Traditions and questions Nutcracker soldiers: history, meaning and how to display them
Where nutcracker soldiers come from, why they are kings and soldiers, what they mean at Christmas, why a handmade one costs more,…
Traditions and questions
Christmas traditions and common questions: when to put up and take down decorations, the history of the tree, the Twelve Days of Christmas and more.
Traditions and questions What is a gonk? The Christmas gonk craze explained
The bearded, faceless figures on British shelves every December have a British name and a Scandinavian past. Where gonks come from, what…
Traditions and questions Why do we have Christmas trees? The history of the Christmas tree
From medieval paradise plays to Queen Charlotte’s tree at Windsor and the Norwegian spruce in Trafalgar Square: where the Christmas tree came…
Traditions and questions The nativity story and the figures in a nativity set
The nativity story in order, with the Bible verses behind each scene, where every figure in a nativity set comes from, when…
Traditions and questions Traditional British Christmas decorations and what they mean
From holly and the kissing bough to Christingles and crackers: where Britain’s Christmas decorations came from, what they mean and which ones…
Traditions and questions The twelve days of Christmas: when they start and what they mean
They start on Christmas Day, not before it, and end on Twelfth Night. Here are the dates for 2026 to 2027, what…
Traditions and questions The most unwanted Christmas gifts in the UK, and what to give instead
What UK surveys say are the most unwanted Christmas gifts, the real presents that disappointed people, the gifts never to give and…
Traditions and questions When to put up a Christmas tree in the UK: dates and traditions
There is no official date, but there are three traditions and one hard limit: a real tree lasts about four weeks. The…
Traditions and questions Is wrapping paper recyclable? How to tell and what to buy instead
Two quick tests show whether Christmas wrapping paper can go in the recycling, and your council decides the rest. Here is what…
Traditions and questions How many lights do you need for a Christmas tree? A chart by height
The usual rule is 100 lights per foot of tree, but a bulb count only means something once you know the spacing.…
