Christmas History
Christmas was banned in England and America between 1659 and 1681 by this controversial historical figure.
Who is Oliver Cromwell?
Though this is a relatively minor holiday in the Jewish religion, it became more popularly celebrated among American Jewish communities in the 1920s in response to the hyper-focus in American culture on the Christian holiday of Christmas
What is Hanukkah?
Christmas Trees
Pagan! The tradition of decorating evergreens boughs with fruit and candles is a tradition that dates back to the Germanic pagan festival of Yule.
Santa Claus, the most iconic figure associated with Christmas, is based off of this Catholic saint. BONUS: He was the patron saint of this
Who is Saint Nicholas? Bonus: What is children? (But I'll also accept sailors or pawnbrokers)
Before 1223, Christmas carols were not very popular or well know in Europe. This is because most of them were religious hymns sung in this language, which most people couldn't understand.
What is Latin?
This was the first culture to practice the celebration of Christmas in Europe, after its adoption of Christianity as its official religion under their emperor Constantine in the 400s.
What is Rome?
This holiday has most famously been celebrated with a big spectacle in Times Square in New York since 1907.
What is New Year's Eve?
Yule Logs
Pagan! Yule Logs were first created by Germanic pagan cultures for their winter festivals celebrating the Winter Solstice. The log would be lit at sundown, and kept burning all night long. It was thought to protect people from evil spirits who hid in the dark, who would be especially powerful on the longest night of the year.
What is The Nutcracker?
This musical Yuletide tradition dates back to the middle ages, though in those days it was called wassailing and looked more like a Halloween tradition than a Christmas one.
What is Christmas Caroling?
In medieval Catholic Europe, Christmas was traditionally celebrated for this many days (made famous by a beloved Christmas song about lots of birds)
What is 12?
This holiday was first created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor of Black Studies at CSU, Long Beach. Named for a Swahili phrase meaning “first fruits", it honors African-American culture.
What is Kwanzaa?
Gingerbread Man Cookies
Not Pagan! Gingerbread was first created in 16th century Germany, and the practice of cutting them in the shape of men was popularized in England during Queen Elizabeth I's rule (she liked to have gingerbread men that resembled the noblemen of her court served at her royal banquets!)
Henry the VIII was the first person to serve this now iconic dish for Christmas. At the time, it was an exotic delicacy that had only just been introduced from "the new world"
What is Roast Turkey?
This now iconic Christmas song was written composed by James Lord Pierpont in 1856, who was inspired in its creation by the childhood memories of racing horse-drawn sleighs around his hometown in Massachusetts. Ironically, he wrote the song in summer, and never intended it to be a Christmas song.
What is "Jingle Bells"?
Christmas was not widely celebrated in England, being thought an obscure and very Catholic holiday, until the publication of this book in 1843 by Charles Dickens made it popular.
What is A Christmas Carol?
This holiday, celebrated in the UK on December 26th, was created to give servants in Britain a day off, as most domestic servants were expected to work on Christmas Day (and often more than usual to cater to their employers big celebrations). Like Christmas, it is a holiday that was meant to celebrate charity and good will, making its name rather misleading.
What is Boxing Day?
Giving Gifts
Pagan! The Romans were the first to give gifts as a part of Christmas celebrations, mainly because gift-giving was an important part of Saturnalia, the pagan festival they had celebrated in December before they adopted Christianity.
Prince Albert is thought to have introduced the tradition of Christmas trees to England from his home in Germany in the 1850s when he married this famous English Queen.
Who is Queen Victoria?
This is the language in which "Silent Night" was originally written and recorded in 1818.
(Bonus: Can you say the name of the song in the original language?)
What is German?
(Bonus: "Stille Nacht")
"Christmas was officially declared a ________ in America by President Ulysses S. Grant on June 26, 1870"
What is a federal Holiday?
This astrological event was the central feature of festivals for multiple Pagan cultures, including Roman, Germanic, Norse, and Britannic
What is the Winter Solstice?
Elves Making Toys in Santa's Workshop at the North Pole
Not Pagan! The idea that elves make the toys was created by American author Louisa May Alcott in her 1855 book The Christmas Elves, the concept of Santa's Workshop was first mentioned in a short story in a Philadelphia magazine published in 1873, and cartoonist Thomas Nast was the first to depict Santa living at the North Pole when he drew a cartoon of it in 1879.
The influx of this clog-loving nationality into New York in the 1600s also brought the Christmas tradition of Santa Claus to America (or as they called him, Sinter Klaus)
Who are the Dutch?
This song was written in 1927 by Samuel Goldfarb and Samuel Grossman, and is still known as one of the only "Hanukkah" songs in existence
What is "I Have a Little Dreidel"
Hernando De Soto and 600 Spaniards put on the first celebration of Christmas on American soil in 1539 in the Seminole village of Anhaica, which would today be found in this south eastern state.
What is Florida?
Bodhi Day, a holiday that celebrates the day that the Siddharta Gautama experienced enlightenment, is celebrated on December 6 by practitioners of this religion.
What is Buddhism?
Charity for the poor and needy
Not Pagan! The concept of Christmas being a holiday associated with charity came from medieval Catholicism, as Christmas day was typically celebrated with a mass service followed by the Catholic ritual of giving alms to the poor. With this act, rich Catholics thought they could guarantee their spots in Heaven, then go have a wild party without the burden of a guilty conscience.
Famous American cartoonist Thomas Nast was the first to depict Santa Claus as a portly man wearing red (as opposed to earlier depictions that usually showed him as thin and wearing green) when he drew a cartoon of him for the holiday advertisements of this company in 1881
What is Coca-Cola?
This classic Christmas carol tells the story of a Duke of Bohemia, who lived from about A.D. 907 to 929. Unfortunately, the song isn't very accurate, as this guy wasn't a king, his name was Václav, and he wasn't even that particularly good.
What is "Good King Wenceslas"?
In medieval Europe, this was what they called the 28 days leading up to Christmas, in which Christians engaged in a prolonged period of fasting, prayer, and giving to the poor preceding the wild parties of the Christmas festival starting on December 24.
What is Advent?
Ōmisoka, meaning "the great thirtieth", is the celebration of this in Japan.
What is New Year?
New Year's Day
Pagan! Roman Emperor Julius Caesar officially declared January 1st as the start of the new calendar year, as it was the first day of the month dedicated to Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and endings. Guess Caesar figured it just made sense that the year should start at the start of the month of the god of starting things.
The first one of these was sold in England with the words "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You" printed on it, starting a tradition that now sees 1.6 billion of these sold annually around the world.
What are Christmas Cards?
The first ever Christmas album was released by this popular crooner in 1942, who is still known today as the singer most often associated with holiday music.
Who is Bing Crosby?
This Catholic Pope is widely believed to have been one to officially declare the 25th of December as the date of birth for the Christian Messiah known as Jesus, (though the historical evidence for this is debated)
Who was Pope Julius I
Zuni and Hopi Native American tribes in the southern U.S. honor the Winter Solstice on Tuesday, December 22 with this ceremony to lure back the sun god, who is believed to have traveled away from the tribes during the winter. It also marks a new cycle of the Wheel of the Year.
What is Soyal?
Santa Claus
Trick Question: Both. The jolly old elf we know and love today is an amalgamation of both the Christian saint Nicholas of Myra, a bearded priest who was said to bring gifts to children, and Odin, a Norse pagan god who was said to fly across the night sky in a sleigh on the winter solstice
This not-so-famous inventor is usually not remembered for his massive contribution to both Christmas and fire-safety: the invention of strings of electric lightbulbs to hang around trees, instead of using real lit candles.
Who is Edward Hibberd Johnson
This is the first known "Christmas Carol" in history, supposedly written by Saint Hilary of Poitier in the fourth century, and its name translates to "Jesus, Light of All Nations"
What is "Jesus, Refulsit Omnium"