Click on a letter in the table below to go to the Christmas and Holiday terms and definitions we have that begin with that letter. |
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| A Christmas Carol |
Charles Dickens classic story about greed at Christmas. The most famous character, Scrooge, is now a synonym for a stingy person. You may hear people say, Don't be a Scrooge. |
| Advent |
From the Latin Adventus (coming) the four week period preceding Christmas which serves as a time of reflection in preparation for the celebration of the Nativity. |
| Advent Calendar |
A large card with a printed Christmas scene and 24 windows that open to reveal a picture of a person or object relevant to Christmas. One window is opened daily leading up to Christmas Day. |
| Angel |
From the Latin Engelus, and the Greek Angelos, meaning messenger, spiritual ethereal beings serving God/s messengers in many theologies and religions. |
| Angels |
Messengers of God who appeared to the Shepherds announcing the birth of Jesus. |
| Animals |
Traditionally we think of the Nativity scene as taking place in a Stable with Animals in the background, although this is never specifically mentioned in the Biblical texts. |
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- B - |
| Balsam Fir |
As a Christmas tree, balsam fir has several desirable properties. It has a dark-green appearance, long-lasting needles, and attractive form. It also retains its pleasing fragrance. The scientific name balsamea is an ancient word for the balsam tree, so named because of the many resinous blisters found in the bark. Two silvery bands of stomata (pores) are found on the lower surface of the needles. |
| Baubles |
Shiny trinkets and ornaments, traditionally made from glass, used in Christmas decorations. |
| Bells |
Hollow metal objects that emit a tuned sound when struck, used during Christmas to announce the arrival of the season and proclaim the birth of Christ. |
| Berry |
A small round fruit, also used as a common Christmas decoration. |
| Bethlehem |
A small town in Judea near Jerusalem, where King David was born and the birthplace of Jesus. |
| Blitzen |
One of Santa's Reindeers. |
| Blue Ice Cypress |
A cultivar of the Arizona cypress, this silvery-blue tree has a citrus aroma and a narrow steeple shape. It's found in the Gulf states, Georgia, and South Carolina. The branches support small lights, tinsel, and a few ornaments, but nothing heavy. |
| Blue Spruce |
Colorado blue spruce, or blue spruce, is an attractive tree often used for Christmas trees or as ornamentals, particularly in the eastern United States and Europe. Blue spruce is finding increasing popularity as a Christmas tree as a result of its symmetrical form and attractive blue foliage. The species has an excellent natural shape and requires little shearing. Needle retention is among the best for the spruces. Its popularity as an ornament leads many consumers to use blue spruce as a living Christmas tree, to be planted after the holiday season. It is the official state tree of both Colorado and Utah. The species generally reaches a height of 65 to 115 feet at maturity with a diameter of 2 to 3 feet. It has a narrow, pyramid shape and cone-shaped crown. As trees become older, they often take on a more irregular appearance. Although blue spruce grows relatively slowly, it may reach ages of 600 to 800 years. Needles are 1 to 1 1/2 inches long on lower branches but somewhat shorter on upper branches. They are four-sided and have a very sharp point on the end. Needles are generally dull bluish-gray to silvery blue and emit a resinous odor when crushed. Some trees have a more distinct bluish-white or silvery-white foliage. |
| Boxing Day |
The day after Christmas day when presents are given to extended family and friends. Possibly dating from the Middle Ages when the householder would give presents to the servants and tradesmen. A public holiday in some Commonwealth countries. |
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- C - |
| Candle |
A light source typified by a wick embedded in solid fuel, usually fax or fat, and used in Christianity to symbolize the Light of Jesus Christ. |
| Carolina Sapphire Cypress |
This southern dweller is naturally broad and has a strong scent of lemon and mint. It's very similar to the 'Blue Ice' cypress (and has similar drawbacks). |
| Carols |
Originally secular songs to accompany dancing during communal celebrations, Carols have evolved to become religious songs sung at Christmas. |
| Carols by Candelight |
An Australia tradition of gathering to literally sing Christmas carols by candlelight, initiated in 1937 by radio presenter Norman Banks and now enjoyed in communities across the country. |
| Carving the Bird |
Cutting the meat and handing it out to people is called carving the bird. |
| Catholic |
Usually used to refer to things relating to Catholicism and the Catholic Church, although in its literal sense catholic, with a small c, means universal. |
| Catholicism |
A denomination of Christianity dating from the original church created by the Apostle Peter, a disciple of Jesus. The central headquarters of the Catholic Church is the Vatican in Rome, Italy. |
| Chestnuts |
Are commonly eaten at Christmas. Theres a famous Christmas song, Chestnuts roasting by an open fire. |
| Chimney |
A vertical pipe in a house that allows smoke and gases to escape from a fireplace (Santa Clause traditionally enters a house through its chimney) |
| Christ |
From the Greek, Christos (Kristos, ???????) meaning Anointed, the equivalent to the Hebrew term Messiah. Although a generic term, it is also used to refer to Jesus Christ directly from some time. |
| Christian |
A person who believes in Christianity; also an adjective. |
| Christianity |
The religion based on the teachings and person of Jesus Christ. |
| Christmas |
From the Old English, Cristes Maesse, meaning the Mass of Christ, the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ on the 25th of December, the nominated day of observance. |
| Christmas Cake |
A rich fruit cake covered with white icing, eaten at Christmas. |
| Christmas Cards |
Greeting cards sent to family and friends at Christmas, a time-honored tradition that has now become a thriving industry. |
| Christmas Carol |
A religious song or popular hymn that people sing at Christmas. |
| Christmas Carolers |
Christmas songs and carolers are groups of people that walk down a street going from house to house singing Christmas carols. Usually the people in the house will come to the door and watch the carolers sing. It is a tradition to give each of the carolers something after they sing - usually a small snack such as a chocolate, or some other treat around the house, or even a glass of eggnog, if the carolers are old enough to drink. |
| Christmas Dinner |
A big dinner on Christmas day. Usually families gather together for Christmas dinner. |
| Christmas Eve |
The evening of December 24, also called The night before Christmas. |
| Christmas Greetings |
There are many greetings that people use at Christmas, but the most common are Merry Christmas, Seasons Greetings, and Happy New Year, although some people say Happy New Years which is a shortened form of Happy New Years Eve. |
| Christmas Holidays |
The holiday period for about a week before and after Christmas Day. |
| Christmas Lights |
Light is used to symbolize Jesus being the light of the world. Electric lights were first used to decorate Christmas trees in 1882 and the tradition has since grown to the point where whole buildings or houses are decorated with lights. |
| Christmas Ornaments |
Are ornaments used to decorate the tree and placed around the house. |
| Christmas Star |
The star that guided the Wise Men, or Maji, to Jesus in the stable. One of the more prominent symbols of Christmas and one extensively used as decoration at Christmas time. |
| Christmas Stocking |
A sock or stocking hung on children's beds on Christmas Eve for Santa to fill with presents. The tradition is thought to date from St Nicolas who sometimes left a coin-filled sock at the doorstep of needy people on Christmas Eve. |
| Christmas Tree |
A tree, usually coniferous, decorated with ornaments and lights and serving as a central focus for family celebrations and gift giving. |
| Comet |
A Reindeer who helps pull Santa's Sled. |
| Concolor Fir |
Indigenous to the West, this sweet-scented tree has a tall, narrow silhouette. The loosely spaced, bluish needles are great for showcasing ornaments. It's also called a white fir. |
| Cracker |
A decorated paper tube that makes a sharp noise (crack!) and releases a small toy when two people pull it apart. |
| Cupid |
One of Santa's Reindeer, helping to pull the Sled on Christmas Eve. |
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| Dancer |
One of Santa's Reindeer who helps pull the Sled. |
| Dasher |
One of the reindeer helping to pull Santa's Sled. |
| Donner |
One of the eight original Reindeer who pull Santa's Sled on Christmas Eve. |
| Douglas Fir |
Douglas fir is one of the most popular Christmas trees. It is shipped to the majority of the United States (including Hawaii), and is also exported to Guam and some Asian markets. The needles are dark green or blue green, 1 to 1 1/2 inches long, soft to the touch, and radiate out in all directions from the branch. They have a sweet fragrance when crushed. |
| Dove |
An ancient symbol of love and peace, later used by Christians to symbolize the Holy Ghost. Often used as a decoration at Christmas, particularly on the Christmas Tree. |
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- E - |
| Eggnog |
A traditional Christmas drink made of beaten eggs, milk or cream, and sugar. Sometimes Eggnog is made with alcohol to spice up parties. |
| Epiphany |
A life changing event. The last of the 12 days of Christmas, Epiphany celebrates the revelation of Christ to the gentiles, as represented by the visiting Wise Men. |
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| Father Christmas |
An alternate name for St Nicolas, first introduced by 16th Century Protestants to avoid Catholic Saints. In America this became Santa Claus, from the Dutch SinterKlaas, whilst in German speaking countries he became Weihnachtsmann or Christmas Man. |
| First Christmas |
Obviously, refers to the birth of Jesus over 2000 years ago. |
| Frankincense |
An aromatic resin from the Boswellia Thurifera tree and used in incense, perfume and embalming fluids. One of the gifts presented to Jesus by the Wise Men. |
| Fraser Fir |
It's a little blue in color, but the Fraser fir makes a great Christmas tree for its form, needle retention, pleasant scent and excellent shipping characteristics. Strong branches are turned slightly upward, which gives the tree a compact appearance. Bark is usually gray or gray-brown, thin and smooth. North Carolina produces the majority of Fraser fir Christmas trees. Fraser fir was named for John Fraser (1750-1811), a Scottish botanist who explored the southern Appalachian Mountains in the late 18th century. |
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| Gifts |
An object given to someone without the need for compensation. Gifts are often given to friends and loved ones at Christmas, continuing a tradition from Roman times when presents were given to the Emperor. |
| Gold |
Precious metal, one of the three gifts given to Jesus by the Wise Men to represent royalty. |
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| Holiday |
A time for leisure and escape from normal activities, for the purpose of rest and/or pleasure. Holidays are often taken at Christmas to coincide with school breaks. American equivalent is Vacation. |
| Holly |
A bush with green glossy leaves, and most known for the varieties with red berries, used as a Christmas decoration representing new life. |
| Holy |
Sacred, or participant of the holiness of a divine power, usually God. |
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| Jesus |
The human name of Messiah of the Christian Faith and believed to be the Son of God, revered as a prophet in Islam. From the Hebrew Yeshua, thus Yeshua ben Nazareth becomes Jesus of Nazareth. |
| Joseph |
Husband to Mary and earthly father to Jesus, a carpenter by profession. |
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| Kris Kringle |
A corruption of Christkindl, meaning Christ Child, it was misunderstood by those living near Pennsylvania Germans to mean a bringer of gifts, and is thus now synonymous with Santa Claus. |
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| Lamb of God |
One of the titles given to Jesus in the New Testament of the Bible. |
| Leyland Cypress |
Feathery, dark-green to gray foliage sets apart this Christmas tree, the most popular one in the Southeast. The silhouette varies from tree to tree and can be tall and slender or squat and rounded. The species absorbs an unusually large amount of water; its stand needs to be refilled several times per day. |
| Lights |
see Christmas Lights |
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- M - |
| magi |
The wise men from the East who brought gifts for the baby Jesus. |
| Manger |
A trough or box used to hold food for stable animals. Also used as the crib for Jesus as a baby. |
| Mary |
Mother to Jesus, whom, it is believed, she conceived through the intervention of the Holy Spirit. Referred to as the Virgin Mary in Catholicism. |
| Mistletoe |
A semi-parasitic plant that grows on certain types of trees, typified by the sticky substance surrounding the seed which helps it to attach to a potential host when excreted by birds. Mistletoe is used as a Christmas decoration. |
| Mulled Wine |
A hot spiced red wine beverage drunk during winter, especially as part of Christmas celebrations. |
| Myrrh |
An extract from the Commiphora Myrrha tree, used in ancient times in anointing and embalming oils and more recently as an anti-microbial agent. Myrrh was one of the gifts brought to Jesus by the Wise Men. |
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| Nativity |
That moment of birth when the infant takes its first breath and so begins the process of self maintenance of bodily functions. In Christmas terms, Nativity refers to the birth of Jesus. |
| Noble Fir |
Sturdy branches make this Pacific Northwest native a good choice if you have a lot of weighty ornaments. The tree has thick, silvery-green needles and limbs that stick straight out from the trunk, giving this fir a full, rounded appearance. |
| Noel |
Another word for Christmas. |
| Nordmann Fir |
The preferred Christmas tree in Europe, this evergreen is becoming increasingly popular in the United States. It's grown primarily in the Pacific Northwest and is prized for its fat pyramid shape and lush, dark-green foliage. |
| North Pole |
The northernmost point on the planet, and also the magnetic pole that attracts the north pole of a magnet. More importantly of course, the North Pole is the mythical home of Santa Claus. |
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| Offerings |
Gifts of money made in the spirit of Christmas gift giving and used to aid the needy. |
| Ornament |
An object that adds beauty to something; a decoration. |
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| Pageant |
A representation of historical scenes or ceremony of import. The Nativity is often represented in Pageant form by school children at Christmas. |
| Parade |
A ceremonial procession involving people marching and also sometimes decorated vehicular floats. Christmas is a popular time for parades with many cities holding official parades. |
| Poinsettia |
A plant native to Central America with striking green foliage and bright red bracts/flower combinations, commonly used as a Christmas decoration due to it's festive colors. |
| Prancer |
One of Santa's Reindeers. |
| Presents |
Something you give to another person without expecting anything in return. The custom of giving Christmas Presents dates back to Roman times when presents were given to the Emperor, symbolizing the wish for good times in the future. |
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| Quirinius |
The Roman Governor of Syria at the time of Jesus' birth. |
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| Reindeer |
From the from Old Norse hreindyri, artic deer with large antlers. Traditionally, Reindeer pull Santa's sled as he circles to globe distributing gifts. |
| Rudolph |
The ninth of the Reindeer who pull Santa's Sled, and perhaps the most famous of them all, created over a hundred years after the original eight Reindeer by Robert L. May in 1939. |
| Ruprecht |
A dark and sinister companion to St Nicholas who puts the naughty children into his sack. Current usage declining. |
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| Sacred |
Having Religious or Theological purpose. |
| Saint Nicholas |
A Bishop in Asia Minor, now Turkey, in the 4th century, later to become Saint Nicholas of Myra. He had the habit of helping people less fortunate than himself by leaving gifts or money for them, the precursor to the modern day tradition of Santa Claus. |
| Santa Claus |
An imaginary man who circles the globe on Christmas Eve distributing gifts. Believed to be a derivation of Saint Nicolas, the patron saint of Children. |
| Santas Helpers |
Elves, usually dressed in red or green. |
| Secular |
Not Religious. |
| Shepherd |
Someone who watches over a flock of sheep, usually in the fields. This concept has been expanded to mean anyone caring for another group of beings, such as a Pastor who watches over and cares for a group of people. |
| Shepherds |
In the Christmas story, Shepherds were watching their flocks in the field, when an Angel appeared to them and told of the birth of Jesus. They then went to visit the baby. |
| Sleigh |
A vehicle used in snowy conditions, traditionally pulled by animals. Used by Santa Claus on his Christmas Eve journey. |
| Star |
A large ,we are talking HUGE here, ball of gas that emits energy seen as a point of light in the night sky. A star guided the Wise Men to the stable at Bethlehem, and is therefore called the Star of Bethlehem. |
| Star of Bethlehem |
The star that heralded Jesus' arrival and guided the Wise Men to the Bethlehem stable where he was born. |
| Stockings |
Literally, socks. Nowadays, they are quite big-you would have to be about 10 feet tall to fit into the stockings most children hang. People hang stockings in front of a fireplace. Small presents are placed in stockings and usually opened on Christmas morning. |
| stocking stuffer |
A small present, especially one that is placed in a stocking at Christmas. |
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| Tinsel |
Long strands of glittery paper used as Christmas Decorations. |
| Trimming the Tree |
Decorating the tree is called trimming the tree. |
| Twelve Days of Christmas |
A popular Christmas song representing the twelve days from December 35 to January 6. It is thought that the song was a means to teach the tenets of the Catholic faith during times when Catholicism was banned, although this is open to debate. |
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| None |
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| Vacation |
A time of leisure away from normal activities, for rest and/or pleasure. Christmas is often a good time for vacations, coinciding with school breaks. English equivalent is Holiday. |
| Virgin |
A person who has not engaged in sexual intercourse. Mary, Jesus' mother, is said to have been a Virgin, although recent research brings this into question. |
| Vixen |
One of Santa's original eight Reindeer. |
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| Wassail |
From the Middle English Waes Haeil, meaning to be in good health, the custom of toasting to each others health, a custom that has woven itself into Christmas traditions. |
| White Christmas |
A Christmas with snow on the ground. |
| White Pine |
The white pine is a five-needle pine, meaning if you pull one of the fascicle bundles off, you can count five needles. White pine has very little aroma, but is reported to result in fewer allergic reactions than do some of the more aromatic species. White pine has proven to be one of the most important and most desirable species of North America. It's a truly magnificent tree attaining a height of 80 feet or more at maturity with a diameter of two to three feet. White pine is the largest pine in the United States. In colonial times, white pines above 24 inches in diameter were reserved for England to be used as ship masts. It is the state tree of Maine and Michigan. For Christmas trees, sheared trees are preferred, although some people feel shearing results in trees too dense for larger ornaments. Needle retention is good to excellent. |
| Wise Men |
Magi/Sages/Medicine Men from the East who visited Jesus with Mary and Joseph shortly after he was born. Although never stated, it is assumed they were three in number as they brought three gifts for the child; Gold and Frankincense and Myrrh. |
| Wrapping Paper |
A tough paper used for wrapping presents or gifts. Christmas wrapping paper is usually adorned with Christmas objects and themes. |
| Wreath |
A floral arrangement in a circular form, used in celebrations to represent the unbroken circle, thus symbolizing purity, innocence, and eternity. |
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| Xmas |
Abbreviation for Christmas, coming from the Greek word for Christ, as the New Testament was written in Greek. Many mistakenly believe Xmas to be an informal abbreviation, or one of purely commercial meaning. |
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| Yule |
Ancient pagan festival celebrating the Winter Solstice and the coming spring around the 21st of December. Later it merged with, and became synonymous with, the Christmas celebration. |
| Yuletide |
The season of Yule. |
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| None |
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