Test Your Christmas Knowledge With These Tricky Holiday Trivia Questions
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As you start decking the halls this holiday season, it might be time to take a break from all the baking and wrapping and brush up on the best Christmas trivia facts. All 61 of these questions and answers make for a lively and festive game night for adults and kids (and seniors too!) with your family or whoever you invite over or can make for fun "did you know?" conversation starters at the Christmas parties you are attending in 2023.
Some of these trivia facts take things a funny direction, some are more serious. Some you might find easy to answer, others you might find hard. All of them will get you in the spirit for your favorite Christmas tradition, be that kissing under the mistletoe, watching your favorite Christmas movies, or trimming the tree. You can make a PDF of them to share with friends too if you like, so they too can know the history of candy canes, when we started leaving out milk and cookies for Santa, and what Rudolph was almost named instead.
Now time to brush up on that Christmas trivia so you'll be ready for December 25. It sneaks up quicker than you think every year!
Where did eggnog come from?
Culinary historians believe eggnog began as posset, a drink made during the Middle Ages with hot milk that was curdled with ale or wine and then sweetened and spiced. Eventually a combination of raw eggs, milk, and sugar more similar to what we drink today became popular in the American colonies spiced with rum or whiskey, and by the 19th century it became a holiday season favorite, according to PBS.
Where is the North Pole?
The geographic North Pole is at the northernmost point on earth where all longitudinal lines meet. It is surrounded by water with drifting ice, and the annual mean temperature is 40 degrees below zero Fahrenheit.
How long ago did the Rockefeller Center tree start?
The tradition of lighting a colossal Christmas tree at New York City’s Rockefeller Center dates back to 1931 when workers at the center pooled their money to buy a 20-foot balsam fir they decorated with garlands handmade by their families. The largest tree in its history came in 1999 with a 100-foot-tall tree.
Who has won an Oscar for their role as Santa Claus?
Edmund Gwenn won an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role as Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34th Street. The 1947 film won three awards from the Academy in all; the other two were for best writing of an original story and a screenplay.
How many people buy gifts online vs. in person these days?
Virtually all shoppers (93 percent) will buy at least some gifts online this year, according to Gallup. Forty-one percent plan to buy almost half of them online, while 6 percent plan to buy all gifts online.
Why are there 12 days of Christmas?
The 12 days of Christmas begin on Christmas Day in Western Christianity and end on January 6, a celebration of Epiphany or Twelfth Night to mark the day the three wise man brought Jesus gifts.
What video game console has sold the most units?
The PlayStation 2 is the bestselling video game console of all time with 158.7 million units sold. It’s followed by Nintendo DS with 154.02 million, Nintendo Switch with 135.79 million, and Game Boy with 118.69 million. Playstation 2 was released in 2000 in response to the popularity of the original Playstation.
On what day to Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas?
Instead of December 25, Orthodox Christians hold their Christmas festivities on January 7 in accordance with the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian calendar. The Orthodox Church split off as its own form of Christianity in 1054. Countries that are majority Orthodox today include Russia, Ukraine, and Greece.
In what country is it tradition to fill children’s clogs with candy and treats on December 5?
This takes place in the Netherlands. The tradition started in the 15th century when poor children would put their shoes in church and the rich would fill them for their owners to find on December 6, the anniversary of the death of Saint Nicholas. Later they started leaving them out to be filled at home.
What was the first Christmas carol broadcast from space?
“Jingle Bells” was played on December 16, 1965, during NASA’s Gemini 6A space flight. Astronauts played it on harmonica and backed by miniature sleigh bells. Those instruments are now on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
How did the tradition of hanging stockings on the fireplace start?
According to tradition, a recently widowed father of three girls was having a tough time making ends meet when Saint Nicholas was wandering through the village and heard about the family. He wanted to help but knew they wouldn’t accept charity, so he slid down their chimney one night and filled the girls’ recently laundered stockings that were drying by the fire with gold coins.
Are Santa’s reindeer male or female?
Both male and female reindeer have antlers, but they shed them annual and grow a new, larger set every year. Only females still have antlers at Christmastime since males shed them before winter begins once mating season has ended, so Santa’s reindeer must all be female.
How many total gifts were given in the "Twelve Days of Christmas"?
Answer: 364, or one for every day of the year except Christmas. That math gets a little complicated, so we let House of Maths do it for us.
What was the original name of "The Night Before Christmas" by Clement Clarke Moore?
Answer: “A Visit from St. Nicholas.” After Moore first wrote the poem, he read it to his children on Christmas Eve, and a friend who was visiting was so impressed that she sent it to a newspaper, who published it the next year in 1823.
When did the first image of Santa Claus as the modern-day figure we know him appear?
Answer: In 1863 the magazine Harper’s Weekly ran an image of a rotund Santa giving out presents in a Union Army camp and another of Santa in his sleigh and going down a chimney, according to Smithsonian Magazine. What started as wartime propaganda and political commentary by artist Thomas Nast, though, has lived on well past the end of Nast’s Santa illustrations for the magazine in 1886 and into the modern image we know today. The image on the left is one Nast drew for the magazine in 1881.
What song tops Billboard's list of the greatest of all time holiday 100 songs?
Answer: “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey is in the No. 1 seat followed by “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee and “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms according to Billboard.
Who invented Christmas lights?
Answer: It wasn’t just one person who invented them; it was three, according to the Library of Congress. In the Christmas season of 1880 Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, first the first strand of electric lights. Then in 1882 Edward H. Johnson, Edison’s business partner and friend, wired colored bulbs and wound them around his Christmas tree. Lastly, in 1917 Albert Sadacca sold the first strand of Christmas lights to the public.
Where was the Christmas classic film “Home Alone” filmed?
Answer: The brick family home so well known from the movie is located in Winnetka, Illinois, outside of Chicago, but while some scenes were filmed on location, most of the movie was filmed on a set built in a gym and swimming pool at New Trier Township High School nearby.
When did it become tradition to leave milk and cookies out for Santa on Christmas Eve?
Answer: According to NPR, one of the first references to cookies for Santa appeared in the 1870s in the short story Polly: A Before-Christmas Story.
Which famous author and peer of Charles Dickens wasn't a fan of "A Christmas Carol"?
Answer: While many of Dickens’s author peers received the story (which Dickens wrote in six short weeks!) positively, Mark Twain, on the other hand, critiqued it. "There is no heart,” he said of the story. “No feeling – is nothing but glittering frostwork."
How long does it take for a tree to reach the average height for a Christmas tree?
Answer: It can take as few as 4 years or as many as 15, but the average amount of growing time is 7 years, according to the National Christmas Tree Association.
What does the word “noel” mean?
Answer: “Nöel” comes from an old French word “nael” that means “of or born on Christmas," which evolved from the Latin “natalis dies” meaning “day of birth.” It has traditionally been used as a name for babies born in the Christmas season.
When were gingerbread houses invented?
Answer: Quite a while ago, actually! They are thought to have been invented in Germany during the 16th century and rose in popularity with the Brothers Grimm's Hansel and Gretel story, according to PBS.
How many U.S. households put up a Christmas tree?
Answer: If you guessed 96 million, you'd be right!
When was the term "Xmas" invented?
Answer: While you might think the shortened version of "Christmas" is a modern creation, it actually harkens back all the way to the mid-1500s and the Greek letter X, which is the first letter in (you guessed it) the Greek word for Christ: Χριστός.
How many packages does USPS deliver during the holidays?
Answer: Per estimates from the United States Postal Service, USPS delivers about 15 billion pieces of mail and about 800 million packages between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.
True or false: 'Jingle Bells' was always a Christmas song.
Answer: False! The now-classic holiday tune "Jingle Bells" was written in the mid-19th century by James Pierpont while he experienced a bout of homesickness while living in Savannah, Georgia. Though debated, some believe it was originally written for the Thanksgiving program at his father's church.
Was Christmas ever outlawed in America?
Answer: Though you may find it surprising, the answer is yes. From 1659 to 1681, the Puritans did not allow Christmas to be celebrated, going so far as to officially outlaw celebrating the date. Christmas wasn't designated a national holiday until almost two centuries later, in 1870.
True or false: George Washington loved eggnog.
Answer: This one is true! The Founding Father even had his own boozy recipe where he forgot to note the number of eggs needed, but included the (albeit important) instruction, "Taste frequently."
What two things made red and green popular Christmas colors?
Answer: Holly and Coca-Cola. While the tradition of red and green holly dates back to Roman winter solstice celebrations, the Coca-Cola company also played a role. The soda makers popularized the plump and jolly red-suit-wearing Santa in an ad in 1931, Arielle Eckstut, co-author of Secret Language of Color, told NPR.
How many Americans buy artificial Christmas trees?
Answer: Interestingly enough, 81 percent of Americans use an artificial tree and only 19 percent opt for a real tree.
Who came up with the idea for The Elf on the Shelf?
Answer: Carol Aebersold and her daughters, Chanda Bell and Christa Pitts. They grew up with their own elf, Fisbee, who reported back to Santa every night leading up to Christmas, they told HuffPost. Eventually, the family wrote the children's book and launched the company that sparked today's countless ideas for the funniest Elf on the Shelf ideas.
How fast would Santa's sleigh have to travel to deliver presents to all the children in the world?
Answer: About six million miles per hour, as reported in The Telegraph. Factoring in the number of children who celebrate Christmas around the world (around 700 million) and the total time Santa would have due to time-zone differences (31 hours), Dr. Katy Sheen, a physicist from Exeter University, determined that Santa would travel so fast that his reindeer would break the speed of sound.
Do more Americans eat ham or turkey on Christmas?
Answer: Both. Though sometimes hotly contested whether ham or turkey should take center stage on your Christmas dinner menu, Americans eat roughly the same amount of each protein (in total pounds consumed) during the holidays, according to Time.
How many Americans celebrate Christmas?
Answer: Nine in 10 Americans celebrate Christmas, according to a 2017 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, and around 55 percent consider it a religious holiday, while 33 percent think of it as more of a cultural celebration.
Where does the advent calendar tradition come from?
Answer: While the religious advent season celebrated by Christians technically starts four full weeks before Christmas, the celebratory advent calendars most folks use today usually begin on December 1 and date back to the 19th century. The tradition was first started by German Protestants who lit candles or made chalk marks on doors every day during the month of December.
How much do Americans spend on holiday shopping?
Answer: Americans spent an estimated $936.3 billion in 2022 on holiday gifts, up 5.3% from 2021.
Why is Christmas celebrated in December?
Answer: Though there's no specific date of birth mentioned in the Bible, let alone clues that would suggest a wintertime birthday (in fact, some experts think the presence of shepherds hints at a springtime birth), it's believed that Christians chose this month and date to celebrate Jesus's arrival to replace a series of pagan celebrations that used to occur in December, according to History.
How long have candy canes been around for?
Answer: The first record of candy canes in America goes all the way back to 1847 when a German immigrant used them to decorate his holiday tree, according to the National Confectioners Association. (Prior to that, legend says they were invented in 1670 by a choirmaster in Cologne, Germany.) Nowadays, the iconic Christmas candy is a holiday staple with more than 1.2 billion produced and sold each year.
What is the story behind the shape of candy canes?
Answer: They're meant to resemble shepherds' crooks!
True or false: Sending Christmas cards is no longer a popular tradition.
Answer: False! Around 1.3 billion cards are sent around Christmas. Plus, there are even more that are sent digitally.
When was the very first Christmas card created?
Answer: 1843 (pictured here!) and it was invented by Henry Cole. With too many friends to write a letter to for the holidays (an old custom in England), Cole took advantage of the British postal office's "Penny Post" and sent a print of the same sketch and short message to everyone on his list.
Why do people kiss under mistletoe?
Answer: The start of the tradition is unclear, but some believe mistletoe is connected to fertility. Others believe the practice stems from a German myth, which states that when the god of truth and light, Baldur, was killed by an arrow made of mistletoe, his mother used its white berries to bring him back to life. To celebrate, she promised to kiss anyone passing by the sacred plant.
True or false: Mistletoe berries are edible.
Answer: False. In fact, eating any part of the mistletoe plant is extremely dangerous. It contains a poisonous ingredient called phoratoxin, so make sure it's out of reach of kids and pets this holiday season.
What's the highest grossing Christmas movie of all time?
Answer: In 2018, The Grinch overthrew Home Alone, grossing nearly $513 million.
True or false: There was once a real-life Santa Claus.
Answer: True! The Christian bishop Saint Nicholas was the inspiration behind the jolly man we all know and love. St. Nicholas, a generous, gift-gifting clergyman, lived in modern day Turkey and devoted his life to helping the poor, according to Biography.
What's the most popular shopping day during the holiday season?
Answer: The Friday following Thanksgiving, also known as Black Friday. More than half of Americans intend to make a purchase on the day.
What's the most popular Christmas song of all time?
Answer: The most recorded Christmas song of all time is "Silent Night," according to Time, whereas "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby holds the Guinness World Record for the best-selling single.
When did Christmas trees become a popular tradition?
Answer: While historians found evidence of the Christmas tree tradition beginning with the ancient Egyptians, they really took off when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert adopted the tradition at Buckingham Palace in 1846.
Why do we hang Christmas stockings?
Answer: According to legend, the generous Turkish bishop St. Nicholas helped a man who couldn't afford the dowries to marry off his three daughters by throwing three gold balls down his chimney. They landed in their stockings, hung by the fire to dry, resulting in today's tradition.
Who made the first gingerbread cookie?
Answer: Some evidence suggests gingerbread existed way back in 2400 BC. However, Queen Elizabeth I is behind the modern-day cookie, according to PBS. To impress a group of guests visiting her palace, the Queen asked for gingerbread cookies designed to look like each visitor.
Why do we put a star on the top of a Christmas tree?
Answer: The star is more than just a pretty decoration, it represents the Star of Bethlehem. In the nativity scene from the Bible, the three wise men follow the star to Jerusalem—where they met baby Jesus.
What real-life place is the film 'Miracle on 34th Street' based on?
Answer: Macy's! In fact, the onscreen rivalry that existed between Macy's and Gimbels was very much real at the time the movie was released.
When was tinsel first invented?
Answer: In Germany back in 1610, and it was originally made from hammered silver.
In which country is KFC a Christmas dinner tradition?
Answer: Japan. In the early '70s, Takeshi Okawara, the enterprising manager of the first Kentucky Fried Chicken in the country, had an idea. After learning that people were seeking out alternatives to turkey for the holidays, he marketed a fried chicken party bucket—with the slogan "Kentucky is Christmas!" It took off and hasn't slowed down since. Christmas in Japan now accounts for a third of KFC's annual sales.
What year was the first Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting ceremony?
Answer: While the very first tree in Rockefeller Center was in 1931, there wasn't an official lighting ceremony until 1933.
Where was the first Yule Log cake created?
Answer: France. The Christmas cake is believed to have originated in the country in the 19th century. The dessert, made of sponge cake and buttercream swirls, was called Bûche de Noël.
What other names did Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer almost have?
Answer: According to the original manuscript, author Robert May considered many other "R" names before settling on Rudolph. Reginald, Reggy, Roland, Rollo, Randy, Rodney, and Romeo were all contenders.
Speaking of reindeer, how did the animal become such a big part of Christmas?
Answer: Carl Lomen, a businessman from Alaska, saw the untapped potential of marketing reindeer meat and fur in the United States, so he partnered with Macy's in 1926 to promote them in an ad with Santa. Though eating reindeer never took off, using them to pull Father Christmas's sleigh certainly did!
Who was the first president to have a Christmas tree in the White House?
Answer: President Benjamin Harrison. In 1889, he placed the tree upstairs in the Second Floor Oval Room, and decorated it with candles for his grandchildren.
When was Queen Elizabeth's first televised Christmas address?
Answer: In 1957, history was made. "Twenty-five years ago my grandfather broadcast the first of these Christmas messages," the late monarch said at the time. "Today is another landmark because television has made it possible for many of you to see me in your homes on Christmas Day."
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