1. Natal (Brazil): City in north-east Brazil, capital of Rio Grande do Norte State, near the Atlantic coast and the mouth of the River Potengi. It is an important seaport served by rail links and an airport; manufactured goods include textiles and processed food. The Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (1958) is here. Natal was founded by the Portuguese on Christmas Day 1597, hence its name. Population (1990 estimate) 600,214. ("Natal" is die Portugese woord vir Kersfees en ons eie [Kwazulu] Natal het sy naam ontvang omdat Vasco da Gama dit op 25 Desember 1497 ontdek het)

2. Candlemas: Christian festival observed on February 2 in honour of the presentation of the infant Christ in the Temple and the purification of the Virgin Mary. The festival was probably meant to replace the great feast of expiation and purification (Februa) that was held in ancient Rome in mid-February. The date of the pagan feast was then transferred to February 2, the 40th day after Christmas; the 40-day period was in accordance with the Jewish law that required the ritual purification at the Temple of every mother of a male child 40 days after the child's birth. The festival is believed to have been instituted in 541 or 542 by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. (Moontlike oorsprong van die Afrikaanse woord "Kers"-fees).

3. Boxing Day: Popular term applied to December 26 in England, Wales, parts of Canada, and in some other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations. Traditionally, on that day the employers would give presents, generally of money, to servants, tradespeople, and itinerants. These presents came to be known as Christmas boxes. In rural parts of England and Wales, it was traditional for small boys to capture a robin and take it in a box from house to house, asking for alms. (Dis seker waarom hierdie tyd van die jaar vandag nog so deur bedelaars uitgebuit word).

4. Jubilee: The Christian Church adopted the concept of a year of remission and the term Jubilee from the Jews; the Jubilee year, or Holy Year as it is officially designated, exists in two forms, the ordinary and the extraordinary, and is still an institution in the Roman Catholic Church. The ordinary Holy Year is celebrated at stated intervals. It was instituted by Pope Boniface VIII in 1300, and the interval between Holy Years was fixed at 25 years by Pope Paul II in 1470. Observance of the Holy Year involves a pilgrimage to Rome or equivalent works specified in the papal proclamation. (Dis nie moeilik om te raai op watter dag van die jaar hierdie "heilige jaar" – wat opvallend verskil van die jubileumjaar waarvan die Skrif praat - amptelik aangekondig word nie – In die Encarta artikel oor Pous Pius XII word onder meer vermeld: "Pius opened the 25th Holy Year in the history of the Church on December 24, 1949."

5. Mistletoe:" Common name for various parasitic plants belonging to the mistletoe family. The common European mistletoe grows on various trees … it is an evergreen plant with small, greenish flowers and white berries … The common European mistletoe figured significantly in the folklore and religions of pre-Christian Europe. Reputedly endowed with magical powers, it was used as a cure for sterility and as an antidote for poisons. It is used as a Christmas and New Year’s decoration, and kissing under a branch of mistletoe is still customary. (Die manier waarop die Christendom heidense gebruike oorgeneem het en deel van "Kersfees" gemaak het, herinner baie sterk aan die manier waarop voëlent of "mistletoe" groei en floreer deur op vreemde boomspesies te parasiteer).

6. St Nicholas's Day: The feast day (December 6) of one of the most popular saints in Christendom. Little is known about the life of the saint, but he is said to have been Bishop of Myra, in Asia Minor, in the early fourth century who was persecuted by the Romans but freed under the rule of Emperor Constantine. A great number of legends grew up around him—one is that he once restored to life three little boys who had been cut up and pickled in brine to be served as bacon … St Nicholas, in the guise of Santa Claus (or Father Christmas), is now more closely associated with Christmas although his traditional feast day of December 6 is still celebrated in parts of Europe … In the Netherlands, Switzerland, and parts of Austria and Germany, the saint is represented by a man dressed as a bishop who hears children say their catechism before rewarding them with presents of apples and nuts. Sometimes, he is accompanied by a fierce-looking servant, known as Kris Kringle or Knecht Ruprecht, who threatens to punish children who have not been good or cannot recite their prayers. In Bavaria, Knecht Ruprecht, hooved and with a long, forked tail, traditionally carries a sack laden with children who have misbehaved, while in other parts of central Europe, small boys, dressed as devils, follow in the wake of the saint. (Die dikwels verregaande uitspattigheid en losbandigheid wat met Kersfees geassosieer word, asook die ellende en tragedies wat so kenmerkend van hierdie tyd van die jaar geword het, versterk die vermoede dat Satan en Kersfees, net soos Knecht Ruprecht en Santa Claus, onafskeidbaar verbonde is).