![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_63ee02cd508e5.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b993793c732b.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b993795df5e3.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b99379631104.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b9937968a5bc.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b99379654350.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b9937be38219.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_64afeca2e0d65.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b9937c048004.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b9937cbc105b.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b9937cf46e37.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_64afeedc5487b.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b99380196aed.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b99380d483eb.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b99382e6fd45.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b9938320f1ba.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b99385296203.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b99385af0301.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b993864e339b.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b99387f5240f.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b99387ee4bd5.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b993897d6b80.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b9938b4f1adc.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b9938c61288c.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b9938c5549aa.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b9938eabbf80.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b9937f51bc39.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b9939058d948.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b99390e86fd4.jpg)
![The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/gallery/1080/na_5b993a5412c6f.jpg)
See Also
See Again
© Getty Images
0 / 30 Fotos
Close to sea - No matter where you go in the UK, you’ll never be more than 70 miles from the sea. A village called Coton in the Elms is the furthest place from the British coast.
© Shutterstock
1 / 30 Fotos
Bottoms up - In the UK, it’s considered treasonous to post an envelope with the postage stamp upside down.
© iStock
2 / 30 Fotos
Between two slices - Bloomsbury reports that the British consume more than 11.5 billion sandwiches, every year.
© iStock
3 / 30 Fotos
Smooth operator - England’s first telephone directory was published in 1880. It had just under 250 names and addresses.
© iStock
4 / 30 Fotos
Other names for London - London has had a number of names over the years. Aliases include Ludenwic, Ludenburg and Londonium.
© iStock
5 / 30 Fotos
Time-travelling birds - Back in 1945, a flock of birds turned back time. The birds landed on Big Ben’s minute hand, and set the time back by five minutes.
© Getty Images
6 / 30 Fotos
Big Ben
- Speaking of Big Ben, that’s not actually the clock’s name. It’s the name of the infamous loud bell.
© Getty Images
7 / 30 Fotos
Chickens - In England, chickens outnumber England’s population.
© iStock
8 / 30 Fotos
Taxi training - To become a black cab driver in London, you’ll need to memorise every road and important building within six miles from Charing Cross.
© Getty Images
9 / 30 Fotos
Don't die - One of the UK’s more humorous laws: it’s illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament.
© iStock
10 / 30 Fotos
Zipped up
- The UK population can be pretty fragile. Bloomsbury report that on average, 488 people are injured by zips every year.
© Shutterstock
11 / 30 Fotos
The Queen's age - On the £1 coin, the Queen is as old as she was when the coin was made.
© iStock
12 / 30 Fotos
Windsor Castle - The oldest royal residence in the world is Windsor Castle.
© Getty Images
13 / 30 Fotos
Shortest war ever - England was a participant in the shortest war ever. The country battled Zanzibar in 1896 for just 38 minutes.
© Public domain
14 / 30 Fotos
Accents - Across the country, accents apparently change every 25 miles.
© iStock
15 / 30 Fotos
Beer flood - Back in 1814, a tidal wave of beer flooded London. It was because of a broken vat filled with the city’s beer.
© Shutterstock
16 / 30 Fotos
The English-speaking influence - According to Awesome Inventions, Nigeria has more English speakers than the UK.
© iStock
17 / 30 Fotos
Horse passport - The own a horse, pony, or donkey in the UK, you’ll need a horse passport.
© iStock
18 / 30 Fotos
One sixth of Earth - The Queen apparently owns one-sixth of all land surface on Earth, according to Awesome Inventions.
© iStock
19 / 30 Fotos
Oregon - The entire UK is smaller than Oregon, a western state in America.
© iStock
20 / 30 Fotos
The Brythons - The name “Britain” comes from the Celtic tribe: the Brythons.
© Shutterstock
21 / 30 Fotos
Angle-land - Meanwhile, “England” comes from “Angle-land”, a name picked by invading Viking tribes.
© Shutterstock
22 / 30 Fotos
20% of the world - At its peak, the British Empire occupied 20% of the globe’s surface.
© iStock
23 / 30 Fotos
Heart attacks - Ireland and Finland are the only European countries with higher heart attack rates than the UK.
© iStock
24 / 30 Fotos
The national dish - Chicken tikka masala has been named the UK’s national dish. The curry dish is not typical in India.
© iStock
25 / 30 Fotos
Christmas gets banned - Back in 1647, English Parliament banned Christmas! Instead, the day was dedicated to fasting.
© Getty Images
26 / 30 Fotos
Fish and chips - Speaking of food, the first fish and chips shop was opened in 1860. It was set up by a Jewish immigrant called Joseph Malin.
© iStock
27 / 30 Fotos
Cuppa anyone? - FactRetriever reports that the British population drinks around 165 million cups of tea.
© iStock
28 / 30 Fotos
Contraband haggis
- Haggis is considered contraband to the US. You aren’t allowed to import the food, as the government ruled the ingredients as unfit for human consumption.
© iStock
29 / 30 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 30 Fotos
Close to sea - No matter where you go in the UK, you’ll never be more than 70 miles from the sea. A village called Coton in the Elms is the furthest place from the British coast.
© Shutterstock
1 / 30 Fotos
Bottoms up - In the UK, it’s considered treasonous to post an envelope with the postage stamp upside down.
© iStock
2 / 30 Fotos
Between two slices - Bloomsbury reports that the British consume more than 11.5 billion sandwiches, every year.
© iStock
3 / 30 Fotos
Smooth operator - England’s first telephone directory was published in 1880. It had just under 250 names and addresses.
© iStock
4 / 30 Fotos
Other names for London - London has had a number of names over the years. Aliases include Ludenwic, Ludenburg and Londonium.
© iStock
5 / 30 Fotos
Time-travelling birds - Back in 1945, a flock of birds turned back time. The birds landed on Big Ben’s minute hand, and set the time back by five minutes.
© Getty Images
6 / 30 Fotos
Big Ben
- Speaking of Big Ben, that’s not actually the clock’s name. It’s the name of the infamous loud bell.
© Getty Images
7 / 30 Fotos
Chickens - In England, chickens outnumber England’s population.
© iStock
8 / 30 Fotos
Taxi training - To become a black cab driver in London, you’ll need to memorise every road and important building within six miles from Charing Cross.
© Getty Images
9 / 30 Fotos
Don't die - One of the UK’s more humorous laws: it’s illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament.
© iStock
10 / 30 Fotos
Zipped up
- The UK population can be pretty fragile. Bloomsbury report that on average, 488 people are injured by zips every year.
© Shutterstock
11 / 30 Fotos
The Queen's age - On the £1 coin, the Queen is as old as she was when the coin was made.
© iStock
12 / 30 Fotos
Windsor Castle - The oldest royal residence in the world is Windsor Castle.
© Getty Images
13 / 30 Fotos
Shortest war ever - England was a participant in the shortest war ever. The country battled Zanzibar in 1896 for just 38 minutes.
© Public domain
14 / 30 Fotos
Accents - Across the country, accents apparently change every 25 miles.
© iStock
15 / 30 Fotos
Beer flood - Back in 1814, a tidal wave of beer flooded London. It was because of a broken vat filled with the city’s beer.
© Shutterstock
16 / 30 Fotos
The English-speaking influence - According to Awesome Inventions, Nigeria has more English speakers than the UK.
© iStock
17 / 30 Fotos
Horse passport - The own a horse, pony, or donkey in the UK, you’ll need a horse passport.
© iStock
18 / 30 Fotos
One sixth of Earth - The Queen apparently owns one-sixth of all land surface on Earth, according to Awesome Inventions.
© iStock
19 / 30 Fotos
Oregon - The entire UK is smaller than Oregon, a western state in America.
© iStock
20 / 30 Fotos
The Brythons - The name “Britain” comes from the Celtic tribe: the Brythons.
© Shutterstock
21 / 30 Fotos
Angle-land - Meanwhile, “England” comes from “Angle-land”, a name picked by invading Viking tribes.
© Shutterstock
22 / 30 Fotos
20% of the world - At its peak, the British Empire occupied 20% of the globe’s surface.
© iStock
23 / 30 Fotos
Heart attacks - Ireland and Finland are the only European countries with higher heart attack rates than the UK.
© iStock
24 / 30 Fotos
The national dish - Chicken tikka masala has been named the UK’s national dish. The curry dish is not typical in India.
© iStock
25 / 30 Fotos
Christmas gets banned - Back in 1647, English Parliament banned Christmas! Instead, the day was dedicated to fasting.
© Getty Images
26 / 30 Fotos
Fish and chips - Speaking of food, the first fish and chips shop was opened in 1860. It was set up by a Jewish immigrant called Joseph Malin.
© iStock
27 / 30 Fotos
Cuppa anyone? - FactRetriever reports that the British population drinks around 165 million cups of tea.
© iStock
28 / 30 Fotos
Contraband haggis
- Haggis is considered contraband to the US. You aren’t allowed to import the food, as the government ruled the ingredients as unfit for human consumption.
© iStock
29 / 30 Fotos
The UK once banned Christmas... and other facts you may not know
Weird facts you didn't know about the UK
© <p>Getty Images</p>
Beer floods, horse passports and more chicken than people: the UK is a weird place. You may think you know it all, but actually there's plenty of fascinating facts to discover about Old Blighty. Click through this gallery to discover the weirdest facts about the UK.
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
![Exploring these destinations on foot is a real challenge!](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66dade34971f9.jpg)
![Hotel red flags to avoid at all costs](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66d82c7c746f7.jpg)
![The 30 places you must visit before you die](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66d849d4cc23e.jpg)
![The top 30 most-visited countries in the world](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66d844ead6f71.jpg)
![Can you identify these famous landmarks from an unusual perspective?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66963692260e2.jpg)
![How travel in Europe is about to change](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66d42dfd5415d.jpg)
![Exploring timeless Toulon and its battlefront history](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66d1ccf7df2c2.jpg)
![Hush trips: what are they, and should you take one?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66cb139de2b93.jpg)
![How to be a better tourist in Europe's most popular cities](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66ccd1f49dd9c.jpg)
![Visit the locations that inspired these famous paintings](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66c48abe0f97a.jpg)
![The best nightlife spots in the world today](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66c47c3552d1d.jpg)
![Some like it hot, but could you survive a desert?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66c6071eb4b06.jpg)
![Obscure capital cities you've probably never heard of](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66c46a7e47b76.jpg)
![Bridal shower theme ideas for a spectacular celebration](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66ad04aff122e.jpg)
![The best 30 places in the US to retire](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66b0cedaad590.jpg)
![Overcrowded alternatives: avoid the crowds and enjoy all Europe has to offer](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66bf2fa8f129a.jpg)
![Road trip essentials for a fun and comfortable ride](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66b622dcbacf6.jpg)
![Wonders of the Yucatán Peninsula](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66b4db0c254c8.jpg)
![Discover the most popular boating destinations in Europe](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66b3697314e69.jpg)
![30 of the most famous Greek landmarks beyond the Acropolis](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66b0aa81d8bb5.jpg)
![Europe’s cleanest waters, ranked](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66af7ca5cac10.jpg)
![The secret underground world of Paris](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66a8fc2704687.jpg)
![The top 30 places in the US to live in this year](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66ab46f86a83c.jpg)
![Discover Scotland's majestic North Coast 500 route](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66a882ee0ece7.jpg)
![Finding Frías: exploring Spain's smallest 'city'](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66aa0f8f29cd9.jpg)
![Nördlingen, a town that nestles in an asteroid crater and is smothered with diamonds](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66a7b1d548866.jpg)
![The essential guide to visiting Alaska](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_669a71b38c172.jpg)
![On the right track: a history of the British railway system](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_669cde7cb1d9d.jpg)
![Unmissable stops along Ireland's stunning Wild Atlantic Way](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_6698020a43b76.jpg)
![Going to Galicia? These are the best attractions](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_668fbdc4d48c9.jpg)
![The Brandenburg Gate: a symbol of division or unity?](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_668ce3e981e32.jpg)
![Hiking the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_668bb92bc0a2b.jpg)
![Incredible filming locations to visit if you love ‘Star Wars’](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_668befa2881e5.jpg)
![Exploring Suriname, South America's smallest nation](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_668ba211bcec0.jpg)
![Incredible destinations where the sun shines all night](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_66bf69d6752ff.jpg)
![The most dog-friendly national parks in the US](https://media-manager.starsinsider.com/640/na_668417654c65e.jpg)
MOST READ
- Last Hour
- Last Day
- Last Week
-
1
CELEBRITY Relationships
-
2
LIFESTYLE Wealth
-
3
HEALTH Bad habit
-
4
LIFESTYLE History
-
5
FOOD Food storage
-
6
LIFESTYLE Secondhand
-
7
LIFESTYLE Secondhand
-
8
HEALTH Risks
-
9
-
10
LIFESTYLE Politics
Why is the far-right gaining popularity among young people in Europe?