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Christmas
Christmas [Christ's Mass], in the Christian calendar, feast of the nativity of Jesus, celebrated in Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches on Dec. 25. In liturgical importance it ranks after Easter , Pentecost , and Epiphany (Jan. 6). The observance probably does not date earlier than AD 200... Read more |
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Christmas Island
Christmas Island tropical island (2001 pop. 1,508), 60 sq mi (155 sq km), an external territory of Australia, in the Indian Ocean c.200 mi (320 km) S of Java. The majority of the inhabitants descendants of Chinese and Malays who came to work the extensive phosphate deposits. Much of the island is... Read more |
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Twelfth Night
Twelfth Night Jan. 5, the vigil or eve of Epiphany , so called because it is the 12th night from Christmas, counting Christmas as the first. In England, Twelfth Night has been a great festival marking the end of the Christmas season, and popular masquerading parties are typical entertainment.... Read more |
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father
father Father Christmas an imaginary figure said to bring presents for children on the night before Christmas Day. He is conventionally pictured as a jolly old man from the far north, with a long white beard and red garments trimmed with white fur, an image which is comparatively recent. In late... Read more |
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Santa Claus
Santa Claus Variant of the Dutch name Sinte Klaas, itself a version of the name Saint Nicholas, who was Bishop of Myra sometime during the 4th century. Santa Claus has become associated with the feast of Christmas and is identified with Father Christmas in North America, the UK, and some former... Read more |
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Advent
Advent [Lat.,=coming], season of the Christian ecclesiastical year preceding Christmas, lasting in the West from the Sunday nearest Nov. 30 (St. Andrew's Day) until Christmas Eve. In the Roman Catholic Church it is traditionally considered a season of penitence and fasting, to prepare for the holy... Read more |
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Noel
Noël ♂, ♀ From Old French noel, nael ‘Christmas’, from Latin natalis dies (Domini) ‘birthday (of the Lord)’. The meaning is still relatively transparent, partly because the term occurs as a synonym for ‘Christmas’ in the refrain of... Read more |
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Franz Gruber
Franz Gruber , 1787-1863, Austrian organist. On Christmas Eve in 1818 he composed his one published work, the music for the poem Silent Night by the local curate, Josef Mohr.... Read more |
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Desserts
Jamaica Recipes Rice and Peas ............................................................ 144 Coconut Chips.......................................................... 146 Brown-Stewed Fish.................................................... 146 Jerk ... Read more |
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twelve
twelve one more than eleven, the number of certain well known sets or groups, as the twelve Apostles, the twelve Labours of Hercules, and the twelve signs of the zodiac.Recorded from Old English (in form twelf(e), the word is of Germanic origin and comes from the base of two + a second element... Read more |
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Christmas Carol, A
Christmas Carol, A, a Christmas book by Dickens, published 1843.Scrooge, an old curmudgeon, receives on Christmas Eve a visit from the ghost of Marley, his late partner in business, and beholds a series of visions, including one of what... |
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Christmas
Christmas. Literally Christ-Mass, the liturgical commemoration of the birth...on the old solstice, 6 January. Many of the features of modern Christmas, such as Christmas trees, cards, and boxes, are Victorian rather than earlier... |
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Christmas-Eve and Easter-Day
Christmas-Eve and Easter-Day, a poem by R. Browning, published 1850. The poem...parts, in octosyllabic metre, with an irregular rhyme-scheme. ‘Christmas-Eve’, in narrative form, combining realistic and visionary elements... |
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Christmas Island
Christmas Island Island in the e Indian Ocean, 320km (200mi) s of Java. Once under British domination, it was annexed to Australia in 1958. It has important lime phosphate deposits. Area: 135sq km (52sq mi). Pop. (2001 est.) 2771.http://www.christmas.net.au |
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Birds' Christmas Carol, The
Birds' Christmas Carol, The, story for children by Kate Douglas Wiggin. |
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Christmas, Joe
Christmas, Joe, character in Faulkner's novel Light in August. |
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Night before Christmas
Night before Christmas, poem by C.C. Moore. |
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'Twas the Night before Christmas
'Twas the Night before Christmas, poem by C.C. Moore. |
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Mumming Play
...particularly in the Cotswolds, at Christmas. It is essentially a dramatization of...but essentially consisted of Father Christmas, the Turkish Knight, sometimes known...characters. The play opens with Father Christmas with his broom clearing a space in a... |
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holidays
...National religious festivals, especially Christmas, Easter, and Whitsuntide, also survived...the late 18th and mid-19th cents. Christmas was remade in more secular and commercial...imported and invented traditions such as the Christmas tree, greeting cards, robins, and... |
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Christmas
Christmas the annual Christian festival celebrating Christ...Christ's’ mæsse ‘Mass’.Christmas box originally a box, usually of earthenware...contributions of money were collected at Christmas by apprentices; the box being broken... |
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Christmas Common
Christmas Common Oxon., hamlet recorded as Christmas (Green) in the early 18th cent., so called from Christmas Coppice 1617 which may have been a coppice where holly trees (traditionally associated with Christmas) were abundant. The similar... |
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Christmas Concerto
Christmas Concerto. Name of Corelli's Concerto...fatto per la notte di Natale (made for Christmas Night). Torelli's 12 Concerti Grossi...pastoral for the most holy night of Christmas’ being No.6, also in G minor. |
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Christmas Oratorio
Christmas Oratorio. Choral work by Bach for soloists...designed for perf. in Leipzig on 3 days of Christmas fest., New Year's Day, New Year...secular words. Schütz also wrote a Christmas Oratorio (1664). Ger. title is Weihnachts... |
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Christmas Island
Christmas Island, Australia, Kiribati 1. Australia: an External Territory since 1958. Although sighted in 1615, it was so‐named on Christmas Day 1643 by Captain William Mynors of the English East India Company... |
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Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve (Russ. Noch' pered rozhdestvom). Opera in 4 acts by Rimsky-Korsakov to his own lib. after story Christmas Eve in Gogol's Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka (1932). Comp. 1894–5. Prod. St Petersburg 1895, Indiana Univ... |
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Christmas disease
Christmas disease (haemophilia B) (kris-măs) n. a disorder that is identical in its effects to haemophilia A, but is due to a deficiency of a different blood coagulation factor, Factor IX. [ S. Christmas (20th century), in whom the factor was first identified] |
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Ives, Joseph Christmas
Ives, Joseph Christmas (1828–68) army officer in the corps of topographical engineers, born Christmas Day in New York City. Returning from an expedition up the Colorado River (1857–58), Ives and his fellow explorers passed through the... |
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Fantasia on Christmas Carols
Fantasia on Christmas Carols. Comp. by Vaughan Williams for bar., ch., and orch...truth sent from above. 2. Come all you worthy gentlemen. 3. On Christmas night. 4. There is a fountain; with fragments of others. F.p... |
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Humphreys, Travers Christmas
Humphreys, Travers Christmas (1901–83). A pioneer of Buddhism in England, Humphreys converted to the religion in his late teens and later became a barrister... |
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present
...What's the difference between a birthday present and a Christmas gift? Both words refer to something given as an expression...the year in addition to your regular salary, it isn't a Christmas gift; it's a Christmas bonus. |
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cheer
...ovation, plaudit, hailing, shout, shouting, clapping. 2. Christmas is a time of cheersynonyms: cheerfulness, gladness, happiness...rejoicing, revelry, festivity. 3. tables laden with Christmas cheersynonyms: fare, food, provisions, foodstuffs, drink... |
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cease-fire
cease-fire • noun a cease-fire was called on Christmas Evesynonyms: armistice, truce, peace, suspension of hostilities. |
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decoration
...enhancements, enrichments, frills, accessories, trimmings, finery, frippery. 2. internal decoration. See decor. 3. a Christmas tree decoration synonyms: ornament, bauble, trinket, knickknack, spangle; trimming, tinsel. 4. a decoration won on... |
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observe
...surveillance, monitor, check out, keep a weather eye on, keep tabs on, spy on; informal eyeball. 3. She'd observed that the Christmas tree looked underdecorated synonyms: remark, comment, say, mention, note, declare, announce, state, pronounce; formal... |
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outrage
...act of violence, evil, act of wickedness, crime, horror, enormity, brutality, barbarism, inhumane act. 2. the pre-Christmas layoff was an outrage | the building is an outragesynonyms: offense, affront, insult, injury, abuse, indignity, scandal... |
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package
package • noun 1. a Christmas package | a package of cookies/papersynonyms: parcel, packet, container, box, carton. 2. agree to some provisions/items but not... |
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roly-poly
roly-poly • adjective informal a roly-poly couple played the Clauses for the Christmas skitsynonyms: chubby, plump, fat, stout, rotund, round, dumpy, chunky, portly, overweight, fleshy, paunchy, bulky, corpulent... |
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smell
...and pleasing, with an emphasis on the source rather than on an olfactory impression (the scent of balsam associated with Christmas). Fragrance and perfume are both associated with flowers, but fragrance is more delicate; a perfume may be so rich and... |
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stir
...agitate, rustle. 4. refuse to stir from the firesidesynonyms: move, move an inch, budge, get up. 5. stirring early on Christmas Daysynonyms: get up, get out of bed, rise, rouse oneself, bestir oneself, move about, be up and about, be active... |
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Christmas church services [Edition 3]
...Gary Bott, 7pm Carols by Candlelight, speaker the Rev Alasdair Macleod; Christmas Eve, 11pm Christmas Eve Communion, speaker the Rev Alasdair Macleod; Christmas Day, 10.30am Christmas Morning Celebration, speaker the Rev Alasdair Macleod... |
 "Post-Tribune (IN)")
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WHAT DOES CHRISTMAS MEAN TO YOU?
...PRINTED VERSION.Ask a youngster what Christmas means, and you'll get some interesting...Porter County and DeMotte to tell us what Christmas means to them. Here's what they wrote...Marilyn Huber's class Timmy Ahner -"Christmas means snow. Christmas means ... |
 "Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)")
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Christmas services.(Religion)(Correction notice)
...Where: 49 Killean Park, Colonie When: Christmas Eve: 9 a.m., 5 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Christmas Day: 11 a.m. Contact: 869-6417...129 Old Loudon Road, Latham When: Christmas Eve: 9 a.m., 4:30 p.m. and 8... |
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christmas services.(Religion)
...Lyons Ave., Menands. 463-8217. Christmas Eve: 7 p.m. Bethany Reformed Church...Scotland Ave., Albany. 482-7998. Christmas Eve: 7 p.m. Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 85 Elm Ave., Delmar. 439-4328. Christmas Eve: 5, 7, 9:15 p.m. Christmas... |
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Christmas services
BILLERICAY Baptist Church (Perry Street): Christmas Eve, 11pm Christmas Eve Communion speaker the Rev Alasdair Macleod; Christmas Day, 10.30am Christmas Morning Celebration speaker the Rev Alasdair Macleod... |
 "The Mirror (London, England)")
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Christmas in numbers.(Editorial)
...returning pounds 35 of unwanted gifts. With Christmas only a week away, we reveal the figures...average Brit is planning to fork out on Christmas this year, a decline from the pounds...spent by the average family on their Christmas dinner. 200,000 is the number of trees... |
 "The Santa Fe New Mexican (Santa Fe, NM)")
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CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS BEGIN TUESDAY.(Religion)
Byline: The New Mexican Christians celebrate Christmas - the birth of Jesus - this Wednesday. Here are some of the services planned for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church 2390... |
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Christmas Services
...Road, Willow Street, will worship in a Christmas Eve service with communion and seasonal...at 3 p.m. Saturday. A traditional Christmas Eve liturgy with communion and candlelighting...9 Hahnstown Road, Ephrata, for a Christmas Eve Communion service, concluding with... |
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Christmas babies: Born on the 25th of December; What's it like to have your...
...things about having your birthday on Christmas Day? The best thing is nobody forgets...your parents tie in your birthday with Christmas? They gave me presents and a party on...Describe your most memorable birthday/Christmas. When I was ten, Mum prepared a big... |
 "The Herald News - Joliet (IL)")
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CHRISTMAS SERVICES
...9:30 and 11 a.m., worship celebrations.Christmas Eve -- 6 p.m., candlelight service, child care...Communion; Sunday church school program, "A Swedish Christmas." Christmas Eve -- 5 p.m., festival worship with Holy Communion... |
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