We hope you have fun as you test your general Christmas knowledge. Answers and scorecard are posted below.
1. The term “Xmas” was just created in recent years. True or False
2. There was a real-life Santa Claus. True or False
3. The original Elf on the Shelf was named Fisbee. True or False
4. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is the highest-grossing Christmas movie of all time. True or False
5. Christmas Eve is the most popular shopping day during the holiday season. True or False
6. Christmas was illegal at one time. True or False
7. The Nutcracker is a popular, Christmas-themed ballet that originated in Russia. True or False
8. Coca-Cola has been using Santa Claus to advertise its products since 1931. True or False
9. Santa is a Canadian Citizen. True or False
10. At the end of “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the Peanuts gang sings “Joy to the World.” True or False
11. Approximately 15,000 people in America will visit the Emergency Room (ER) because of Christmas. True or False
12. “Silent Night” is the most recorded Christmas song of all time. True or False.
ANSWERS:
1. FALSE. Xmas dates all the way back to the mid-1500s, and came about from the Greek letter X—which is the first letter in the Greek word for Christ: Χριστός. | 2. TRUE. A Christian bishop named Saint Nicholas was the inspiration behind the Santa we all know today. He was a kindhearted clergyman in Turkey known for his generous gift-giving, and he dedicated his life to helping the poor. | 3. TRUE. The creators of Elf on the Shelf grew up with their own elf, Fisbee. They told HuffPost that he “would report to Santa Claus at night and be back in a different position in our house the next day.” | 4. FALSE. Home Alone earned $286 million dollars at the box office in 1990, making it the most successful holiday movie ever. Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas is the second highest-grossing Christmas film. | 5. FALSE. The National Retail Federation reports that the Friday after Thanksgiving, also known as Black Friday, brings in more mall shoppers than any other day of the year. | 6. TRUE. The Puritans banned Christmas from being celebrated from 1659 to 1681. | 7. TRUE. The Nutcracker was first performed in December 1892 in St. Petersburg, Russia. | 8. TRUE. The image of Santa Claus has appeared in Coca-Cola’s holiday ads and on its products for decades. | 9. TRUE. While his official residence remains at the North Pole, Santa was officially awarded Canadian citizenship in 2008. In an official statement by Jason Kenney, Canada’s minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, it was announced that “The Government of Canada wishes Santa the very best in his Christmas Eve duties and wants to let him know that, as a Canadian citizen, he has the automatic right to re-enter Canada once his trip around the world is complete.” | 10. FALSE. They sing “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” | 11. TRUE. It might be the most wonderful time of the year, but it’s also statistically the most dangerous. Falling off ladders while hanging decorations, cooking burns, food poisoning, and a multitude of other holiday mishaps send an average of 15,000 people a year to the ER throughout November and December. | 12. TRUE. It is often confused with “White Christmas,” which is not the most recorded but does hold the Guinness World Record for the best-selling single.
PLAYER’S SCORECARD
10 TO 12 CORRECT = YOU’RE A VIRTUOSO AT CHRISTMAS!
7 TO 9 CORRECT = YOU CAN JOIN IN THE REINDEER GAMES.
4 TO 6 CORRECT = IT WAS A “GRINCH” OF A TRY.
0 TO 3 CORRECT = BAH! HUMBUG!
