I think it’s safe to say that one of the most celebrated days of the year in our country is Christmas. It is such a popular holiday that those not of the Christian faith often participate in the festivities. It is also safe to say that this day is widely celebrated throughout the world, even in cultures that are not Christian in culture or persuasion, such as Japan and China. They also call it “Christmas”.

Despite the widespread recognition of this holiday, Christians around the world lament how commercialized Christmas has become and how convoluted the reason and meaning is. We see signs hanging in department stores that say “remember the reason for the season”, but it seems that the author of this Christmas slogan had in mind the spending of customers rather than something spiritual.

There are a myriad of examples we could cite regarding the global commercialization of this sacred Christian holiday and the loss of holiday understanding, but too often we Christians fall short in this theological realm. As our Lord said, sometimes we need to remove the plank from our own eye.

How much do you really know about Christmas? How much of what you think about Christmas is Bible and how much world? Could you pass the following quiz on this topic? Test your knowledge. There are no trick questions, but some of the answers may surprise you. Get 5 points for each correct answer. I’ll let you decide if you pass or not. The answers are at the end of the quiz.

1. Christmas (the day Jesus was born) probably actually happened on:

has. December 25 c. April 1

b. March 29 D. We don’t know

2. How many angels spoke to the shepherds?

has. 2 tbsp. 1

b. a crowd d. cannot be determined

3. Eating is:

has. a trough c. has stable

b. a barn d. a room behind an inn

4. Where was Joseph’s family from?

has. Bethlehem v. Jerusalem

b. Nazareth D. Galilee

5. How were the shepherds to find and recognize the Lord?

has. following a star c. for looking for a baby in a manger

b. asking at the Posada d. looking for the wise men

6. How many wise men came to see Jesus in the manger?

has. two C. Three

b. the Bible does not say d. none

7. How did Joseph and Mary get to Bethlehem?

has. walked c. Joseph walked/Mary rode a donkey

b. by car d. the bible doesn’t say

8. When Mary was found to be with child, she and Joseph were:

has. married c. engaged

bd The Bible does not say

9. Who told José what to name the baby?

has. Maria C. God

b. an angel D. Jewish elders

10. Where did the wise men find Jesus?

has. In eating c. In the countryside

b. On a donkey with Maria d. In a house

11. Who saw the star over Bethlehem?

has. Joseph and Mary c. The three Kings

b. Pastors D. Everyone

me. None of the above

12. The Waiter told José:

has. There is no room c. You can use the barn in the back.

b. We do not allow children d. None of the above

13. Who told Joseph to go to Bethlehem?

has. an angel c. the tax collector

b. Herod D. Caesar

14. What does “heavenly host” mean?

has. an archangel c. an army of angels

b. greeting the angels d. an angelic choir or herald

15. What song did the heavenly host sing?

has. “Away on an Eat” c. “Glory to God in the highest”

b. “Joy to the World” d. they did not sing

16. What animals were present at the birth of Jesus?

has. cows and sheep c. cows, sheep and camels

b. cows, sheep and donkeys d. unknown

17. What is the most accurate definition of “wizards”?

has. wizards c. astrologers

b. Wise Men D. Kings of the East

18. Why did Herod want to know when Jesus had been found?

has. To be able to worship him c. so he could kill him

b. To be able to tell others d. None of the above

19. How long did the wise men travel after seeing Herod?

has. two years c. A little less than two years

against Less than 1 day d. None of the above

20. How many shepherds were in the field?

has. 3 tablespoons 6

b. 4d. we are not told

ANSWERS TO THE TEST

1. d 11. e (3 kings not mentioned – all the wise men saw the star)

2. c 12. d (the innkeeper is not mentioned)

3rd to 13d (see Luke 2:1-3)

4.a 14.c

5. c 15. d (we are told “a saying of the heavenly hosts”)

6. d* 16. d (the Bible does not say which animals were present)

7.d 17.c

8c 18.c

9. b 19. c (Herod had all children under 2 years old killed)

10.d 20.d

*6 – the Bible says that they saw the little boy in the house – they were not

present in the manger – and no mention is made of how many wise men

there were – we often assume there were three because there were three

gifts presented, but there were probably many, many more