songs
The song that begins "Dashing through the snow"
Jingle Bells
Families decorate this evergreen with lights and ornaments each year
Christmas tree
A creamy, spiced holiday drink often served with nutmeg
Eggnog
The jolly gift-giver who rides a sleigh and lives at the North Pole
Santa Claus
Christmas celebrates the birth of this central figure of Christianity
Jesus Christ
A modern Christmas classic that asks for “All I want for Christmas is ___.”
All I Want for Christmas Is You (Mariah Carey)
The snack many kids leave out for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve
Cookies and milk
Spiced cookies (and houses!) made from molasses and ginger
Gingerbread
The author who created Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens
The calendar date most Western Christians observe as Christmas
December 25th
The song about a reindeer with a very shiny nose
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
On December 6 (in some countries) children leave shoes out for gifts from this saint
Saint Nicholas / Sinterklaas
The French rolled sponge cake decorated to look like a log
Bûche de Noël (Yule log cake)
The reindeer famous for guiding Santa’s sleigh with a glowing red nose
Rudolph
The ancient Roman festival of role-reversal and feasting that influenced winter holiday customs
Saturnalia
The holiday standard that starts “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.”
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)
A popular office or friend-group gift exchange where you draw names secretly
Secret Santa
The tall Italian sweet bread with candied fruit often eaten at Christmas
Panettone
The historical 4th-century bishop of Myra who inspired the modern Santa legend
Saint Nicholas
The year the United States declared Christmas a federal holiday (Act of Congress)
1870
Irving Berlin wrote this best-selling single that longs for a snowy holiday.
White Christmas
A daily paper or candy-countdown starting December 1 to prepare for Christmas
Advent calendar
A British steamed dessert with dried fruit and brandy that is sometimes set alight
Christmas pudding
The composer who wrote the melody for “Silent Night” in 1818
Franz Xaver Gruber
The 19th-century prince who helped popularize the indoor Christmas tree in Britain
Prince Albert