December 25
The Bible Says
Solstice Observations
Christmas Carols
Unusual Christmas Traditions
Christmas Towns
100
In 1776, he led troops in a daring night crossing of the Delaware to attack Fort Trenton in New Jersey.
Who is George Washington?
100
Joseph and Mary were living in Nazareth when this Angel appeared to Mary, telling her that she would bear the Son of God.
Who is the Angel Gabriel?
100
Crowds gather on the Salisbury Plain to celebrate the winter solstice at this largest archeo-observatory in the world.
What is Stonehenge?
100
"Let Earth receive her King!"
What is Joy to the World?
100
The City of San Fernando on Luzon in this Island Nation hosts a Festival of Giant Lanterns. The lanterns started out as Origami paper creation under 2 feet wide and lit by a candle over a hundred years ago, and have evolved into 6 meter wide electric light displays.
What is the Phillipines?
100
Christmas Island, named by James Cook who made landfall there on Christmas Eve 1777, is part of this Island Kingdom.
What is Kiribati?
200
In 1991 he resigned, ending Glasnost and leading to the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Who is Mikhail Gorbachev?
200
Because he was born there, Joseph was required to return to be counted for the census.
What is Bethlehem? While there, Jesus was born.
200
It has 9 candles, 8 to celebrate each day of hanukah and a 9th, the shamash, used to light the others.
What is a Menorah?
200
"With a voice as big as the sea!"
What is Do You Hear What I Hear?
200
In Norway, people hide these common house cleaning implements in fear that spirits that visit on Christmas eve will steal them as rides.
What are brooms?
200
There are several towns named North Pole in the US, but the one in this state is the closest to the actual North Pole.
What is North Pole, Alaska?
300
This British Mars Lander, named for the ship that carried Charles Darwin to the Galapagos, was lost on Christmas Day, 2003 as it attempted to land on mars.
What is the Beagle 2? In January of 2015 it was found intact on the Martian surface. It had landed safely, but its power panels had failed to deploy, leaving it useless.
300
A carol says they were told by "the night wind", but the Bible says angels appeared to tell them of the birth of Jesus.
Who are shepards?
300
Ancient and modern sky watchers knew that the solstice was near when the Bull stood overhead at midnight and this majestic harbinger of Spring rose in the east before dawn.
What is Leo?
300
"Malamalama"
What is Po La'i e?
300
In Japan, resident do not celebrate Christmas, but it is becoming a tradition on December 25th to eat a big meal from this US fast food chain.
What is Kentucky Fried Chicken? https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/kfc-christmas-tradition-japan/index.html
300
When THE BAND sang about "pulling into Nazareth, feeling bout half past dead", they were likely referring to the city in this state rather than the one where Jesus grew up. If you need a clue, Martin Guitars is located here.
What is Nazareth, PA?
400
Early Christmas morning, 1758, Johann Palitzch observed the first confirmed return of this comet confirming it's namesakes theories on the gravitational influence on orbital paths.
What is Halleys Comet? Edmund Halley made detailed observation of the comets movement and positions during it's 1682 appearance and in 1705 completed his calculations of its orbital path and predicted it would return in 1758.
400
These are the gifts that the Magi brought to Jesus.
What are gold, frankincense, and myrrh?
400
The Kinara holds 7 candles, one for each principle of this African Solstice celebration.
What is Kwanzaa?
400
"You might say there's no such thing as Santa..."
What is Grandma Got Runned Over by a Reindeer?
400
In Caracas, Venezuela, residents attend church on Christmas Eve and get there by this unusual transport. Streets are shut down so that churchgoers can roll safely.
What are roller skates?
400
Another PA town with a biblical Christmas name, is famous for its steel mill and ship building during Americas industrial revolution rather than for the birth of Christ.
What is Bethlehem, PA?
500
On the first craft to visit the moon, he was the command module pilot when on Christmas morning 1968 Apollo 8 blasted out of its lunar orbit to begin its return to earth. Two years later, he returned to the moon as commander of the crippled Apollo 13.
Who is Jim Lovell? He was played by Tom Hanks in Apollo 13, one of Holly's favorite movies.
500
They are the three Magi.
Who are Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar?
500
The Sun Dagger, petroglyph used to mark the solstice, is found in this Ancestral Puebloan city in New Mexico. We went there when Kanoe was little (Pii, Kanoe, Imai, Uncle, Aunty, Rosie, and Ray).
What is Chaco Canyon?
500
"His wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame."
What is The Angel Gabriel?
500
In Gavle, Sweden the town builds and decorates a 13 meter high figure of this barnyard animal each December. It is made of straw and it has become a yearly tradition for vandals to try to burn it down.
What is a goat? The last successful burning was in 2016, and you can follow the fate of this years goat at https://www.visitgavle.se/sv/om-gavlebocken
500
Egg Nog Creek is located just south of this Virginia Island where a pony swim, made famous by Marguerite Henry and attended by 10s of thousands of spectators, takes place every year.
What is Chincoteague Island?
