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Christmas Trivia Questions, Lesson Plans, and Recipes

Research by A.Moore

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Where did the Christmas tree come from?

The tradition of Christmas trees began in Germany around the year 1000. St. Boniface was wandering through the woods and met pagans that were worshipping an oak tree in the middle of the forest. As the story goes, St. Boniface was angry, and cut down the tree, but a fir tree grew in its place not long after. To him, this meant that the fir tree should be a sign of the Christian faith.

Much later in history, around 1500, Martin Luther is said to have been the first person to decorate a tree at Christmas time. He was inspired to take a small tree home when he came upon a beautiful group of fir trees in the middle of a snowy wood. He brought the tree inside and placed candles on its branches and shared the story of his finding with his children.

The custom became common in 1851, when Mark Carr sold an entire haul of trees in New York City. The tradition grew quickly, and by 1900, 20% of homes in the United States had Christmas trees.

Why do we celebrate Christmas? Where did Christmas originate?

The Christmas celebration was originally begun to celebrate the “anointing celebration” (the direct translation of Christ-mas). This was in honor of the birth of Jesus, which more than likely did not actually occur on December 25, but came to be celebrated universally on that day by Christians around the world that worship Jesus Christ as savior.

The holiday eventually reached further, shying away from its religious affiliation for non¬ Christians. It is now celebrated by many people as a time during the year when families are brought together and give gifts to each other in celebration. More about the history of Christmas.

Legend of the Christmas tree spider where it began?

The legend of the Christmas tree spider began in Europe hundreds of years ago, most likely in Germany and the Ukraine. The legend tells of a family of spiders that were shoo’d out of the way during Christmas cleaning so that the house would look beautiful for the visit by Christ on Christmas. The spiders were sad that they would not be present for this special event, and they snuck back into the house, crawling all over the Christmas tree to find the best spot to wait. However, in their haste they did not realize that their webs were trailing behind them the entire time, leaving a vast string of webs all over the tree, ruining what the family had worked so hard to prepare.

When Christ came to the house on Christmas day to bless the family, he saw all the webs, and touched them gently, for he loved all God’s creatures. The webs all turned to shimmering silver, and that is why, today there is a tradition of hanging tinsel on trees.

What to make for Christmas dinner?

Traditional Christmas dinners vary throughout the world. In the United States, the festive meal normally includes a large turkey or ham, stuffing (stale bread cooked inside the turkey with added spices and juices from the meat), corn, squash, sweet potatoes, green beans and mashed potatoes. Additionally, cranberry sauce and bread often complement the meal. Traditional US desserts include pumpkin pie, cookie, apple pie, pecan pie and other warm autumn treats. More recipes and ideas about what to make for Christmas dinner.

How do I take care of a Christmas cactus?

During the cool months in the US of September and October, the cactus plants should be kept in a cool area where the temperature is usually around 50 degrees. They can also be placed near a window, as these are notorious for being cooler than the rest of the room temperature. Make sure they receive no artificial light at night when it is dark outside.

It is best to place the potted plant in a tray of water, as the evaporative effect of the water upward to the plant provides ideal humidity conditions for blooming. Water the plant sparingly, even less in the wintertime. Over watering will cause the buds to drop off the plant. Water the cactus only when the top inch of soil is completely dry.

The Christmas Cactus is a hearty plant, and given the instructions above, could live for decades.

Top 10 Christmas Songs?

1. Nat King Cole – Christmas Song
2. Bing Crosby – White Christmas
3. Harry Simeone Chorale – Little Drummer Boy
4. Perry Como – Home for the Holidays
5. Gene Autry – Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
6. Judy Garland – Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
7. US – Christmas Baby Please Come Home
8. John Lennon – Happy Christmas (War is Over)
9. Mariah Carey – All I want for Christmas
10. Trans Siberian Orchestra – Christmas Eve in Sarajevo

How do Mexicans celebrate Christmas?

The main celebration during the Mexican Christmas celebration is called La Posas, which is a procession that occurs in most towns in Mexico and even some areas of the United States. The procession is centered on a reenactment of the walk that Mary and Joseph took on the night that Mary was to give birth to Jesus.
The Mexican Christmas is highly focused on the religious and family aspects of the holiday, as their culture gives precedence to both of these things in their daily lives.

The traditional Christmas meal in Mexico is eaten on Christmas Eve, and includes fruits and salads, codfish with mole and tamales with cheese and sauce, and for dessert, fried tortillas with sugar and pudding are typically cooked. Stuffed turkey and ham has infiltrated its way into some Mexican Christmas meal celebrations as well, taken primarily from the traditions of the US, which Mexico shares a border with.

Where does Father Christmas live?

Father Christmas, also called Santa, is known by some to live in the Arctic Circle. He is commonly thought to live at the North Pole, but it is more likely that he lives within the Arctic Circle somewhere far north of the Scandinavian Peninsula.

Why do we have carols at Christmas?

The first Christmas carols are believed to have been started something during the 1200s. They did not, however, catch on fully under sometime during the 1700s or 1800s. These first songs were either drinking songs, praying songs, poems or stories. Some are related to Christmas itself, while some have to do with the season of winter or the gathering of families during the holidays. Some historians believe that songs were originally sung because winter is a dark season, and song helped to keep spirits up while waiting for longer days to return.

3 Christmas Lesson Plans For Teachers?

1. Christmas Pine Cone Ornament (PreK-2)
Collect one pine cone for each child. To make the ornament, dip the cones into green, white or red paint (or all three!). While the paint is drying, students should sprinkle glitter all of the pine cone, and let it dry on a piece of waxed paper. Once the cones are dry, spray each with aerosol hairspray to fix the paint and glitter and discourage chipping and flaking. Then tie a piece of fishing line to the top stem and make a small loop, suitable for hanging as a decoration on the Christmas.

2. Thank you Letters for Horrible Gifts (All Grade Levels)
In this activity, students draw names as they would in a Christmas swap. Each student received the name of one other student. The students are assigned the homework task of going home and finding a horrible gift for the student that they picked. The item should either be very inexpensive or something the student found for free somewhere (such as a leaf outside or a ripped up tissue). The next day, the students exchange their gifts.

The activity of writing a thank you letter is now introduced to the class. Challenge them to write a thank you letter than is polite, saying thank you for the gift that they received and telling the giver how the receiver plans to use their horrible gift.

This teaches children the value of appreciation and cordiality.

3. Marshmallow Snowmen!
In this activity, young students are able to explore their creative talents by magically gluing marshmallows into the shape of a (pre–copied) snowman. The secret to this is that licking one side of a small marshmallow will make it stick to a piece of paper. When the students are finished magically pasting their marshmallows into the shape of a snowman, they may decorate it with construction paper, markets and sticks (for arms). Encourage creativity, snowmen can come in all colors, sizes and personalities!

Christmas Cookie Recipe

This recipe doubles as a Christmas cookie recipe AND a great Christmas gift! Below you will find a great cookie recipe or you can visit our Christmas cookie recipes article.
Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Jar

1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Mix the salt and baking soda with the flour. Layer the ingredients in a quart-size jar, with the chocolate chips on top. Decorate the jar with fabric and ribbon in a festive manner.

Enclose a card with the following mixing and baking directions

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

• contents of this jar
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sift dry ingredients through a colander to separate the chips from the other ingredients. Beat butter until creamy. Beat sifted ingredients into butter until blended. In a small bowl, beat egg with vanilla. Mix beaten egg mixture into butter mixture until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop teaspoonfuls of batter, spaced well apart, onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 8 minutes or until lightly browned.

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