Christmastide
The country where you can find the Beethoven Monument, which European country first began the tradition of erecting Christmas Trees?
Germany.
What do you call an evergreen ring of leaves and twigs, mounted with candles, which are lit each week to anticipate Christmas.
An Advent Wreath.
Short for ‘Franklin’ or ‘Francis’ + Old French ‘encens’.
Frank - encens = frankincense.
Just like the words 'incarnation' and 'nativity', from which ancient Mediterranean language do we get the word 'advent'?
Latin.
Complete the lyric of this 19th century Christmas hymn: “O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining, it is the night of our Dear…”
"... Saviour's birth!"
Jesus was given the name 'Immanuel', but what does the name mean in Hebrew?
"God is with us."
In earlier times, the Western Christian Church maintained an advent discipline of avoiding food for a period, to focus on Jesus and prepare for Christmas - what is this discipline called?
Fasting.
The central figure of Christianity + the central act of worship in the Roman Catholic Church.
Christ - mass = Christmas.
Whilst the term has a specific religious function nowadays, what is the original definition of 'advent' in Latin?
Coming/Arrival.
In the song titled ‘Silent Night’, which three adjectives are used to describe the infant Jesus?
Holy, tender, and mild.
After Mary gave birth to him, Jesus was laid in which kind of animal feeder?
A Manger.
As a common Christian observance, which person is left out of the nativity scene until Christmas Day.
Jesus Christ.
Between two or more people, groups, or things + the state of being joined 'as one'.
Common - union = communion.
From which Central European country were the first Advent calendars produced and distributed?
Germany.
In the Christmas carol ‘Snoopy’s Christmas’, which famous German fighter ace of WWI is named several times in the song?
Manfred von Richthofen, AKA the Red Baron.
Which event in Jesus’s infanthood (or day in the calendar) marks the end of Christmastide, according to the Christian liturgical calendar?
The Epiphany/6th January.
What kind of decorative tree depicts the ancestry of Christ through symbols and links Scripture to salvation history?
A Jesse Tree.
Christian festival held on the 25th December + the Jewish festival of Lights held over eight days and eight nights.
Christmas - Hanukkah = Chrismukkah (a term popularised by a teen show 'The O.C.').
Advent wreaths were first used in the 16th century to educate Lutheran congregations about the proper anticipation of Christmas, in what century did Catholicism adopt the practice of Advent wreaths?
The 20th century (particularly the 1920s).
The lyrics to this O Antiphon, “O Leader of the House of Israel, giver of the Law to Moses […] come rescue us with your mighty power!” points to which particular mountain, where God gave Moses the 'Law', the Ten Commandments?
Mount Sinai.
The gift of gold, given to Jesus by one of the Three Wise Men, represents what particular aspect of Jesus’s role.
Jesus's kingship.
Identify the three types of 'Advent' or 'arrivals' of Jesus Christ that are focused on during the liturgical season of Advent.
(1) Jesus's Birth/First Coming (2) Jesus coming down in the Eucharist/Communion (3) Jesus's Second Coming
The Hebrew word for house, 'bayit' + Hebrew for bread, 'lechem'.
bayit - lechem = Bethlehem (house of bread).
Which particular saint, the patron saint of animals, does Christian tradition hold as the one responsible for starting the tradition of Christmas nativity scenes?
St. Francis of Assisi.
The 'Magnificat' canticle that accompanies the 'O Antiphons', sung by the Roman Catholic Church since the 8th century, is a canticle focused on which immaculate creature of God?
St. Mary, Mother of God.