CHRISTMAS FROM A-Z

A IS FOR ADVENT & ANGELS

• ADVENT begins the 4th Sunday before Christmas day and ends on Christmas Eve.

• ANGELS play an important role in the celebrations of Christmas.

B IS FOR BELLS, BETHLEHEM, & BOXING DAY

• BELLS play an important part of celebrating Christmas.

• The town of BETHLEHEM celebrates Christmas three times.

• BOXING DAY is celebrated in several countries.

C IS FOR CANDLES, CANDY CANE, & CARDS

• During the Victorian Era CANDLES in a window were a sign of goodwill.

• The CANDY CANE has a symbolic history.

• The first Christmas CARDS were made in England.

D IS FOR DECEMBER & DICKENS

• Christmas occurs during the month of DECEMBER.

• Charles DICKENS is sometimes said to have invented the phrase "Merry Christmas".

IS FOR ELVES, EPIPHANY, & EVERGREENS

• ELVES help Santa make toys and do other chores.

• The Feast of EPIPHANY is also called "The Adoration of the Magi".

• Many kinds of EVERGREENS are used at Christmas. A wreath is a symbol of Christmas.

F IS FOR FEASTING, FRUITCAKE, FLOWER, & FRANKINSENCE

• Christmas is synonymous with FEASTING and the food varies from country to country.

• FRUITCAKE is a Christmas tradition. Figgy Pudding is a Christmas dessert.

• A popular Christmas FLOWER is the poinsettia which is really not a flower
  but the red leaves make it look like one.

• FRANKINSENCE was one of the 3 gifts of the Magi.

G IS FOR GIFTS, GINGERBREAD, & GREETING

• Giving GIFTS is part of the Christmas spirit

• GINGERBREAD has been baked for centuries. Gingerbread houses are decorated with candy.

• The GREETING "Merry Christmas" is said in many LANGUAGES including sign language. There are also Christmas Quotes,Sayings,& Superstitions.

H IS FOR HISTORY & HOLLY

• The HISTORY of many Christmas traditions date back thousands of years.

• HOLLY is a symbol of Christmas.

I IS FOR ICICLES

• Real ICICLES have different shapes. Some Christmas lights are shaped like an icicle.

J IS FOR AND JESUS & JINGLE BELLS

• Christmas began with the birth of JESUS.

• The words and music for the song JINGLE BELLS were written in 1857.

K IS FOR KINGS & KRIS KRINGLE

• The three wise men who visited Jesus were also called KINGS

• KRIS KRINGLE brings gifts to children in Germany.

L IS FOR LEGENDS, LIGHTS, & LUMINARIAS

• There are many LEGENDS associated with Christmas including La Befana, The Christmas pickle, and The Christmas Rose.

• The custom of putting electric LIGHTS on trees at Christmas started in the 1800s. Some people decorate the outside of their home with lights during this season.

  Arizona is the only place in the country that cactus is decorated with lights. When putting lights on a cactus, you have to be very, very, careful.

• LUMINARIAS are small paper lanterns.

M IS FOR MANGER, MISTLETOE, & MUSIC

• The earliest known MANGER scene appeared in Italy nearly a thousand years ago.

• The Christmas custom of kissing under MISTLETOE goes back hundreds of years.

• The history of Christmas MUSIC dates back many centuries. Some of the more recent songs have an interesting history.

N IS FOR NOEL, NORTH POLE, & NUTCRACKER

• There are several meanings to the word NOEL. The song First Noel is a traditional English carol.

• There is a real city of NORTH POLE in Alaska

• The NUTCRACKERBallet was first performed in 1892 and is popular during the Christmas season.

O IS FOR ORNAMENTS

• Christmas ORNAMENTS have an interesting history. Many people make their own Christmas ornaments.

P IS FOR PARADE, PILGRIMS, PINATA, & POEM

• The Hollywood Christmas PARADE has a long history.

• The PILGRIMS did not celebrate Christmas and a law was passed fining people who did. But the day was so popular that the law was repealed in 1682, although strong religious opposition lasted into the next century.

• Breaking a PINATA is a traditional Christmas game.

• "Twas The Night Before Christmas" is a favorite POEM.

Q IS FOR QUAKERS AND QUIZ

• The QUAKERS celebrated Christmas in different ways.

• Take a QUIZ about Christmas. Take a quiz about Christmas Legends. Do some Christmas puzzles.

R IS FOR REINDEERS & RELIGIONS

• REINDEERS pull Santa's sleigh. Rudolph is the most famous reindeer of all and even has his own song and movie.

• All Christian RELIGIONS and many others celebrate Christmas.

S IS FOR SANTA CLAUS, SHEPERDS, ST. LUCIA, STAMPS, STAR, & STOCKING

• SANTA CLAUS has not always appeared the way we think of him today.

• SHEPERDS in the field were the first to hear of the birth of Jesus.

• Many countries issue Christmas STAMPS. The first Christmas Stamp was issued in Canada.

• A STAR in the sky led the wise men to the Christ Child.

• Many places celebrate ST. LUCIA Day at Christmas.

• The traditional Christmas STOCKING has special meanings in different countries.

T IS FOR TOYS, TWELVE DAYS, & TREE

• Every year there are certain TOYS that are especially popular during the Christmas season. The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve TOYS for Tots Program collects toys and distributes them to needy children in the community in which the campain is conducted. Christmas crackers are popular in England.

• Each of The TWELVE DAYS of Christmas has a religious message.

• A decorated TREE is a relatively new symbol of Christmas.

U IS FOR UMBLE

• UMBLE pie was a popular medieval dish.

V IS FOR VICTORIAN & VISITOR

• Many Christmas customs come from VICTORIAN times.

• The poem Christmas VISITOR is popular during the holiday season.

W IS FOR WASSAIL, WHITE HOUSE, WORLD, & WREATH

• WASSAIL is a traditional Christmas drink used to make a toast.

• At Christmas the WHITE HOUSE is always decorated with a special theme. The National Christmas Tree Association has provided a tree for the Blue Room since 1966.

• Christmas is the most universally celebrated holiday around the WORLD

X IS FOR XMAS

• XMAS is an abbreviation for Christmas.

Y IS FOR YULE LOG & YULE TIDE

• The YULE LOG has become a traditional pastry.

• YULE TIDE is the winter solstice.

Z IS FOR ZWARTE PIET

• ZWARTE PIET helps St. Nicolas distribute presents in the Netherlands.

HANUKKAH & KWANZAA

• HANNUKA dates back thousands of years.

• KWANZAA is a unique African American celebration.