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About This Quiz
What comes to mind when you think of Christmas? Decorated trees, wrapped gifts, holiday parties and maybe ... Drafchenfutter? No? OK, admittedly, that last one is a bit of an outlier, but that's what this quiz is all about: Vintage Christmas words that have perhaps fallen out of favor ... or at least popular vernacular.
Think about all the slightly odd words that appear just in Christmas carols: "Tannenbaum" and "frankincense" and "decking the halls with boughs of holly." And, don't forget the "mistletoes," "wassails" and "yules" of the season. Phew, you almost need a Christmas translator just to figure out what all of it means!
The history of these old-timey Christmas words runs the gamut, from religious references to historically-significant terms dating back as far as the 11th century. And, let's be honest: Some are even older than that. Frankincense, after all, was present at the very first Christmas all those years ago.
Now we want to see if you've got what it takes to decipher these once-a-year holiday words! Use your frankin-"sense" and dive into Santa's bag to match these terms with their definitions. Do you know what a nativity is? How about a dreidel? Can you discern your "fyore" from your "crump?" Sleigh this Christmas quiz!
Fertility
Fenugreek
Fennel
Frankincense
You've probably heard about the gifts the wise men presented to baby Jesus – gold, frankincense and myrrh – but never really known what it was. Frankincense is a prized fragrant oil that many believe contains health benefits and medicinal properties.
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Trays of cookies
Tree topper
Christmas plants
The poinsettia was named after a diplomat with the last name "Poinsett," who is believed to have brought the plant to the United States. You're probably acquainted with its red flowers, although these are technically the plant's leaves.
Wrapping paper
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Cold brew coffee
Chocolate beer
Hot spiced cider
Wassail is a holiday word we think needs to make a resurgence. Sure, you could ask for hot cider, but doesn't "wassail" sound more exquisite? There's even a Christmas carol with the lyric, "Here we come a-Wassailing ..." a not-so-subtle request for a hot drink for cold carolers.
Cinnamon latte
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Santa's reindeer
Three wise men
The Magi were priests from ancient Persia who traveled to Bethlehem to bestow gifts – gold, frankincense and myrrh – on Jesus after his birth. We are more accustomed to hearing them referred to as the three wise men, but Magi is also appropriate.
Toy-making elves
St. Nick himself
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A breakfast casserole
A drink with eggs, cream and alcohol
Eggnog came by the "egg" part honestly, with versions combining some amount of eggs, cream and sugar. The idea of "nog," however, is rooted in medieval Britain where the term represented a type of ale or beer. Leave it to us today to combine the two into one glorious holiday drink.
A deviled egg appetizer
A type of custard dessert
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A dessert
Sparkly decor
The word "tinsel" dates back to the 16th century when it was used as an iridescent component for other fabrics. We now recognize tinsel as sparkly colorful fabric or material, most frequently used on Christmas trees or in holiday decor.
A type of cookie
The rack you hang stockings on
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Lowing
Excelsis
Jubilee
Tannenbaum
Have you heard the Christmas carol, "O Tannenbaum"? Alternately, you may have heard "O Christmas Tree." Guess what? They are one and the same. "Tannenbaum" is a word to describe a fir tree, a common version of the Christmas tree.
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Glockenspiel
Mackerel
Emmanuel
The name "Emmanuel" translates to "God with us," but it is used in the Bible and around the holidays in various Christmas tunes, including the one referenced in this question.
Ishmael
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Carol
Turns out, "carol" is much more than just a woman's name. The term "carol" around the holiday season is used to signify songs like, "Joy To The World," "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" and "Jingle Bells," all festive holiday songs. The word is believed to come from the Greek "khoraules," which translates loosely to "flute player."
Hymn
Advent
Nativity
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Solstice
Advent
Have you ever had an Advent calendar? Typically filled with chocolates or small treats, these calendars allow you to count down the days until Christmas by opening one calendar door at a time. Advent — the four Sundays before Christmas — means Christmas is coming.
Manger
Noel
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Swiftly
Swaddling
If you've ever had a child, you probably already recognized "swaddling" from the "swaddling clothes" in which Mary wrapped baby Jesus. Swaddling clothes, back in Jesus' day, would have been strips of fabric wrapped snugly around an infant to help keep him still. Of course, today we have swaddling garments that make that task a lot simpler.
Sanding
Smothering
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Reindeer
Elves
Angels
"In The Bleak Midwinter" is a little-known Christmas carol based on the words of a Christina Peretti poem. In it, she references "cherubim and seraphim," which are words used to describe heavenly bodies or angels.
Children
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Ling
Lang
It began as a Scottish poem by Robert Burns and was later set to music that gets sung on New Year's Eve. "Auld Lang Syne" essentially means "times long past" or "days gone by." It's a good thought heading into a new year.
Long
Lung
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Canape
Strudel
Yule
The word "yule" is traced back to an Old Norse word that signified the period of time just before Christmas. Years later, others would adopt the word to signify not only Christmas but also the period of time just before – and after – the holiday.
Nacht
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Clove
Blitzen
Balsam
The word "balsam" isn't technically a Christmas word, although it is often used to describe a specific type of tree – the balsam fir – that is frequently used for decorating and placing gifts under. Sound familiar?
Burrough
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A type of Christmas tree
A plant under which you kiss
Mistletoe has long been used at Christmas as a reason to kiss your sweetie. The tradition dates pretty far back in history thanks to the belief it contributed positively to fertility. Not to be a downer, but real mistletoe is a parasite that attaches itself to other plants.
A straight line of stockings
Giving socks as presents
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Batspell
Bobbins
Bobtail
"Bells on bobtail ring ..." You've probably sung that a few hundred times in your life but maybe never knew its origins. A "bobtail" is a closely-trimmed tail on a horse, helpful to keep it from getting caught in the reins of the rider or driver.
Cat-tail
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Wreaths
Popcorn garlands
Flowers
Branches
"Deck the halls with boughs of holly ..." But what is a bough? A bough is a branch from a tree. So, when you're pulling out boughs of holly, you're decorating with branches of holly. Quite merry!
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A Hanukkah candle
A type of pastry
A four-sided toy
Children and adults alike may play with a dreidel during Hanukkah. A dreidel is a four-sided top which is outfitted with Hebrew letters on each side. It is used as part of a gambling game during the season.
A night of rest
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Talk
Stop
Listen
How are your listening, or should we say "harking," skills? That's what the word "hark" means in "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." It means stop and listen to what the angels have to say. The word comes from Old English roots.
Bow
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Festival
Yuletide
When the word "yuletide" came into use in the 15th century, it was reserved for a heathen feast. Christians then took it over to describe the period surrounding Christmas and its festivities. “Yuletide carols being sung by a choir …" Sound familiar?
Chestnut
Tidings
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A way to greet people at the holidays
A style of caroling
A feast or dinner
"Belly-cheer" just sounds like fun, doesn't it? Who doesn't want belly-cheer? This term dates back to the 16th century, and it has a pretty simple explanation. It means great food or feast, definitely a holiday tradition.
A Christmas volunteering party
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News
Someone who has glad "tidings" has good news or information to share. The word "tidings" is not too obscure, but it does appear in multiple Christmas tunes and is not used regularly in speech today. So, now you know!
Gifts
Songs
Ornaments
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Fidelity
Botany
Serendipity
Ephiphany
In some Christian circles, the Magi's visit to baby Jesus is commemorated in an event known as the Epiphany. It is celebrated 12 days after Christmas and is usually recognized in some type of feast or celebration on January 6. Count us in!
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A row of presents
A type of fruit
A type of candy
In Clement Clarke Moore's famous "A Visit From St. Nicholas," the children are asleep with visions of sugar-plums dancing in their heads. Sugar-plums are much more sugar than fruit; in fact, they might remind you of an M&M or candy-coated almond.
A type of animal
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Snow
Nativity
Christmas
“The first Noël, the angels did say …” is the opening line of the Christmas carol, "The First Noël." The term is simply used as a replacement or synonym for Christmas, and we'd say the very first Christmas was a pretty big deal.
Gift
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Visit from St. Nick
Time with family
Plethora of presents
Light covering of snow
There's nothing better than a fyole on Christmas; that is, a light covering of snow when everything is just barely dusted with the white stuff. Of course, we hope it clears up quickly, too, so we can get outdoors!
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Festsnusa
Goddag
Hogamadog
The etymology of the word "hogamadog" tells us that the term actually references the tiny critter we know as a snail. That's appropriate, given how a hogamadog is formed, by rolling a small snowball around until it forms a huge one (similar to the curly shell of a snail).
Panta
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Muddle
Snerdle
To "snerdle" means to get wrapped up in bed in a cozy fashion. Now, we're not saying you can't snerdle anywhere and anytime you please, but there's nothing better than a good snerdle when the temps are dropping and snow is falling. Wouldn't you agree?
Perdiddle
Twiddle
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Holiday ornaments
Dinnerware
Cash
If you prefer to give (and receive) cash instead of an actual Christmas gift, you're not alone. In fact, this old-timey Christmas word, "present-silver," was used specifically for those who gave money as a gift.
A sewing kit
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Barn
Manger
Birth
You wouldn't call just any birth a nativity (although you could), but Christians use it around Christmastime to signify the birth of Jesus. The word is derived from the Latin, "nativus," which simply means birth. Some people choose to display Nativity arrangements in their homes around the holidays.
Concert
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Cheapskate
Scrooge
Procrastinator
We're calling it now! The term "yuleshard" needs to make a comeback. A yuleshard is someone who is still prepping for Christmas on Christmas Eve (read: procrastinator), and we know more than a few folks who fit that description.
Hater
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A box of European chocolates
A special type of socks
A cheap, useless gift
This is an odd one, for sure. A "toe-cover" is a term that has been used since the 1940s to signify a gift that is both cheap and useless. Why it references toes we may never know! Does this mean we shouldn't gift socks?
A set of nail care tools
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Yule-skrep
Santa may have come and gone, but bad behavior on Christmas Day is still grounds for a swat on the bottom in some cultures. An old Scottish word for this action, yule-skrep meant a swift spanking, specifically one administered at Christmas.
Ramrackett
Bummock
Rumball
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Being grumpy aroud family
Giving a gift to appease someone
We mentioned it at the beginning of this quiz – drachenfutter. Sounds a little menacing, doesn't it? That's because it translates, quite literally, to "dragon-feed." In the context of gift-giving, however, it refers to a gift given to a woman by her husband in an attempt to placate her. Hey! Give from the heart or not at all, we say.
Forgetting to buy someone a gift
Singing carols off-key
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