Party Games For Christmas – The London Underground Game 2
Christmas is a traditionally a time for family fun and games so why not try out this London Underground game (strictly speaking there are also overground and DLR ones in there as well). See how many London stations you can guess from this cryptic graphic we found on the internet.
Why is Christmas the most Important Christian Holiday?
To anyone looking from the outside, Christmas would seem to be the biggest festival of the Christian year. It has the 4 week build-up with Advent, there are more carol services than you can shake a yule-log at, and the churches are packed with people who may not have even stepped inside a church since last Christmas! So is it really Christianity’s most important festival ?
How the food of Charles Dickens defined Christmas – plus an Alternate Christmas Recipe
Charles Dickens was a serious food lover. His literature introduced a festive menu that has barely changed since the Cratchits gathered round their table in “A Christmas Carol”. In Dicken’s novel “Little Dorrit” the character John Chivery is rewarded for running “mysterious missions” with a banquet, for which Miss Rugg “with her own hands stuffed a leg of mutton with oysters.” Here is that menu.
Party Games – Dingbat Mega Quiz – 64 Brain Fizzlers
Try out our mega dingbat quiz. Give your Christmas party a fizz with 64 brain teasers by testing your visual intuition and reasoning ability. You can download and print off the quiz – answers are included in the pdf … enjoy! 🙂
Why Inn Keepers in the Nativity may have wrongly had a ‘bum rap’ for a long time
Every Christmas, innkeepers get a terrible ‘rap’. In schools, playgroups & churches up and down the land, Mary and Joseph duly arrive on their donkey in Bethlehem, only to be rejected by one or more innkeepers saying they don’t have any room at all in their inn. However it turns out this all revolves around the translation of 1 Greek word – kataluma – which can simply mean “guest room”. So whats the story behind this ?
The Christmas Turkey : Why are they so ugly ?
When the New World pilgrims celebrated the first harvest in 1621, the Wampanoag Indians brought slaughtered turkeys to the Thanksgiving feast. The Pilgrims noted that ‘The natives brought a bird more hideous than any creature I have ever seen’ – why is it so ugly ?
The History of the Christmas Pud
The “Christmas Pud” – in our opinion the most delicious of all the scrumptious winter fayre that helps make up the traditional British Christmas. However what we think of as Christmas Pudding, is not what it was originally like! In this article we look at “The History of the Christmas Pud”
Did you Know – Christmas tree lights were invented just 4 years after they the light bulb was invented ?
The idea for electric lights on Christmas trees is credited to a man named Edward Hibberd. It was in 1882 – just 4 years after the invention of the bulb. At the time he was working for the “Edison Lamp Company.”
The Holly(wood) and the Ivy : Christmas Quiz Game
How well do you know your classic Christmas movies? Can you name the festive films from the image in this article?
A (brief) History of Christmas – Part 2
A history of Christmas might sound like a fairly simple undertaking. From nativity, to church, to family, to commerce – a story of high beginnings, a cosy, warm middle and the chill of cold hard cash and commercialism at the end. However its not quote that simple – the type of Christmas we celebrate today has a very winding tale indeed.
A (brief) History of Christmas – Part 1
A history of Christmas might sound like a fairly simple undertaking. From nativity, to church, to family, to commerce – a story of high beginnings, a cosy, warm middle and the chill of cold hard cash and commercialism at the end. However its not quote that simple – the type of Christmas we celebrate today has a very winding tale indeed.
Why Did the Magi Bring Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh?
Since the early days of Christianity, Biblical scholars and theologians have offered varying interpretations of the meaning and significance of the gold, frankincense and myrrh that the magi presented to Jesus. The latest one is that the magi “from the East” may have presented Frankincense to the baby Jesus for its’ healing properties.
Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” – more than just a good story
Scrooge’s transformation from miser to generous spirit is an uplifting tale. In fact, it’s so cheery that it’s one of the few books that has actually changed
society.
Christmas Carols – The Oldest ones are the best – Some Origins
Christmas carols are mostly a Victorian tradition along with trees, crackers and cards. In this article we look at why the popularity of Silent Night has never faded, why there’s always a place for Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, and why the British fondness of Good King Wenceslas has yet to subside.
Twas the Night Before Christmas – A Poem that Shaped Modern Santa
Much of our modern idea of Santa Claus comes from a very famous poem, the 1823 work ‘A Visit from St Nicholas’. More commonly known by its first line, ‘’Twas the night before Christmas’
