Merry Christmas trivia

Merry Christmas everyone! Following the lead of the Wiz here is a few trivia questions for ya:

1. What does the name Bethlehem mean?
2. From which house or tribe of Israel do the prophets Nathan, Isaiah, and others say the Messiah will come from?
3. What does the Immaculate Conception refer to?
4. Who is the forerunner of Jesus and whose prophetic spirit is he said to have?
5. Was Jesus' place of birth a cave or a manger?
6. How long is the Christmas season? What is the end of the Christmas season?
7. What special Feast Days are celebrated the three days immediately after Christmas?
8. What is the first Sunday after Christmas called?
9. What are the three gifts the Magi bring and what are their significance?
10. Who are Mary's parents?
11. What does Emmanuel mean?
12. Which prophet predicts a Virgin birth?

Quote: FrGamble

Merry Christmas everyone! Following the lead of the Wiz here is a few trivia questions for ya:

1. What does the name Bethlehem mean?

Pass

2. From which house or tribe of Israel do the prophets Nathan, Isaiah, and others say the Messiah will come from?

Pass

3. What does the Immaculate Conception refer to?

Mary giving birth to Jesus while remaining a virgin. IIRC she was visited by angels but said "no" to their offer initially because she took a lifetime celibacy vow. Then they explained it would be God causing the conception.

4. Who is the forerunner of Jesus and whose prophetic spirit is he said to have?

John the Baptist and Elijah?

5. Was Jesus' place of birth a cave or a manger?

Neither. He was laid in a manger, which is a trough the animals eat and drink from. He was born in a stable I was told.
BONUS TRIVIA: They say "there was no room for them at the inn" and this has lead who knows how many school plays showing a hotelier saying "NO VACANCY" and turning them away. Reality is "inn" more meant the house of Joseph's relatives. So it would be more like if you came to my place to stay but all the bedrooms were full and I said, "but I have a cot out on the garage."

6. How long is the Christmas season? What is the end of the Christmas season?

I am assuming you mean by the Catholic Church calendar and not some song. I will not peek but I will say 40 days? IIRC there were 5 weeks of Christmas as they announced before Mass.

7. What special Feast Days are celebrated the three days immediately after Christmas?
Pass

8. What is the first Sunday after Christmas called?
The Holy Day was "Mary, Mother of God" I believe. Or is it "Solemnity of Mary?" I remember it called the former in Catholic school so perhaps that was the Vatican II name?


9. What are the three gifts the Magi bring and what are their significance?
Gold, Frankensense, and Muhr (sp?) Not sure the significance

10. Who are Mary's parents?
With God as my witness I honestly never remember this being discussed!

11. What does Emmanuel mean?
Not sure but a guess of "savior" based on the words in "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" when they say "save captive Israel." I think it was "save." Been a few years and sorry but I hated singing as a kid.

12. Which prophet predicts a Virgin birth?
I am guessing Elijah but only because he is about the most famous.


Hope I did well, Merry Christmas, Padre.

If I cross it out it means I don't have an answer, otherwise my answer in italics

1. What does the name Bethlehem mean?
2. From which house or tribe of Israel do the prophets Nathan, Isaiah, and others say the Messiah will come from?
David
3. What does the Immaculate Conception refer to?
that Mary is sinless, doesn't mean anything about impregnation
4. Who is the forerunner of Jesus and whose prophetic spirit is he said to have?
5. Was Jesus' place of birth a cave or a manger?
hopefully not a trick question... manger
6. How long is the Christmas season? What is the end of the Christmas season?
12 days and Christmas day crossed that latter guess out and changing answer to three days after it!
7. What special Feast Days are celebrated the three days immediately after Christmas?
8. What is the first Sunday after Christmas called?
9. What are the three gifts the Magi bring and what are their significance?
Myrrh and Frankincense are two, thank you spellcheck
10. Who are Mary's parents?
11. What does Emmanuel mean?
son of God or something similar
12. Which prophet predicts a Virgin birth?

Quote: AZDuffman

5. Was Jesus' place of birth a cave or a manger?

Neither. He was laid in a manger, which is a trough the animals eat and drink from. He was born in a stable I was told.

but our choices were only cave or manger. Having a ridiculous image in my head now of delivery into a manger.

Quote:

BONUS TRIVIA: They say "there was no room for them at the inn" and this has lead who knows how many school plays showing a hotelier saying "NO VACANCY" and turning them away. Reality is "inn" more meant the house of Joseph's relatives. So it would be more like if you came to my place to stay but all the bedrooms were full and I said, "but I have a cot out on the garage."

Such oddities of the story start way further back than that, such as what in the world were they thinking, traveling with her about to give birth. The explanation that they had to travel because of a census, well, something is missing here.

Of course higher criticism hasn't been too friendly to the whole story, but you have to give the religion credit for creating one that still has a powerful impact.

Quote: odiousgambit

but our choices were only cave or manger. Having a ridiculous image in my head now of delivery into a manger.

How many caves are there in the Middle East?

The verse goes something like "and lay him in a manger." But all my life I have heard it called a "manger scene" when it should be "nativity scene."

As to the Date of December 25 I was always told it was because when Christianity was still a persecuted religion they put it at a time when the pagan religions were drunk and rowdy from their celebrations.

Other thing is the year. I was told we set the years because some Pope decided Jesus being the center of life means start counting the years then. They missed and he was really born about 5-7 BC. But amazing a Pope could do that by decree.

I will try to do from memory, but it is very rusty.

1. What does the name Bethlehem mean?
House of Bread
2. From which house or tribe of Israel do the prophets Nathan, Isaiah, and others say the Messiah will come from?
Judea
3. What does the Immaculate Conception refer to?
It is not the Virgin birth. It refers to Mary's conception.
4. Who is the forerunner of Jesus and whose prophetic spirit is he said to have?
John the Baptist
5. Was Jesus' place of birth a cave or a manger?
Cave
6. How long is the Christmas season? What is the end of the Christmas season?
?
7. What special Feast Days are celebrated the three days immediately after Christmas?
Wise Men
8. What is the first Sunday after Christmas called?
?
9. What are the three gifts the Magi bring and what are their significance?
Frankinsence, Incense, and Myrh
10. Who are Mary's parents?
?
11. What does Emmanuel mean?
?
12. Which prophet predicts a Virgin birth?
Isiah

I think Paco is in the lead so far with 3.5 answers correct.

Great quiz, padre! Some pretty tough ones there. Here is the best I can do. Let me know what my penance is for what is probably a lousy showing.

3. What does the Immaculate Conception refer to?

A myth

12. Which prophet predicts a Virgin birth?

Why is Mary still referred to as a virgin when she had a
bunch of other kids besides Jesus. Odds of her being a
virgin when Jesus was born are zero.

1. What does the name Bethlehem mean?

Why. It's a fact Jesus wasn't born there for a myriad of reasons.
It's just another myth they made up to fulfill a prophesy.

Quote: Evenbob

3. What does the Immaculate Conception refer to?

A myth, lots of the in mythology.

12. Which prophet predicts a Virgin birth?

Why is Mary still referred to as a virgin when she had a
bunch of other kids besides Jesus. Odds of her being a
virgin when Jesus was born are zero.

1. What does the name Bethlehem mean?

Why. It's a fact Jesus wasn't born there for a myriad of reasons.
It's just another myth they made up to fulfill a prophesy.

I bet you're a blast at parties.