Frequently asked questions about Christmas – FAQ Page

Welcome to our Christmas FAQ. If you can’t find the answer to your question below please post it in the comments and one of our panel of Christmas experts will research it for you and post the answer.

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What are other names for Christmas?

Noël, Nativity, Xmas

What is Funnel Cake?

Funnel cake (Pennsylvania German: Drechderkuche[1]) is a regional sweet food popular in North America, found mainly at carnivals and amusement parks. The concept of the funnel cake dates back to the early medieval Persian and Arab world as Zalabiyeh, where similar yeast-risen dishes were first prepared, and later spread to Europe.[2] Pennsylvania Dutch immigrants brought the yeast dish, known as Drechderkuche, to America, and around 1879, they developed the baking powder version along with its new name, funnel cake.

When is the Christmas season?

The simple answer these days is that the Christmas Season starts after Halloween at the end of October when shops remove their Halloween displays and merchandise and replace it with Christmas items. Christmas shopping really starts after Thanksgiving in the US which is on November 24th.

Christmas day is on December 25th for most people, although it’s worth noting that some orthodox branches of Christianity have it on a different date.

For most Christians Christmas starts at the beginning of Advent. Advent, according to most Western Churches, begins on the Sunday four weeks before Christmas Day. That means depending on the calendar for that year, the first day of Advent could be in late November or early December. The Christmas season ends with Candlemass which is on February 1st.

Who were the 3 wise men?

Also known as the Magi, they have become known most commonly as Balthasar, Melchior, and Gaspar (or Casper). According to Western church tradition, Balthasar is often represented as a king of Arabia or sometimes Ethiopia, Melchior as a king of Persia, and Gaspar as a king of India.

Although the Magi are commonly referred to as “kings”, there is nothing in the account from the Gospel of Matthew that implies that they were rulers of any kind. The identification of the Magi as kings is linked to Old Testament prophecies that describe the Messiah being worshipped by kings in Isaiah 60:3, Psalm 68:29, and Psalm 72:10, which reads, “Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations serve him.” Early readers reinterpreted Matthew in light of these prophecies and elevated the Magi to kings.

Which of the 3 wise men / 3 kings was black?

Balthasar, king of Ethiopia or Saba, land of spices, was 40 and brought frankincense in a censer. He is traditionally depicted as black.

Was there a 4th wise man?

The bible talks of 3 magi but the gospel of Matthew in the New Testament mentions a priest of the Magi named Artaban who some say was the 4th Wise Man.

Who was Santa Claus?

His popular image is based on traditions associated with Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century Christian saint. The current depiction of Santa Claus is based on images drawn by cartoonist Thomas Nast for Harper’s Weekly beginning in 1863. Nast’s Santa owed much to the description given in the poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (also known as “’Twas the Night Before Christmas”), first published in 1823. The image was further defined by the popular Santa Claus advertisements created for the Coca-Cola Company from 1931 by illustrator Haddon Sundblum.

Who is Santa Claus to Jesus?

There is no connection between Santa Claus and Jesus as such. The giving of gifts and presents at Christmas is a reenactment of the giving of gifts by the 3 wise men. Santa Claus is a reasonably modern invention The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas. It is believed that Nicholas was born sometime around 280 A.D. in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey. His feast day is celebrated on the anniversary of his death, December 6. This was traditionally considered a lucky day to make large purchases or to get married. By the Renaissance, St. Nicholas was the most popular saint in Europe.

When was the first mention of Santa Claus?

By all accounts, his story begins in the fourth century AD

What are real Christmas trees?

Norway Spruce is the traditional Christmas tree which has been popular since Victoria times with short and thin, varying bright and deep green pointed needles. It has a more triangular shape than other varieties with attractive red-brown bark, a rich coniferous fragrance, broad base and bushy habit.

Does Father Christmas really live at the North Pole?

Not quite, it’s very cold there. Santa Claus lives in the Arctic Circle at Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi in Lapland, Finland. Rovaniemi is the Official Hometown of Santa Claus in Lapland.