1. St. Nicholas was a real person who
a. used his wealth to help the poor.
b. was a church leader in third-century Asia.
c. was jailed and tortured for his faith.
d. was all of the above.
2. The church organ was broken, so the lyrics of a new
carol, “Silent Night,” were
to be sung with
a. a flute.
b. bagpipes.
c. a guitar.
d. a violin.
3. The Bible says the number of magi who followed the star was
a. 3.
b. 13.
c. 5.
d. not specified.
4. Manger scenes go back to
a. St. Francis.
b. St. Nicholas.
c. St. Augustine.
d. St. Valentine.
5. In the carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” the partridge
in a pear tree
refers to
a. a holiday dish combining poultry and pears.
b. a gift in demand in 16th-century England, where this song was sung.
c. a familiar sight in winter, when this bird huddles in fruit trees.
d. Jesus on the cross.
6. The shepherds hurried to the manger, according to the book of
a. John.
b. Luke.
c. Matthew.
d. all the Gospels.
7. Herod the Great was
a. cruel, murdering his sons and wife.
b. known for massive building projects.
c. responsible for the massacre of Bethlehem babies.
d. all of the above.
8. The newborn Jesus
a. could not feel the manger straw because angels protected Him from anything painful.
b. never cried but was always perfectly content.
c. acted like other babies.
d. got the animals singing in three-part harmony while teaching His parents Scripture.
9. The most important thing Christmas and Easter have in common is
a. presents.
b. both are in memory of events in Jesus’ earthly life.
c. the birth is the beginning of God’s plan to bring people to Him; the Resurrection is when the plan goes into effect.
d. vacations from school and work.
10. Joseph took Jesus to Egypt because
a. the water was better for babies.
b. he was warned in a dream that Israel wasn’t safe.
c. he had family there who wanted to meet Jesus.
d. Mary yearned to travel.
Scoring
1) = d
2) = c
3) = d
4) = a
5) = d
6) = b
7) = d
8) = c
9) = c
10) = b
So are you an expert about Christmas or what? If not, don’t worry! The most important thing you need to know is that Jesus was born in that stable so that He could grow up to die for your sins. And that’s a big reason to celebrate this Christmas.
To learn more about the history of Christmas,
check out the expanded answers below!
1) = d St. Nicholas also started orphanages, helped
the sick and defended the legal rights of Jews. He died in A.D. 343.
2) = c In 1818 after writing the lyrics in German, Father Joseph Mohr asked the church organist, Franz Gruber, to add music.
3) = d The Bible never states the number of magi. The traditional number of three is from the three gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense.
4) = a St. Francis assembled the first manger scene in A.D. 1223. By using live people and animals, he hoped to make the Christmas story more real.
5) = d The partridge was a small bird known for its willingness to fight and even die for its young. That made it an early symbol for Jesus. The tree stood for the cross.
6) = b Mark and John don’t even mention the first Christmas, and Matthew’s version has the story of the magi.
7) = d Herod became king of Israel about 40 B.C. and reigned until his death in 4 B.C. That means Jesus was actually born in or before 4 B.C.
8) = c Scripture says that Jesus is fully man as well as fully God. That means He got hungry and tired as a baby and as a man. He felt pain if He stumbled; He’d get cold in low temperatures, and He’d sweat when it was hot. But that’s good—He understands what we’re going through!
9) = c The Christmas story sets into motion the greatest story of all times, because without the birth in the stable, Jesus could not have died for everyone on the cross some 33 years later.
10) = b Check out Matthew 2:13-15. Joseph took his family out of Israel after his dream. This had to happen to fulfill the prophecy in Hosea 11:1, “I called my son out of Egypt.”
