2024 Winter Holiday Hunt

It's December, and we're hosting a special Winter Holiday Hunt!

We've scattered a mint of candles around the site. You'll solve the clues below to find the candles and gather them all together.

  • Decipher the clues below and visit the corresponding LibraryThing pages to find a candle. Each clue points to a specific page right here on LibraryThing. Remember, they are not necessarily work pages!
  • If there's a candle on a page, you’ll see a banner at the top of the page.
  • You have almost three weeks to find all the candles (until 11:59pm EST, Monday January 6th).
  • Come brag about your mint of candles (and get hints) on Talk.

Win prizes:

  • Any member who finds at least two candles will be awarded a candle badge. Badge: ().
  • Members who find all 15 candles will be entered into a drawing for one of five LibraryThing (or TinyCat) prizes. We'll announce winners at the end of the hunt.


P.S. Thanks to conceptDawg for the cardinal illustration!

ConceptDawg has made all of our treasure hunt graphics in the last couple of years. We like them, and hope you do, too!

Sign in or sign up to participate.

Candle 1

The trickster of Ostropol did fight,

One wintry Festival of Lights,

Against fell creatures of the night,

To keep candles burning bright. (Abigail)

Candle 2

This little town, of some renown,

The birth place of a savior.

It slumbered deep, in dreamless sleep,

The night of God’s great favor. (Abigail)

Candle 3

Three ghosts there were that paid a call,

One lonely Christmas Eve,

Past, present, future—one and all,

A transformation to achieve. (Abigail)

Candle 4

With branches eight and one,

This candelabrum shines.

Each night more candles lit,

To mark this special time. (Abigail)

Candle 5

A single father and a teacher meet,

In this contemporary holiday romance,

A book for free cannot be beat,

Enter now, and take your chance! (Abigail)

Candle 6

Arboreal beauty and holiday friend,

Evergreen glory and wonder without end,

Guardian of gifts and harbinger of joy,

The pleasure you bring is without alloy. (Abigail)

Candle 7

What do gifts mean, what is their worth?

Can they give more than can love and mirth?

Two foolish children in a flat discover,

The best gift of all is having one another. (Abigail)

Candle 8

What is it you want for Christmas?

If you’re here, then we can guess.

Check out this LT tradition.

This 18th year might be the best. (Lucy)

Candle 9

Five sisters debuted in 1951,

In the first of five novels—such classic fun!

Then a new tale appeared in 2018,

A picture book depiction of their holiday routine. (Abigail)

Candle 10

This guy’s the Christmas guru,

Featured in myriad works and books.

They say he knows what you do.

He must be fleeter than he looks. (Lucy)

Candle 11

Epistolary fantasy meets holiday enchantment,

In these North Pole missives—an annual tradition,

Sent from father to children, as a seasonal present,

The charming illustrations make a lovely addition. (Abigail)

Candle 12

Fearsome rebels of celebrated name,

Their deeds some sacred texts proclaim,

Their triumphant role in temple restoration,

Commemorated in the Feast of Dedication. (Abigail)

Candle 13

A timeless classic for any kid:

the trees and streets all blanketed.


The snow gives way to wonders galore!

There's trails to make, and snowmen to adore.

There's hills to slide, and snowballs to pack

(with pockets to keep them), and trees to whack.


Oh my, what a glorious, wintry day.

Perhaps tomorrow, a dear friend can play. (Kristi)

Candle 14

'Tis the season of the year,

when LT members are full of cheer

so much so, SantaThing can hardly contain

their spirit to give, and give again.


A new tradition has now begun:

please, take your card—maybe more than one.

A new pen pal, perhaps, you'll find

with a fellow member who's just as kind. (Kristi)

Candle 15

Not a creature is stirring in this holiday poem,

Which depicts Santa Claus visiting a home,

And which gave us the details of that jolly elf’s story,

From reindeer names to sleigh, in all of its glory. (Abigail)