Historical Holidays
Christmas stockings in the 19th century by tradition included which fruit?
Orange
This date is added to the calendar every four years to keep our calendar system synchronized with the astronomical year.
February 29th
Tinsel
This Dickens holiday classic has never been out of print and currently has over 230 tellings and retellings listed on IMDB.
A Christmas Carol
Measured in wind speed and temperature this 'indez' tells you how cold it feels to the human skin.
Wind Chill
This holiday, celebrated on December 26th in many Commonwealth countries, began as a day for the upper class to box up leftover food, money, or goods for servants and tradesmen as a thank you for their year of service.
Boxing Day
This type of calendar was first used by German Lutherans in the 19th and 20th centuries and traditionally features 24 boxes or flaps.
Advent Calendar
The tradition of making gingerbread houses grew in popularity during the 1800s in Germany due to this fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm.
Hansel and Gretel
In the Dr. Seuss classic, after failing to successfully 'steal' the holiday from the Whos of Whoville, his heart grew three sizes.
The Grinch
This winter phenomenon occurs when supercooled water droplets freeze on contact, coating surfaces in a smooth, glassy layer.
Freezing rain
This famous prehistoric megalithic structure in Wiltshire England, now in ruins, is aligned toward the sunrise on the summer solstice and sunset on the winter solstice.
Stonehenge
The courses of these two celestial bodies are the most salient events used for timekeeping.
Sun and Moon
The lighting of a tree in this NYC location originates with construction workers during the Great Depression in the 1930, growing in size and extravagnace each year since.
Rockefeller Center
In this C.S. Lewis book, Father Christmas appears to give the Pevensie children gifts for the coming battle.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
This type of storm is defined by strong winds and reduced visibility to do blowing snow and can last for hours.
Blizzard
To improve the adoption of Christianity, many Christmas 'traditions' such as evergreen trees, mistletoe, and the yule log were co-opted from the pagan celebration of this event.
Winter Solstice
These ancient people utilized a two calendar system - one following a 365-day time cycle combined with a second that tracked a 260-day cycle of ritual still used today in the Guatemalan highlands.
The Maya
The origins of red and green can be traced back to the ancient Romans and Celtics who both used this plant in holiday decor abundantly, many believing it was a symbol of prosperity during the dead of winter.
Holly
Published in 1905 by
American author O. Henry, this short story explores the themes of love, sacrifice, and cosmic irony.
The Gift of the Magi
This layer of frozen soil found in polar regions stays below 0 degrees celsius for two or more consecutive years.
Permafrost
The feast day of this Saint kicks off the Christmas holiday season in Sweden and celebrations often feature the eldest daughter of each family adorned in white robes with a crown of candles.
This December holiday follows a lunar calendar and begins on the 25th of the month known as Kislev.
Hanukkah
This nine branch candelabra is one of the oldest continuously used religious symbols in the world.
Menorah
Taking place on the Eve of the Feast of Epiphany, this iconic Shakespear comedy explores themes of love, identity, and mistaken identity.
Twelfth Night
This process occurs when a solid turns directly into a gas, helping snowbanks 'disappear' even without melting?
Sublimination