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Sources

Where the facts come from

Every factual claim on this site links to its source. This is the full list.

How we checked

Each fact was written alongside its source. We read every source page on 30 Oct 2026 and saved the sentences we rely on; our build script then checks, for every fact, that the key words and figures really appear in that saved text. 127 of 127 checks passed when this site was last built (checked 30 Oct 2026). Where we couldn’t read a source, we left the claim out. We quote short phrases only, and never reproduce anyone else’s images.

Figures that change

Weather records and “the most recent white Christmas” can change every year. Facts like these are marked “checked 30 Oct 2026”. Some customs come with “the story goes” beginnings, and we say so rather than present them as proven.

What we leave out

This is a site for all ages, so we leave out the grimmer old details of some customs, such as how the wren was once caught. We don’t use computer-written summaries as sources. Where we couldn’t open a source page, we didn’t use it: that is why there is nothing here about the NORAD Santa tracker or the history of Silent Night yet. Our drawings are simplified, not copies of real things. Where sources disagree, we show both rather than choose silently.

Encyclopaedia Britannica (15)

Victoria and Albert Museum (3)

The Postal Museum (1)

The National Archives (1)

Historic England (1)

English Heritage (1)

Royal Collection Trust (1)

BBC (1)

Met Office (1)

Culture Vannin (Isle of Man) (3)

When sources disagree

Where sources give different figures, we show all of them, with links, and say how we handle it.

Who brought the Christmas tree to Britain?

How we handle it: The V&A says Prince Albert introduced the decorated tree. Britannica says Albert made it popular, and the Royal Collection Trust says Queen Charlotte had one (a yew) in the late 18th century. We say Albert and Victoria made the tree popular, and mention Queen Charlotte’s yew.

Who sent the first Christmas card?

How we handle it: The V&A says Henry Cole sent the first Christmas card in 1843. The Postal Museum says Queen Victoria sent the first official Christmas card, and that Cole commissioned the first commercial one. We say Cole’s 1843 card was the first commercial Christmas card, and show both.

When was the cracker invented?

How we handle it: The National Archives says the 1840s; the V&A gives the 1847 patent and says the bang was perfected in the 1860s. These fit together: we say Tom Smith patented his first cracker in 1847 and perfected it in the 1860s.

Is Twelfth Night on 5 or 6 January?

How we handle it: Britannica gives the evening of 5 January, the eve of Epiphany. Culture Vannin, writing about the Manx Christmas, gives 6 January, Old Christmas Day. People have counted the twelve days in different ways, so we give each date with its source.