever recorded for a non-documentary program in UK television history, surpassed only by major royal and sporting events.
EastEnders is far from alone in benefiting from a holiday ratings boost. Shows including Only Fools and Horses, Doctor Who, and Gavin and Stacey have all drawn record-breaking Christmas Day audiences over the decades. In fact, Gavin and Stacey’s 2024 finale was the most-watched broadcast of the year, pulling in 19.11 million viewers, echoing the show’s 2019 Christmas special, which drew around 17.9 million.
8. LadBaby Holds the Record for the Most UK Christmas Number Ones
Every December, the race for the UK’s Christmas number one single becomes a national obsession, with past winners including the Spice Girls, Ed Sheeran, and Wham! Yet no act has dominated the chart quite like LadBaby, the husband-and-wife duo of Mark and Roxanne Hoyle, who have claimed the coveted top spot five separate times with their comedic charity singles.
That record surpasses even The Beatles, who previously held the title after topping the Christmas charts four times between 1963 and 1967.
9. Christmas Was Once Illegal in England
It may be hard to imagine today, but Christmas celebrations were actually banned in England for over a decade. In 1647, England’s Puritan-dominated Parliament outlawed the feast days of Christmas, Easter, and Whitsun, objecting to what they viewed as the holiday’s Catholic associations and insisting that December 25th should instead be observed with fasting.
Soldiers were dispatched to break up public gatherings and services, patrolling the streets of London in search of families cooking festive meals. Traditional decorations like holly and ivy were confiscated, and singing Christmas carols was forbidden by law. The public backlash was fierce, and the holiday was formally restored in 1660 with the return of the monarchy during the Restoration.
10. What Is the Highest-Grossing Christmas Film of All Time?
When it comes to box office success, the animated 2018 film The Grinch reigns supreme as the highest-grossing Christmas movie of all time, earning a worldwide total of £379 million across its various theatrical releases between 2018 and 2020.
It dethroned the long-reigning champion, Home Alone, which has remained a beloved holiday staple since its 1990 debut. Rounding out the top five are the 2000 live-action adaptation “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” starring Jim Carrey, alongside “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” (1992) and Disney’s 2009 animated take on “A Christmas Carol.”
A scene from the 2000 film How the Grinch Stole Christmas featuring Jim Carrey in character
The Enduring Magic of Christmas Trivia
From a Norwegian tree standing proudly in the heart of London to a harmonica played in orbit around the Earth, these Christmas fun facts reveal just how deep and surprising the holiday’s history truly is. Christmas is far more than turkey dinners and wrapping paper — it is a global tapestry woven from wartime gratitude, religious tradition, television history, chart-topping music, and even a brief and forgotten period when celebrating it at all was against the law.
So the next time you gather around the table or settle in for a festive film, you’ll have more than enough dazzling trivia to share. Why not dig a little deeper this season and uncover even more surprising stories behind the traditions you thought you already knew?