Christmas traditions, songs, and history.
Test your knowledge with these top questions!
What did a medieval carol describe before the word came to mean a Christmas song?
Medieval dancers sang as they moved in a circle; Christians later adapted carols for Christmas worship.
Which two Gospels supply the New Testament's infancy narratives about Jesus?
Matthew tells of the Magi, while Luke tells of the shepherds; familiar Nativity scenes often combine both accounts.
What does a Christmas tamalada bring family and friends together to do?
A tamalada turns tamale making into an assembly line as relatives spread masa, add fillings, fold husks, and steam.
In a common winter-solstice reading, what do evergreen wreath boughs symbolize?
The wreath's circle echoes the year, while greenery that survives winter points to enduring life.
What decoration did electric Christmas tree lights largely replace?
The first known electric-lit tree used 80 red, white, and blue bulbs in New York in 1882.
Which movie first put Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" on screen?
Irving Berlin won the Academy Award for "White Christmas" after it appeared in Holiday Inn.
Which food ranks as Japan's most popular Christmas dish?
Christmas dinner parties in Japan often feature fried chicken and Christmas cake.
Which material made the German town of Lauscha famous for Christmas ornaments?
Lauscha glassblowers shaped delicate ornaments that craftspeople decorated and shipped around the world.
Which late Roman compilation preserves the earliest calendar notice of Christ's birth on December 25?
The 354 compilation preserves material dated to 336, showing Roman observance without revealing when the feast began.
Which Christmas greenery is a hemiparasite, unlike the broadleaf evergreen holly?
Mistletoe makes sugars in sunlight but taps a host tree for water and minerals; holly grows independently.