Most of us (Christian or otherwise) regard Christmas ~ the annual celebration of the birth of 'the founder of Christianity' (not that He would have recognised that label Himself) ~ as falling on 25 December. But there is a whole branch of the Church which celebrates it two weeks later: who, and when (and why)?
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The Roman Catholic Church on 1 January, because they believe the 'sacred and secular' years should begin on the same day
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The Orthodox Church follows the old Gregorian calendar, when the due date falls in early January
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The Anabaptists believe Jesus' earthly religious life began with His naming ceremony, usually marked on 2 January
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The Amish believe Jesus was born in the spring (when shepherds might more likely be on the hills with their flocks, than in the dead of winter)
Q.2.
Easter is honoured by most Christians as marking the day when the resurrected Jesus was seen by the first of His followers. But what is the official name given to the occasion when He was taken up bodily into Heaven, 'and was seen by them no more'?
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The Ascension
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The Immaculate Conception
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The Rising
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Pentecost
Q.3.
What festival is regarded as 'the birthday of the Church'?
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Easter
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Advent
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Pentecost
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Harvest
Q.4.
The character many children worldwide know as 'Santa Claus' or 'Father Christmas' is a version of a Christian Saint, the Patron Saint of children indeed, whose feast-day falls early in Advent (the run-up to Christmas). What is this saint's proper name?
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Peter
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Christopher
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Nicholas
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James
Q.5.
As there is a (supposedly) calm and penitential preparatory season prior to Christmas, so there is a span of several weeks leading up to each spring's Holy Week and Easter. It is known as Lent, and is perhaps not best considered as a Festival or Celebration because of its inherently solemn nature; but it is certainly an integral part of the Christian calendar, albeit as a 'down' rather than an 'up'. On what day does Lent begin?
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Ash Wednesday
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Maundy Thursday
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Good Friday
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Shrove Tuesday
Q.6.
What is the Christian origin of the Carnival?
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Believers are encouraged to have a good time before the serious season of Lent, and get any potentially unhelpful or Satanic influences out of their system (such as by dancing)
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Pancakes are a slightly more modern reference to the flat, unleavened bread that Jews traditionally eat at the Passover
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There was a carnival atmosphere when Jesus made his 'Triumphal Entry' to Jerusalem, so modern observance is echoing that
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Rich foods (including meat, in earlier historical times) were given up by believers during Lent ~ so the Carnival ('Flesh, farewell') was the last chance to enjoy them before settling down to be somewhat deliberately frugal and miserable for weeks on end
Q.7.
Why do people, including plenty of non-believers, make such a 'thing' of giving presents at or around Christmas-time?
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Because many of us would otherwise naturally feel at a miserable ebb around the darkest time of the year
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Because it makes us feel good!
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To 'buy off' other miserable people and get ourselves some peace and quiet (and respect) at the busy turn of the year
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Because if we believe that Jesus was God's greatest gift to the world, we should express love to others around us by dealing generously with them
Q.8.
How come that English-speaking Christians refer to the day when their Lord was put to death as 'Good Friday'?
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Obviously, 'Good' is simply a corruption of the word 'God'
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Originally it was 'Cut Friday' (referring to Jesus' various wounds), but even this was felt too raw and disrespectful ~ particularly when explaining the story to sensitive children
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Because Christians believe that only out of the torture and evil of that day, could the greatest eventual good be accomplished
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Because after the solemnities of Lent and Holy Week, Easter is almost here by then and people can go off early for a Bank Holiday weekend
Q.9.
What is the name of the (Protestant) Christian denomination that traces its own origins to the first Whit Sunday, and would duly describe its own energetic and free-flowing worship style as 'very much Spirit-led' (even to include 'speaking in Tongues' sometimes)?
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Pentecostalists
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United Reformed
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Methodists
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Seventh-Day Adventists
Q.10.
Harvest Festival (as such) is, perhaps, a relatively recent addition to the calendar of many churches, having been instituted in the 19th century ... not all that long, within a church-historical perspective of 2,000-odd years, before Remembrance came in after World WarIndeed, for churchgoers (and active organists like your author), Harvest in the early autumn is usually followed fairly closely by Remembrance in early November as an occasion for a special service. It's all very well thanking God for all the bounties of the harvest ... but what would have been the 'other end of the arc': the Sunday when Anglicans, at least, pray to God around the (apparent!) START of the farming year?
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Candlemas
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Michaelmas
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Rogation Sunday
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Lady Day
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