Traditions
Pop Culture
Santa Claus
Space and Biology
2025
100
Stories like Krampus that use fear to teach lessons are part of this tradition
Folklore
100
In this film Santa tells Buddy there are 30 Ray’s Pizzas in NYC: “They all claim to be the original, but the real one’s on 11th”
Elf
100
To visit every household on Earth in one night, Santa’s sleigh would require velocities approaching this relativistic limit
Speed of Light
100
North American reindeer are commonly known by this name
Caribou
100
What was the name of the person that won the 2025 Physics Division Ugly Sweater contest
Herman Geppert-Kleinrath
200
For Kwanzaa you might serve groundnut stew or this Jamaican dish of chicken seasoned with allspice & peppers
Jerk Chicken
200
Kevin McCallister defends his house from burglars in this holiday film.
Home Alone
200
Remembering every child’s name and behavior implies extraordinary capacity in this brain structure
Hippocampus
200
The December solstice currently occurs with the Sun located in this IAU-defined constellation
Sagittarius
200
In 2025, world leaders from 100+ countries convened to discuss responsible development of this transformative technology
Artificial Intelligence
300
Many cultures exchange gifts during winter because historically, this plant signals abundance and survival.
evergreen / mistletoe / holly
300
J.K. Simmons voices a toymaker who becomes a Christmas legend in this 2019 Netflix cartoon with a 5-letter title
Klaus 
300
Instantaneous acceleration without inertial stress would violate this principle of classical mechanics.
Newton's First Law / Intertia
300
Elk antlers are among the fastest-growing tissues in mammals due to this tissue type at the growth front
Cartilage
300
This two-digit phrase, popularized on TikTok in 2025, comes from a song and is shouted for fun with no fixed meaning, sometimes accompanied by a playful hand gesture.
6-7
400
Yeast used in holiday bread releases this gas to make dough rise
Carbon Dioxide
400
The total number of gifts given in the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" equals this number
364 gifts
400
Carrying multiple children in a sack would place extreme stress on this joint
Lumbar spine
400
The winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere occurs when the Sun reaches this ecliptic longitude.
270 degrees
400
In July 2025, this CEO of tech company Astronomer was caught on Coldplay’s “kiss cam” with the company’s Chief People Officer, leading to his administrative leave and eventual resignation.
Andy Byron
500
Seasonal music can trigger emotional responses by activating this brain region
Limbic System
500
In films, Santa shows superhuman memory to track behavior of millions of children. Memory capacity is limited by the number of these cells in the brain
Neurons
500
Name this Santa Claus
500
Rudolph sees in dim Arctic light, which requires adaptation of these cells in the retina
Rod Cells
500
What is Laura Stonehill's husbands name?
Nicolas Dallman