digital story of nativity

a different vision of Xmas

Christmas Trivia and the first televised Queen's speech

XMAS TRIVIA


Santa Claus has many different names around the world including Father Christmas in the UK, Pere Noel in France, Kriss Kringle in Germany, La Befana in Italy, Julinesse in Denmark, Dedushka Moroz (meaning Grandfather Frost) in Russia and the Three Kings in Spain and Mexico.

The typical image we have of Santa Claus dressed in red clothes with white fur trim, is an amalgamation of cultural input over many years. Some people claim the image of Santa we know today is from Coca-cola advertising, but this simply isn't true. The standard Santa garb was well established by the 1920s and it wasn't until the 1930s that Coca-cola first used the Santa Claus design in their advertising.

The word Christmas comes from Cristes maesse, or "Christ's Mass." There is no set date for his birth in scripture and it wasn't celebrated on any particular day. However Christmas was first celebrated on the 25th of December in Rome in 336AD with an aim to replacing the popular pagan winter solstice celebrations

The first Christmas card was designed in 1843 by J.C. Horsley

The twelve days of Christmas are the days between Christmas Day and Epiphany (6th of January) and represent the length of time it took for the wise men from the East to visit the manger of Jesus after his birth.

Popular belief holds that 3 wise men visited Bethlehem from the east bearing gifts. However there is no mention in the bible about the number of wise men who visited. Three gifts were brought - gold, frankincense and myrrh, but names commonly attributed to the wise men - Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar were added some 500 years later.

The 26th of December is traditionally known as St Stephen's Day, but is more commonly known as Boxing Day. The reason it was called this is either alms boxes in church were opened and the money distributed to the poor, or alternatively it was named from the practice of servants receiving boxes of gifts from their employers on this day. Boxing day is NOT named after the practice of throwing out large numbers of boxes after Christmas!

English Puritan leader Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas between 1647 and 1660 because he believed such celebrations were immoral for the holiest day of the year.

The first postage stamp to commemorate Christmas was issued in Austria in 1937

Christmas trees become popular in the UK from 1841 when Prince Albert erected a tree in Windsor Castle following a German tradition. Fir trees have been decorated at Christmas time in Germany since the 8th century.

The Queen's Christmas speech was first televised in 1957.

The Christmas tree displayed in Trafalgar square in London is an annual gift to the UK from Norway since 1947. The Norwegian spruce given is a token of appreciation of British friendship during the Second World War

dumb ways to die

There are several ways to die but certainly some are more stupid than others. Have a look at this list and put them in order according to the song. Then check your answers with a version of the song with the lyrics

Have fun!!

SET FIRE TO YOUR HAIR

DO YOUR OWN ELECTRICAL WORK

EAT A TWO WEEK OLD UNREFRIGERATED PIE

EAT A MEDICINE THAT’S OUT OF DATE

EAT A TUBE OF SUPERGLUE

KEEP A RATTLE SNAKE AS A PET

GET YOUR TOAST OUT WITH A FORK

INVITE A PSYCHO KILLER INSIDE

DRESS UP LIKE A MOOSE DURING HUNTING SEASON

DISTURB A NEST OF WASPS FOR NO GOOD REASON

DRIVE AROUND THE BOOMGATES AT A LEVEL CROSSING

SCRATCH A DRUG DEALER’S BRAND NEW RIDE

TAKE YOUR HELMET OFF IN OUTER SPACE

I WONDER WHAT’S THIS RED BUTTON DO

RUN ACROSS THE TRACKS BETWEEN THE PLATFORMS

POKE A STICK AT A GRIZZLY BEAR

TEACH YOUR SELF HOW TO FLY

SELL BOTH YOUR KIDNEYS ON THE INTERNET

STAND ON THE EDGE OF A TRAIN STATION PLATFORM

USE YOUR PRIVATE PARTS AS PIRANHA BAIT

USE YOUR CLOTHES DRYER AS A HIDING PLACE

Now check you answers with with version