2. This is a picture of Baboushka, the witch who delivers presents to children in Russia.

3. A proper Christmas pudding is always stirred from east to west in honour of the Three Wise Men.

4. In medieval times a special candle was lit every night of the twelve days of Christmas.

5. This is a picture of the first ever Christmas card sent by Sir Henry Cole in 1843.

6. Carol singers and musicians who used to visit houses at Christmas were known as "the waits".

7. According to the old song, The 12 Days of Christmas, there were "nine lords a-leaping".

8. Christmas crackers were invented by Tom Smith, a London sweet maker, in 1846.

9. Dutch children believe that St Nicholas, the giftbringer in Holland, comes from the North Pole.

10. Where Christmas is celebrated, Christmas Day is on the 25th December all over the world.

11. The first Christmas crib was made by St Francis of Assisi hundreds of years ago in Italy.

12. Farmers used to hang a sprig of holly in their cowsheds on Christmas Eve.

13. The Snowman is a popular Christmas story by the author Charles Dickens.

14. Santa Claus comes from the Dutch for Saint Nicholas, Sinter Klaas.

15. According to the poem A Visit from St Nicholas by Clement Moore, Santa has ten reindeer.

16. On Twelfth Night, Spanish children leave out their shoes hoping the three Wise Men will fill them with presents.

17. The very first mince pies were actually filled with meat that had been shredded, hence mincemeat.

18. The poinsettia, the popular Christmas plant, is known as the "Flower of the Holy Night" in Mexico.

19. Robins have been a popular image on Christmas cards since Victorian times.

20. People kiss underneath the mistletoe at Christmas because the plant reminds us of  pain and suffering.