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This is a general blog with quizzes and thoughts

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Quiz: How Much Do You Know About American Christmas Customs?

Introduction by Laura Young, Quiz by Kenneth C. Davis
How Much Do You Know About American Christmas Customs?
Christmas is among the jolliest of holiday seasons, especially here in America. Department stores deck out their windows, communities throw spectacular parades, and millions of people put up sparkling lights in and around their homes for the month of December.

Question 1 of 6

 

Where did the singing, candle-lighting, and gift-giving come from?

 

 

 

 

Question 2 of 6

True or false: The source of “Xmas” began in the early Christian church?

 

 

Question 3 of 6

Who brought the Christmas tree to America?

 

 

 

 

 

Question 4 of 6

What country gave us the poinsettia?

 

 

 

 

Question 5 of 6

Was Christmas ever outlawed in America?

 

 

Question 6 of 6

Who thought up Christmas cards?

 

 

 

 

ANSWERS IN JANUARY

 

posted by Jim G. @ 3:00 PM

1 Comments:

At 5:06 PM, Blogger Jim G. said...

Here are the answers as promised!

Where did the singing, candle-lighting, and gift-giving come from?
Correct!
The correct answer is (B) Ancient Roman pagan festivals
The celebration of Jesus’ birth date was influenced by pagan festivals in ancient Rome where year-end celebrations honored Saturn, their harvest god, and Mithras, the god of light. These celebrations gradually became part of Christmas custom for early Christians.

Question 2 of 6
True or false: The source of “Xmas” began in the early Christian church?
Correct!
The correct answer is (A) True

True. The word “Xmas,” sometimes used instead of Christmas, began in the early Christian church. In Greek, “X” is the first letter of Christ’s name and was frequently used as a holy symbol.

Question 3 of 6
Who brought the Christmas tree to America?
Correct!
The correct answer is (C) Early German settlers

The first Christmas trees in America were used in the early 1800s by German settlers in Pennsylvania. Evergreens were ancient pagan symbols of the renewal of life, but the Christmas tree probably developed in part from the “Paradise Tree,” an evergreen decorated with apples used in a popular play about Adam and Eve held on December 24 in medieval Germany.

Question 4 of 6
What country gave us the poinsettia?
Correct!
The correct answer is (D) Mexico

Mexico. Introduced to America by Dr. Joel Poinsett, the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, the plant’s red and green leaves and resemblance to a star made the poinsettia a popular Christmas decoration.

Question 5 of 6
Was Christmas ever outlawed in America?
Correct!
The correct answer is (A) Yes

Yes, in Boston from 1659 to 1681. During the Protestant Reformation, many Puritans considered Christmas a pagan celebration because it included nonreligious customs. It was also thought to be too Catholic.

Question 6 of 6
Who thought up Christmas cards?
Correct!
The correct answer is (B) English illustrator John Calcott Horsley

The first Christmas card was created in 1843 by English illustrator John Calcott Horsley. The first Christmas cards manufactured in the United States were made in 1875 by Louis Prang, a German-born Boston printer.

 

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