Over 20 million Christmas trees are due to be sold in the run up to Christmas, but most of them won't have much to do with the Christmas message. The Meaningful Chocolate Company hopes to change that trend as it has produced the UK's first ever set of Fairtrade charity tree chocolate decorations to carry images of the characters of the Nativity on them.

As the company's website says: "These yummy decorations are an opportunity for parents, grandparents and godparents to buy an interactive gift that allows the family Christmas tree to be a bit more meaningful by a telling of the Christmas story at home and through their support of Fairtrade."

The box the chocolates come in includes a Christmas story card, a Nativity sticker set and six chocolate tree decorations. David Marshall, from the Meaningful Chocolate Company, explained: "The Christmas story, which can be found on the card, can be read while placing nativity stickers on the gold decorations. Once completed, they can be hung on the tree as a reminder of the real meaning of Christmas.

"We have been overwhelmed by the sales. People really want a new way of passing on the Christmas story and this is another way to do it. A recent survey [by Theos] found that only 12% of adults knew the Christmas story well - and just 7% amongst 18-24 year olds. It is hoped that the decorations will go some way to helping parents pass on the story."

Last year the company launched The Real Easter Egg, the UK's first and only charity Fairtrade Easter egg to mention the religious meaning of Easter on the box. By this Christmas the company expects to have helped raise over £60,000 for charitable projects as a result of Meaningful Chocolate sales.

The Christmas tree decorations sold online in their tens of thousands, with congregations, bishops and Archbishops ordering them. The Bishop of St Albans said: "I am delighted that the Meaningful Chocolate Company has developed this great product which enables the telling of the Christmas story as well as supporting Fairtrade and charitable causes. This is a fun way for people to share that story."