Christmas 2023 Trivia

[November 21, 2023]   1. How many ghosts show up in A Christmas Carol?

a. Four – The spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, and Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s former business partner, is the first ghost to appear.

2. How many gifts were given in “The Twelve Days of Christmas” song?

a. 364 – One more present would have made up a whole year’s worth of gifts. Unless this song was written based on a leap year.

3. What popular Christmas song was actually written for Thanksgiving?

a. Jingle Bells – The song’s original title was “One Horse Open Sleigh.”

4. What is the capital of Christmas Island?

a. Flying Fish Cove

5. In what year did Hallmark make its first Christmas cards?

a. 1915

6. Who was trying to kill baby Jesus?

a. King Herod

7. What year did people start sending out Christmas cards?

a. 1843

8. Which way should you stir mincemeat for good luck, clockwise or counterclockwise?

a. Clockwise

9. Where is the world’s largest nativity scene located?

a. Einsiedein, Switzerland -Four hundred fifty figures were hand carved and set in front of a huge 98.5 feet of painted background.

10. Gingerbread houses were inspired by what popular fairy tale?

a. Hansel and Gretel

11. What is the biggest snowman ever made?

a. Taking approximately one month to build and standing at 122 feet high. and made of 13 million pounds of snow, Olympia the Snowman was built in Bethel, Maine in 1999

12. How long does it take to grow a natural Christmas tree?

a. Six to 15 years from a seedling to an eight-foot tree

13. What Bing Crosby song is the best-selling single ever?

a. White Christmas

14. Are Santa’s reindeer male or female?

a. All are female, male reindeer do not have antlers during Christmas time.

15. What traditional Christmas side dish is called Marsh-Whorts?

a. Cranberry sauce

16. What year did the song Silent Night originate?

a. 1818 in Austria. Father Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber worked on a poem that was written two years earlier. That night they sang the song at St. Nicholas church, and it became one of the best-loved Christmas carols.

17. What are the five names of Jesus found in the Bible?

a. Jesus, Emmanuel, Christ, the Mighty God, the Prince of Peace

18. “I’ll be back again someday” was the last words of who?

a. Frosty the Snowman

19. Which American President banned Christmas trees in the White House?

a. Theodore Roosevelt was attempting to save the trees that were largely being cut down for Christmas around the country.

20. What country decorates their Christmas trees with spiders?

a. Ukraine believes that seeing a spider or spider web on a tree will signify good fortune for the next year to come.

21. What famous scientist was born on Christmas Day?

a. Sir Isaac Newton if you use England's Julien Calendar. According to the rest of the world, he was born on January 4th.

22. What guided the wise men to find Jesus?

a. A star. This is why it is significant to put a star on top of the Christmas tree.

23. In 1989’s National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, how long has Cousin Eddy been unemployed?

a. Seven years

24. What is the name of the town where It’s a Wonderful Life takes place?

a. Bedford Falls

25. Which state was Home Alone filmed in?

a. Illinois

26. Where was baby Jesus born?

a. Bethlehem

27. What real-life department store is the movie “Miracle on 34th Street” base on?

a. Macy’s

28. What color of Christmas did Elvis have?

a. Blue

29. What are two other popular names for Santa?

a. Kris Kringle and Saint Nick

30. Which of Santa’s reindeer has the same name as another holiday mascot?

a. Cupid

31. What country started the tradition of putting up a Christmas tree?

a. Germany

32. How do you say “Merry Christmas” in Spanish?

a. Feliz Navidad

33. What gift did the Little Drummer Boy give to the newborn Christ?

a. He played a song for him on his drums.

34. What is the name of George Bailey’s guardian angel in “It’s a Wonderful Life”?

a. Clarence Odbody

35. How many years after Christ died was Christmas celebrated?

a. 336

36. In what country do people wear roller skates on the way to church on Christmas Eve?

a. Venezuela

37. Who is Jesus’s father?

a. Joseph

38. In what country do people place paper lanterns and light a candle to mark the start of the Christmas season?

a. Colombia

39. What do Englanders call America’s Santa?

a. Father Christmas

[Compiled by JA Hodgdon]

 

Read all the articles in our new
2023 Home for the Holiday magazine

Title CLICK ON TITLES TO GO TO PAGES	Page
Happy Holidays!  How did we get here?	4
Christmas 2023 Trivia	6
Coping with grief and loss during the holidays	10
Keep your poinsettia happy and healthy	14
The history and miracle of Hanukkah	18
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree:  how evergreens ended up decking our halls for the holidays	28
How to choose a Christmas tree theme	32
Santa?  I know him!	36
The universally significant principals of Kwanzaa	40
The history of Father Time and Baby New Year	44
Ring in the New Year alocohol free	48