0:00:05 > 0:00:07Good moring, I'm Hayley and here are all your top
0:00:07 > 0:00:09stories on Newsround in the next few minutes.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13We look at where our Christmas traditions come from.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15PENGUIN SINGS.
0:00:15 > 0:00:22And meet Maru, he's pretty excited about Christmas.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33First up footy, and Man City are record breakers!
0:00:33 > 0:00:37They've now won 15 Premier League games in a row!
0:00:37 > 0:00:40They hammered struggling Swansea 4-0.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42They equalled the record held by Arsenal after playing
0:00:42 > 0:00:45Man United on Sunday, but there was no need to cry over
0:00:45 > 0:00:49spilt milk last night!
0:00:49 > 0:00:51David Silva scored twice, while Sergio Aguero and Kevin de
0:00:51 > 0:00:55Bruyne got the others.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57But, City have got some way to go to match Celtic
0:00:57 > 0:00:59in the Scottish Premiership.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03They beat Hamilton 3-1 at home last night.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07It means they've gone 55 games unbeaten in the League,
0:01:07 > 0:01:12and keeps them five points clear at the top of the table.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14Now, it's almost Christmas, but did you know a couple
0:01:14 > 0:01:16of hundred years ago, Christmas wasn't really
0:01:16 > 0:01:18celebrated that much at all?
0:01:18 > 0:01:19Can you imagine!
0:01:19 > 0:01:23But then, all of that changed.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26I love Christmas, and I hear it was actually the Victorians
0:01:26 > 0:01:29who are responsible for some of the things that I enjoy
0:01:29 > 0:01:31during the festive period.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34So I've come to this Victorian town to find out what some
0:01:34 > 0:01:37of those things are.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39Now, one thing I love about Christmas is sending cards.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41So let's find out more about that.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44So, tell me, who's going to be sending Christmas cards this year?
0:01:44 > 0:01:46Me!
0:01:46 > 0:01:47What are we doing here?
0:01:47 > 0:01:51We are here in the Victorian print shop, because it was the Victorians
0:01:51 > 0:01:52that invented Christmas cards.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56The first card was invented in 1843 by a man called Sir Henry Cole,
0:01:56 > 0:02:01then invented stamps as well.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03The Victorians sent a lot of Christmas cards
0:02:03 > 0:02:06because during Victorian times, more and more children went
0:02:06 > 0:02:10to school and learnt to read and write, and that meant that
0:02:10 > 0:02:14people wanted to send more mail, especially at Christmas.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17So, we have Victorians to thank for Christmas cards.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20Next stop, a sweet shop for the history of Christmas crackers.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22I love crackers!
0:02:22 > 0:02:25We are here in a sweet shop, and we are here because a Victorian
0:02:25 > 0:02:26invented Christmas crackers.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29He saw sweets in Paris wrapped in paper, and he brought
0:02:29 > 0:02:31this back to Britain.
0:02:31 > 0:02:32When did they make them?
0:02:32 > 0:02:36He made them in the 1840s, so around 170 years ago.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40In the Victorian times, did they bang?
0:02:40 > 0:02:42They did, it wasn't added until a little bit later,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45but apparently the man who invented Christmas crackers was sat next
0:02:45 > 0:02:48to a fire and he heard a log crackle, and he thought let's add
0:02:48 > 0:02:52that snapping sound to a cracker.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54Well, that's cracking, isn't it!
0:02:54 > 0:02:56Bad pun!
0:02:56 > 0:02:59I thought that joke was good enough to go in a cracker?
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Anyway, last stop, one of my favourite things about Christmas.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04The tree.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Look how Christmassy it looks in here.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08You've got these guys decorating the Christmas tree.
0:03:08 > 0:03:09Looking good!
0:03:09 > 0:03:10You guys carry on.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Why are the Victorian times so important when it comes to having
0:03:13 > 0:03:15a Christmas tree in your house?
0:03:15 > 0:03:17Well, it was the Victorians who really brought the tradition
0:03:17 > 0:03:20of Christmas trees to Britain, and it was actually
0:03:20 > 0:03:22Queen Victoria's German husband Prince Albert who brought this
0:03:22 > 0:03:24tradition over with him.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27He had had a Christmas tree as a boy living in Germany,
0:03:27 > 0:03:30so he brought this over with him and really popularised it.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Everyone saw it and thought yes, I want a tree too.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Well, this tree is looking amazing!
0:03:36 > 0:03:38There's only one thing left to do then, isn't there?
0:03:38 > 0:03:44ALL TOGETHER: Merry Christmas Newsround!
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Next, I'm sure your family's got lots of their own Christmas
0:03:47 > 0:03:49traditions, like we always get new pyjamas on Christmas
0:03:49 > 0:03:53eve and make a nativity scene in the front room.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57But what if celebrating Christmas here in the UK was new to you?
0:03:57 > 0:04:00We've been to meet some refugees who had to leave their home country
0:04:00 > 0:04:02of Syria because of the war there.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05This is just the second time they're trying out Christmas,
0:04:05 > 0:04:07so what are they looking forward to?
0:04:07 > 0:04:08Hello, my name is Amina.
0:04:08 > 0:04:09I'm Muhammed.
0:04:09 > 0:04:10I'm Amna.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12We are all from Syria.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15Last year we came in the UK, and experienced Christmas
0:04:15 > 0:04:17for the first time.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Last Christmas I had a Christmas dinner and I tasted
0:04:19 > 0:04:24turkeys, and it was nice.
0:04:24 > 0:04:30My favourite thing about Christmas is the tree and Father Christmas.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35The old people play with the younger people, they give them a present.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37I'm happy when people give me Christmas cards,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40because I didn't get it before.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44This Christmas I look forward to hanging out with my friend.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49I'm looking forward to decorating the Christmas tree.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Be happy in your Christmas and enjoy with your family,
0:04:52 > 0:04:57and I want everything to be peace.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00ALL TOGETHER:Merry Christmas!
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Next, lots of you probably bring in a Christmas present
0:05:03 > 0:05:06for your teacher on the last day before the holidays.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09But some kids in Falkirk in Scotland have been told not to,
0:05:09 > 0:05:13because the local council says it's no longer allowed!
0:05:13 > 0:05:15The council say they've decided this because not
0:05:15 > 0:05:17all families have the money, or want to buy
0:05:17 > 0:05:19presents for teachers.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23But some kids and parents aren't happy about it.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27And, we want you to get in touch and tell us if you think buying
0:05:27 > 0:05:29teachers Christmas presents is a good idea or not.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33Head online to let us know.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37Meet Maru, he's a baby king penguin and is the first to be born
0:05:37 > 0:05:42at the Singapore bird Park in 10 years.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46He took his first steps on Wednesday and his proud parents Zoro and Sora
0:05:46 > 0:05:49were looking on attentively.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53PENGUIN SINGS.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55He is so cute!
0:05:55 > 0:05:56That's all from me.
0:05:56 > 0:05:57Have a great day at school.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Martin's back with Newsround this afternoon.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01See you later.