1)    The longest Christmas cracker pulling chain consisted of 749 people, who did it at Brindleyplace in Birmingham last year.

2)    The largest gingerbread village was made up of 1,003 buildings and was constructed by American Jon Lovitch and displayed at the New York Hall of Science in Corona, New York, earlier this month.

3)    The largest gathering of people dressed as snowmen was 333, in an event organised by Hope House Children's Hospices in Oswestry, Shropshire, on 6 December 2009.

4)    Meanwhile, the largest gathering of Santa Clauses was achieved by 13,000 participants in the Guildhall Square in Derry City, Northern Ireland, on 9 December 2007.

5)    Jean-Guy Laquerre from Canada has the largest collection of Santa Claus memorabilia at 25,104 different items, as of 30 November 2010. He has been collecting since 1988.

6)    Think the neighbours' Christmas lights are impressive? Try the 150,000 placed on a single Christmas tree in Germany in 2006. The feat was achieved by RTL Television GmbH at Cologne Cathedral.

7)    Staying with Christmas trees, the most expensive decorations on one amounted to 1,357,785,000 Japanese Yen (£10.4 million). The fir was erected on 7 December 2002 at the Tsunamachi Misui Club, Minato-ku, Tokyo and was decorated with 83 pieces of jewellery.

8)    Janet Parker of Chippenham, Wiltshire, has the record for the oldest tree. It was bought for her Great Aunt in 1886 but still comes out every year.

9)    Meanwhile, the most Christmas trees chopped in two minutes is 27 by American Erin Lavoie in December 2008.

10)  The largest advent calendar was exhibited at St Pancras station, London, to mark the station's refurbishment in December 2007. It was 71 m (232 ft 11 in) high and 23 m (75 ft 5 in) wide.

11)  Finally, spare a thought for colleagues at Boots HQ in Nottingham, who took part in the largest Secret Santa in 2008. It involved 1,270 participants!