Hi, and welcome to fasab’s fascinating festive facts.
Everything on my blog this week is in Christmas mode including these tidbits of information that you may be able to work into the conversation if you are at a party or two this week.
Enjoy and have a very Merry Christmas.
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The traditional three colors of Christmas
are green, red, and gold.
Green has long been a symbol of life and rebirth;
red symbolizes the blood of Christ,
and gold represents light as well as wealth and royalty.
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The first printed reference to a
Christmas tree was in 1531 in Germany.
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Apparently seven out of ten British dogs
get Christmas gifts from their doting owners.
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A lot of people don’t like it,
but the abbreviation of ‘Xmas’ for
Christmas is not irreligious.
The first letter of the word Christ in Greek is chi,
which is identical to our X.
Xmas was originally an ecclesiastical abbreviation
that was used in tables and charts.
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Electric Christmas lights
were first used in 1854.
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Some people who were born on December 25
feel hard done by because they have to
make do with one present instead of two
and share their big day celebrations with everybody else.
Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island,
recognized the problem. When he died on December 4, 1894,
he willed his November 13 birthday to a friend
who disliked her own Christmas birthday
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Franklin Pierce was the first president to
decorate an official White House Christmas tree.
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Silent Night was written in 1818,
by Austrian priest Joseph Mohr.
He was told the day before Christmas
that the church organ was broken
and would not be repaired in time for Christmas Eve.
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Artificial Christmas trees
have outsold real ones since 1991.
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In the British armed forces it is traditional
that officers wait on the other ranks
and serve them their Christmas dinner.
This dates back to a custom from the Middle Ages.
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Long before mistletoe became a saucy ‘kiss encourager’,
it was considered to have magic powers.
It was said to have the ability to heal
wounds and increase fertility.
Celts hung mistletoe in their homes
in order to bring themselves good luck
and ward off evil spirits.
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Each year there are approximately 20,000
“rent-a-Santas” across the United States.
“Rent-a-Santas” usually undergo seasonal training
on how to maintain a jolly attitude
under pressure from the public.
They also receive practical advice,
such as not accepting money from parents
while children are looking and
avoiding garlic, onions, or beans for lunch.
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In Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea,
your age is measured not in years
but in how many Christmases you’ve lived through;
you’re not 20, you’re twenti krismas.
Rather less charmingly,
the Japanese expression to describe
single women over 25 years old is
kurisumasu keiki – left-over Christmas cake.
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Most of Santa’s reindeer have male-sounding names,
such as Blitzen, Comet, and Cupid.
However, male reindeers shed their antlers around Christmas,
so the reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh
are likely not male, but female – or castrati.
(I wonder if that is the origin of hanging balls
on a Christmas tree comes from?)
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The popular Christmas song “Jingle Bells”
was actually written for Thanksgiving.
The song was composed in 1857 by James Pierpont,
and was originally called “One Horse Open Sleigh”.
Christmas week again folks and another year almost gone.
Time of course for the BIG Christmas quiz.
Some of the questions are fairly easy, but one or two will keep you thinking for a while.
So grab a cup of coffee, or something stronger if you like, and test your knowledge of Christmas and things Christmasy.
And, as always, if you get stuck, you can find the answers waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below, but please NO cheating!
Enjoy, good luck, and a very Merry Christmas.
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Q. 1: In which country does Santa have his own personal postcode ‘HOH OHO’?
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Q. 2: Which Christmas plant takes its name from the first US Minister to Mexico?
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Q. 3: What date is St Stephen’s Day?
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Q. 4: The song ‘White Christmas’ was first performed in which 1942 movie?
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Q. 5: Who is officially credited as the author of ‘Auld Lang Syne’?
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Q. 6: ‘Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents’ is the opening line from which classic novel?
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Q. 7: Which Christmas carol includes the lyrics ‘…To save us all from Satan’s power, when we were gone astray..’?
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Q. 8: In ‘The Twelve Days Of Christmas’, what were there eight of?
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Q. 9: If you’ve watched a TV show like ‘The Sopranos’ you’ve probably heard the term ‘Bada Bing’, but in what country is Christmas known as ‘Bada Din’ (the big day)?
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Q. 10: Which of Santa’s reindeer shares its name with a mythical god of love?
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Q. 11: What color are the berries of the mistletoe plant?
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Q. 12: The character ‘Jack Skellington’ appears in which 1993 Tim Burton movie?
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Q. 13: What’s the second line of “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas“?
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Q. 14: Marzipan is made (conventionally in the western world) mainly from sugar and the flour or meal of which nut?
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Q. 15: In the inspirational 1946 movie, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, what’s the name of George Bailey’s guardian angel?
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Q. 16: What Christmas item was invented by London baker and wedding-cake specialist Tom Smith in 1847?
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Q. 17: We all know that “Good King Wenceslas looked out on the feast of Stephan” and that he liked his pizzas deep pan crisp and even, but in which country was Wenceslas king?
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Q. 18: Who wrote ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’?
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Q. 19: Who were first people to visit the baby Jesus?
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Q. 20: A Christmas present for country western fans. Who sang “It was Christmas in prison the food was real good, we had turkey and pistols carved out of wood” ?
a) Willy Nelson b) Johnny Cash c) John Prine d) Garth Brooks
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Q. 21: What do George C. Scott, Alastair Sim, Daffy Duck, Patrick Stewart, Michael Caine, Fred Flintstone and Jim Carrey all have in common?
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Q. 22: Which Christmas condiment is made from fruit sometimes referred to as ‘marshworts’?
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Q. 23: The American ad writer Robert L. May invented which colorful Christmas character in 1939?
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Q. 24: ‘Three Kings Day’ is known by what numerical name in Britain?
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Q. 25: What Angel visited Mary?
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Q. 26: Which Christmas slogan was introduced by Clarissa Baldwin of Dogs Trust in 1978?
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Q. 27: Peter Auty sang ‘Walking In The Air’ in what Christmas time movie?
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Q. 28: What do American singer and actor Dean Martin, actress and singer Eartha Kitt, and Charlie Chaplin all have in common?
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Q. 29: In the song The Twelve Days of Christmas, ‘…my true love brought to me nine…’ what?
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Q. 30: Which American-born English poet, having first names Thomas Stearns, wrote the poem ‘The Cultivation Of Christmas Trees’?
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Q. 31: Who composed the music known as ‘The Nutcracker Suite’, for the Christmas themed ballet The Nutcracker, premiered in St Petersburg, 1892?
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Q. 32: What is the surname of the family in the 1989 movie ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’?
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Q. 33: Patra, the birthplace of the original Santa Claus, St Nicholas, is in which modern country?
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Q. 34: How many of Rudolph’s eight companions names start with ‘D’? (A point for the correct number and bonus points for each one you can name correctly.)
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Q. 35: Which southern central US state, whose capital city has the same name, was the last to recognize Christmas as an official holiday?
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Q. 36: Under which Puritan leader did the English parliament pass a law banning Christmas in 1647?
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Q. 37: In the song ‘The Twelve Days Of Christmas‘, how many swans were a-swimming?
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Q. 38: Why were Joseph and the expectant Mary on the road to Bethlehem in the first place?
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Q. 39: In which country was Boxing Day renamed ‘Day of Goodwill’ in 1994?
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Q. 40: How many Lords-a-leaping are there in ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’?
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Q. 41: In which American state would you find the city of Bethlehem?
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Q. 42: Which Hasbro children’s robot action figures were the most popular Christmas presents in 1984?
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Q. 43: What Christmas item takes its name from the old French word ‘estincelle’, meaning spark?
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Q. 44: In the movie ‘Jingle All The Way’ name the toy Arnold Schwarzenegger was hunting?
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Q. 45: Which famous mathematician was born on Boxing Day in 1791?
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Q. 46: What does the word ‘Christ’ mean?
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Q. 47: Which 1987 action/comedy movie opens to the music of ‘Jingle Bell Rock’?
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Q. 48: What Apple product was reportedly the most popular Christmas gift in 2007?
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Q. 49: A lot of them have already been mentioned in this quiz, so how many presents were given in total in the 12 Days of Christmas?
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Q. 50: In the Christmas carol, which town is known as ‘Royal David’s City’?
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ANSWERS
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Q. 1: In which country does Santa have his own personal postcode ‘HOH OHO’?
A. 1: Canada.
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Q. 2: Which Christmas plant takes its name from the first US Minister to Mexico?
A. 2: Poinsettia.
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Q. 3: What date is St Stephen’s Day?
A. 3: 26th December.
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Q. 4: The song ‘White Christmas’ was first performed in which 1942 movie?
A. 4: Holiday Inn.
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Q. 5: Who is officially credited as the author of ‘Auld Lang Syne’?
A. 5: Robert Burns.
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Q. 6: ‘Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents’ is the opening line from which classic novel?
A. 6: Little Women.
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Q. 7: Which Christmas carol includes the lyrics ‘…To save us all from Satan’s power, when we were gone astray..’?
A. 7: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.
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Q. 8: In ‘The Twelve Days Of Christmas’, what were there eight of?
A. 8: Maids-a-milking.
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Q. 9: If you’ve watched a TV show like ‘The Sopranos’ you’ve probably heard the term ‘Bada Bing’, but in what country is Christmas known as ‘Bada Din’ (the big day)?
A. 9: India.
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Q. 10: Which of Santa’s reindeer shares its name with a mythical god of love?
A. 10: Cupid.
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Q. 11: What color are the berries of the mistletoe plant?
A. 11: White.
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Q. 12: The character ‘Jack Skellington’ appears in which 1993 Tim Burton movie?
A. 12: The Nightmare before Christmas.
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Q. 13: What’s the second line of “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas”?
A. 13: “Just like the ones I used to know”.
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Q. 14: Marzipan is made (conventionally in the western world) mainly from sugar and the flour or meal of which nut?
A. 14: Almond.
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Q. 15: In the inspirational 1946 movie, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, what is the name of George Bailey’s guardian angel?
A. 15: Clarence (Oddbody).
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Q. 16: What Christmas item was invented by London baker and wedding-cake specialist Tom Smith in 1847?
A. 16: Christmas cracker.
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Q. 17: We all know that “Good King Wenceslas looked out on the feast of Stephan” and that he liked his pizzas deep pan crisp and even, but in which country was Wenceslas king?
A. 17: Bohemia (Czech Republic)
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Q. 18: Who wrote ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’?
A. 18: Dr Seuss.
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Q. 19: Who were first people to visit the baby Jesus?
A. 19: Shepherds.
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Q. 20: A Christmas present for country western fans. Who sang “It was Christmas in prison the food was real good, we had turkey and pistols carved out of wood” ?
a. Willy Nelson b. Johnny Cash c. John Prine d. Garth Brooks
A. 20: Answer c. John Prine (‘Christmas in prison’ from the album Sweet Revenge)
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Q. 21: What do George C. Scott, Alastair Sim, Daffy Duck, Patrick Stewart, Michael Caine, Fred Flintstone and Jim Carrey all have in common?
A. 21: They have all played the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in movies or television.
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Q. 22: Which Christmas condiment is made from fruit sometimes referred to as ‘marshworts’?
A. 22: Cranberry sauce.
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Q. 23: The American ad writer Robert L. May invented which colorful Christmas character in 1939?
A. 23: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
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Q. 24: ‘Three Kings Day’ is known by what numerical name in Britain?
A. 24: Twelfth Night.
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Q. 25: What Angel visited Mary?
A. 25: Gabriel.
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Q. 26: Which Christmas slogan was introduced by Clarissa Baldwin of Dogs Trust in 1978?
A. 26: A Dog Is For Life, Not Just For Christmas.
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Q. 27: Peter Auty sang ‘Walking In The Air’ in what Christmas time movie?
A. 27: The Snowman.
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Q. 28: What do American singer and actor Dean Martin, actress and singer Eartha Kitt, and Charlie Chaplin all have in common?
A. 28: All died on Christmas day.
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Q. 29: In the song The Twelve Days of Christmas, ‘…my true love brought to me nine…’ what?
A. 29: Ladies dancing.
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Q. 30: Which American-born English poet, having first names Thomas Stearns, wrote the poem ‘The Cultivation Of Christmas Trees’?
A. 30: T S Eliot.
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Q. 31: Who composed the music known as ‘The Nutcracker Suite’, for the Christmas themed ballet The Nutcracker, premiered in St Petersburg, 1892?
A. 31: Tchaikovsky.
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Q. 32: What is the surname of the family in the 1989 movie ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’?
A. 32: Griswold.
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Q. 33: Patra, the birthplace of the original Santa Claus, St Nicholas, is in which modern country?
A. 33: Turkey.
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Q. 34: How many of Rudolph’s eight companions names start with ‘D’? (A point for the correct number and bonus points for each one you can name correctly.)
A. 34: Three – Dasher, Dancer and Donner
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Q. 35: Which southern central US state, whose capital city has the same name, was the last to recognize Christmas as an official holiday?
A. 35: Oklahoma.
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Q. 36: Under which Puritan leader did the English parliament pass a law banning Christmas in 1647?
A. 36: Oliver Cromwell.
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Q. 37: In the song ‘The Twelve Days Of Christmas’, how many swans were a-swimming?
A. 37: Seven.
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Q. 38: Why were Joseph and the expectant Mary on the road to Bethlehem in the first place?
A. 38: To pay tax (and take part in a census).
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Q. 39: In which country was Boxing Day renamed ‘Day of Goodwill’ in 1994?
A. 39: South Africa
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Q. 40: How many Lords-a-leaping are there in ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’?
A. 40: 10.
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Q. 41: In which American state would you find the city of Bethlehem?
A. 41: Pennsylvania
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Q. 42: Which Hasbro children’s robot action figures were the most popular Christmas presents in 1984?
A. 42: The Transformers
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Q. 43: What Christmas item takes its name from the old French word ‘estincelle’, meaning spark?
A. 43: Tinsel.
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Q. 44: In the movie ‘Jingle All The Way’ name the toy Arnold Schwarzenegger was hunting?
A. 44: Turbo Man.
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Q. 45: Which famous mathematician was born on Boxing Day in 1791?
A. 45: Charles Babbage.
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Q. 46: What does the word ‘Christ’ mean?
A. 46: ‘Annointed’ (from the Greek ‘Xristo’).
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Q. 47: Which 1987 action/comedy movie opens to the music of ‘Jingle Bell Rock;?
A. 47: Lethal Weapon
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Q. 48: What Apple product was reportedly the most popular Christmas gift in 2007?
A. 48: The iPod Touch.
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Q. 49: How many presents were given in total in the 12 Days of Christmas?
A. 49: 364.
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Q. 50: In the Christmas carol, which town is known as ‘Royal David’s City’?
Regrettably I think we are coming close to end of my supply of stupid quiz show answers. It has been a good series and actually lasted a lot longer than I first thought. And some of them have been very amusing as well. All in all it has been well received.
I’ll call this the penultimate selection. It may contain some repeats, but they made me laugh when I read them again and if they do that then I hope they may do the same for you too.
Enjoy.
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Q. What “U” are the Eastern Europeans who originated the tradition of painting Easter eggs?
A. Yugoslavians
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Q. What “S” is the nearest star to the earth?
A. Saturn
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Q. Name a drink you recognize by its smell
A. Potatoes
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Q. Something a husband and wife should have separate of
A. Parents
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Q. Name a hobby people take up for the thrills involved
A. Stamp collecting
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Q. Name a word that starts with the letter Q
A. Cute
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Q. Name a signer of the Declaration of Independence
A. Thomas Edison
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Q. Something that lets a burglar know that a house is unoccupied
A. No people in the house
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Q. Like “sugar bowl”, a bowl that’s named for the substance it contains
A. Toilet bowl
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Q. Name a fictional island
A. Rhode Island
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Q. Name one of Santa’s reindeer
A. Nixon
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Q. Name a beverage you stir before drinking
A. Water
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Q. Name the heaviest item in your house
A. 600 pounds
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Q. Something starting with “egg”
A. Excellent
A. Eggland
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Q. Name an actor who played a gangster
A. Al Capone
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Q. Name a character from the movie Aladdin
A. Jihad
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Q. Name something with claws
A. Christmas
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Q. A man’s name that starts with the letter “P”
A. Porcupine
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Q. Name a pie that does not contain fruit
A. Lemon Meringue
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Q. Name a room in the house where the family gathers
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