National Geographic | THE COMPASS

National Geographic

THE COMPASS

Season's greetings! This week, see which national forests let you cut your own Christmas tree, discover why we mark Advent with treat-filled calendars, and learn how Christmas markets became a classic holiday tradition. Plus, winter is coming! See the trips that help you embrace it—or escape it.

Coloradan Jess Kubes drags a freshly cut Christmas tree out of a local national forest.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS DILLMANN, VAIL DAILY / AP

These national forests let you cut your own Christmas tree

Cutting holiday trees from public lands (with a permit) could help make forests healthier.

DON'T FORGET THE SAW!

Candlelight Advent wreaths like this one inside the Sankt-Petri church in Magdeburg, Germany—signify light in the dark days of winter.

PHOTOGRAPH BY PETER GERCKE. PICTURE ALLIANCE / GETTY

What is Advent—and why do we mark it with treat-filled calendars?

The holiday, which gets its name from the Latin word for arrival, serves as a countdown to Christmas when Christians honor the birth of Jesus Christ.

Visitors take a stroll through VanDusen Botanical Garden’s Festival of Lights, where more than a million lights can be seen over 15 acres.

PHOTOGRAPH BY LIANG SEN, XINHUA / EYEVINE / REDUX

10 dazzling holiday light displays around the world

These seasonal displays brighten cities, salute time-honored traditions, and infuse busy corridors with holiday cheer.

MILLIONS OF LIGHTS

ONE OF THESE FACTS ABOUT CHRISTMAS TREES ISN'T REAL. CAN YOU FIGURE OUT WHICH ONE? CLICK TO SEE IF YOU'RE RIGHT.

A. CANADA IS BELIEVED TO BE THE HOME OF THE FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE
B. IN GREECE, PEOPLE ONCE DECORATED CHRISTMAS BOATS RATHER THAN TREES
C. POOPING LOGS ARE A TRADITION FOR CHILDREN IN CATALONIA

CLICK TO SEE IF YOU'RE RIGHT!

The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is believed to house the site where Mary gave birth to Jesus. Tradition holds that the silver star in the niche marks the exact location.

ZUMA PRESS / ALAMY / ACI

Biblical stories of Jesus' birth reveal intriguing clues about his times

In their differing accounts of the first Christmas, the Gospels of Matthew and Luke provide important historical details about where and when Jesus was born.

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS

GOOD READS

1.

How Christmas markets became a classic holiday tradition

2.

Winter is coming. These trips help you embrace it—or escape it.

3.

Why historians disagree about the origins of Boxing Day, the post-Christmas British holiday

4.

The new year once started in March—here's why

A family stands for a portrait in colorful mumming costumes.

PHOTOGRAPH BY RONAN O'CONNELL

These masked singers continue an Irish Christmas tradition

For centuries in Ireland, mummers would arrive at homes unannounced in an age-old holiday custom. Now, after a long lull, these disguised revelers are back in force.

WHERE WILL WE JOURNEY TO NEXT?

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