Christmas was the ________ holiday of the year by far and lasted from the night of Christmas Eve, the 24th of December, to the Twelfth Day, Epiphany, on the 6th of January.

Mid-_________ was a time of year which saw a lull in agricultural activity and consequently many peasants were permitted by their lord to have the entire two weeks off.

The season also involved gift-giving and decorating the home with garlands and wreaths of winter foliage

Naturally, in the very _______ communities of medieval times, the local church was a focal point for the Christmas celebrations and services were well-attended by all classes

Over time the traditional services for major Christian holidays became more elaborate and Christmas was no exception.

Christmas gifts were exchanged on the 25th of December

There was another round of gift-giving on the 1st of _______

he real joy of Christmas for many was the food on offer.

Known as ________ they were thought to be an omen of a person's fortune in the coming year.