Where does the word Halloween come from?
Halloween, or All Hallows' Eve , falls on the night of 31 October, in anticipation of All Hallows' Day (1st November).
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Where does the word Easter come from?
The word Easter is not in the New Testament. Nor does it feature in most translations of the Bible into vernacular languages.
Why do we say 'Good' Friday?
Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash It may seem odd that Christians call their day of greatest sorrow Good Friday.
What is Passover? Where does the word come from?
The Seder is the special meal that celebrates Passover
When did we start saying Merry Christmas?
The first commercially produced Christmas card - 1843 In Old English, the word merry was used to describe anything enjoyable or likable: Robin Hood and his 'merry men', for example
What is Advent? Where does the word come from
‘The arrival of a notable person or thing’ Oxford English Dictionary. Photo by Grant Whitty on Unsplash What and when is Advent Sunday? Advent Sunday is the first of four Sundays leading up to Christmas. It marks the beginning of the Christian liturgical year and the period leading up to Christmas. Symbols The Advent wreath or Advent crown marks the passage of the four weeks of the Advent season. It started as a Lutheran practice but was later adopted by most other Christian denominations. Etymology Advent derives from the Latin root, adventus. This approximates as ‘arrival’ through advenire , with ad meaning ‘to’ and venire ‘come’. When used in general English, advent describes a 'starting point' e.g the advent of mobile phones. Biblical significance The word itself is not biblical but it links closely to the role of prophecy in the Old Testament. This emphasised the need 'to be ready' for a future manifestation of the Messiah. Detail from "Pr...
What is Hanukkah? Why the different spellings?
Hanukkah is a Jewish religious festival that begins in late November or early December.
What is Dudeism?
Look, let me explain something to you. I'm not Mr. Lebowski. You're Mr. Lebowski. I'm the Dude . So that's what you call me. That, or His Dudeness … Duder … or El Duderino, if, you know, you're not into the whole brevity thing. On the face of it, the eponymous hero of The Great Lebowksi (1998) is an unlikely religious leader. According to the Cohen brothers film's tagline, the Dude is 'a lazy, time-wasting slacker'. And by his own admission, Dude struggles to stay on top of life's vicissitudes. You know, a lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what-have-you's. And, uh, lotta strands to keep in my head, man. Lotta strands in old Duder's head. Luckily I'm adhering to a pretty strict, uh, drug regimen to keep my mind limber. At the centre of these 'what-have-you's' is the theft of a rug which - as every Dude admirer knows - 'really tied the room together'. And The Dude's quest to track it down forms the cen...
Where does the word/name Emmanuel come from?
The word Emmanuel is the Hebrew for 'God is with us'. For Christians the birth of Jesus is the physical incarnation of this: Mt:1:23: Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Luke:1:26-39: 26: This is made explicit in Hark the Herald Angel Sing: Glory to God in the ... Jesus our Emmanuel . ... It is also the the theme of the most beautiful carols: