Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Trivia Tuesday: December 20th, 2011: Christmas Trivia Answers

10. This item is sold more often at Christmas time than at any other time of year. (Hint: it's been around for thousands of years).  Diamonds. I bet most women wouldn't mind getting this lump of coal in their stocking! And it's believed that diamonds are approximately 3.3 billions years old, and some are actually from star dust, the remnants of dying suns much older than than our solar system! How's that for a mind-blower?

9.  What movie appears more often on television than any other at Christmas time? It's a Wonderful Life

8.  Rudolph was originally created for this national store for their holiday promotion in the 1930's. Montgomery Ward

7.  Who was the first US President to have the White House decorated for Christmas?  Franklin Pierce

6.  This city on our East Coast banned Christmas. Boston

5.  This state was the first to officially recognize Christmas as a holiday. Alabama, in 1836.

4.  This Christmas song was originally written for Thanksgiving. Jingle Bells

3.   If you received all of the gifts in the song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas," how many gifts would you receive? It's not 78 as some commonly believe. It's 364. And if you include the Christ Child, and that make one for every day of the year!

2.  What historical group of people banned mentioning St. Nicholas, lighting candles, singing Christmas carols, and exchanging gifts. The Puritans. 

1.  What is the significant symbolical meaning behind each of the gifts from the wise men?

Many Christians believe that the three gifts held important symbolism. 


Gold was not easily obtained in biblical times as digging instruments were primitive. Gold was precious and extremely valuable, as it is today. It represents kingship, and is one of the only metals that does not lose it's natural color and other properties when heated by fire...much like our faith, if it's genuine.  


Frankincense is from the sap of the arbor thurisfrom tree, found primarily in Persia, India, Arabia, and the East Indies. It is sweet, and can be used in a couple of ways. Besides its obvious use as a perfume, it was most commonly burned as an incense during worship. Being very fragrant, it surely helped with smell of the stable. Frankincense represents the divinity of Christ---the Hebrew people burned it as an offering to Jehovah, and serves as a reminder that our worship should be pleasing to Him.  


Myrrh is also made tree sap (from the balsamodendron myrrha tree), but is bitter. It was used for both it's perfume and medicinal qualities, and the latter would have been helpful for Mary and Joseph as they traveled. It's also interesting to note that myrrh was also used as an embalming preservative. Many believe myrrh represents the "bitter cup" of suffering from which Christ drank, and our healing that comes from his suffering and death. 


And thanks to my fellow blogger, Valerie, I re-read the verses to "We Three Kings." Read them carefully, if you dare.

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I work for a Community-Based, Not-for-Profit agency. I have worked in the disability field for over twenty-five years. I am the father of two boys, and have been married to my teenage sweet-heart for 23 years. I live and work in the same town where I was born & raised.
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