THE HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS

Gap-fill exercise

Fill in all the gaps with one word or figure, then press "Check" to check your answers. Use the "Hint" button to get a free letter if an answer is giving you trouble. You can also click on the "[?]" button to get a clue. Note that you will lose points if you ask for hints or clues!
1. The Norse countries celebrated the winter solstice on December .

2. For some Roman soldiers and government officials, December was the holiest day of the year.

3. By the C1st AD, traditions were being challenged by Christianity.

4. Evergreens with apples symbolized the of Eve.

5. The story of Santa Claus also begins in the C4th with the death of Nicholas, a beloved bishop.

6. In , an American professor wrote a poem about a saint named Santa Claus.

7. A cartoonist made his own version of the saint in .

8. Since then, Santa Claus is an irresistible image to America’s retailers, Christmas with shopping.