Christmas Science
When Santa is travelling very quickly, which downwards force stops him from flying off into space?
Gravity
One of the gifts the 3 Wise Men brought to the baby Jesus was gold. What is the chemical symbol for the element gold?
Au
Santa Claus, as well as all real-bearded people, have natural beards that are chemically of what material or substance?
Keratin or Protein
The 3 kings (Magi) used camels for transport. What is a camel’s hump filled with?
Fat, storage for the long journey
What words follow “Silent Night” in the song?
Holy night
In the Christmas story, Mary is described as being a virgin. Virgin births are possible due to the modern science of IVF, what do the initials IVF stand for?
In-Vitro Fertilization
Which gas is most likely to make up the majority of the Star of Bethlehem?
Hydrogen
Brussel sprouts contain a chemical called Sulforaphane which has the formula C6H11NOS2. How many different elements are there in Sulforaphane?
5
What type of animal is a Ba Humbugi?
snail
Which Hollywood actor played six different roles in The Polar Express?
Tom Hanks
If you are on the naughty list, you might get a lump of coal for Christmas. But what element is coal primarily made of?
Carbon
Reindeer are ruminants (just like cows). How many chambers do their stomach’s have?
4
In which part of the plant does a Christmas tree (fir tree) store its seeds?
In the cones (pine cones)
Which of Santa’s reindeer is named after another animal?
Vixen (fox)
The movie Miracle on 34th Street is based on a real-life department store. What is it?
Macy’s
If you wanted to find the North Pole, you could use a compass to point north. But what force makes a compass point north?
Magnetic force
A Christmas candle releases energy as both heat and light but what form was the energy in originally, before the candle was lit?
Chemical or chemical potential
Mary travelled to Bethlehem on which animal, a species that is closely related to a horse?
Donkey
What did the other reindeer not let Rudolph do because of his shiny red nose?
Join in any reindeer games
In the movie Elf, what was the first rule of “The Code of Elves?”
Treat every day like Christmas
Which Christmas plant has Latin name Phoradendron and is poisonous?
Mistletoe
Currants, raisins and sultanas are dried fruits often found in Christmas cakes. What fruit were they before they were dried?
Grapes
In the song ‘The 12 days of Christmas’, how many different species of birds are mentioned?
6 (Partridge, Colly Bird, Dove, French Hen, Swan, Geese)
Rangifer tarandus is the scientific name for which animal?
Reindeer
In the song ‘12 Days of Christmas’, how many presents are mentioned in total?
(Partridges: 1 × 12 = 12) + (Doves: 2 × 11 = 22) + (Hens 3 × 10 = 30) + (Calling birds: 4 × 9 = 36) + (Golden rings: 5 × 8 = 40) + (Geese: 6 × 7 = 42) + (Swans: 7 × 6 = 42) + (Maids: 8 × 5 = 40) + (Ladies: 9 × 4 = 36)+ (Lords: 10 × 3 = 30) + (Pipers: 11 × 2 = 22) + (Drummers: 12 × 1 = 12) = 364