Grammy Got Run Over By A Reindeer
Having passed 1.3 billion streams on Spotify alone, what is the most streamed Christmas song of all time?
"All I Want For Christmas Is You" - Mariah Carey
What do the following items have in common: a nail, glass ornaments, a blowtorch, paint cans?
They are all used in Home Alone traps
In Austria, Germany, and other parts of Europe - what is the name of the half-goat, half-demon monster who punishes misbehaving children at Christmastime?
Krampus
Name all nine of Santa's reindeer.
Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph
In 1670, it is said that a German choirmaster handed out sticks of sugar to children in his choir to keep them quiet. These sticks of sugar would later become what beloved holiday treats?
Candy canes
After complaints about the candy being eaten in the German cathedral, the choirmaster gave the treats their iconic hook shape to resemble the staffs of the shepherds who visited Baby Jesus.
Which Christmas song has NOT been turned into a movie/movie title?
A) "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer"
B) "Last Christmas"
C) "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town"
D) "O Holy Night"
E) "White Christmas"
D) "O Holy Night"
List three of the seven characters Tom Hanks technically played in The Polar Express (2004).
Possible answers: the Hero Boy, the Hero Boy's Father, the Conductor, the Ghost on the Train, the Ebenezer Scrooge Puppet, Santa Claus, and the Narrator
Similar to how the US and UK leave out stockings, what article of clothing do children in some countries leave out in hopes of getting treats?
Shoes
Though he had been illustrated long before, the modern-day image of Santa Claus boomed in popularity in 1931 after being used as a mascot for what beverage?
Coca-Cola
Before the Postal Service was established in 1775, American children would send their letters to Father Christmas by doing what?
Burning the letters
They believed the ashes would be magically carried all the way to the North Pole
In "The 12 Days of Christmas", how many total golden rings were gifted by the 12th day?
40 (5 golden rings x 8 days)
Which actor has NOT played an iteration of Ebenezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol?
A) Jim Carrey
B) Ian McKellen
C) Will Ferrell
D) Bill Murray
E) Michael Caine
B) Ian McKellen
Jim Carrey was in A Christmas Carol (2009), Will Ferrell was in Spirited (2022), Bill Murray was in Scrooged (1988), and Michael Caine was in The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Whereas the US celebrates 12 days of Christmas, how many days does Iceland celebrate?
13, based on the 13 Yule Lads - troll-like pranksters who fill in as the Icelandic Santa.
Fun fact: Iceland also has a legend called the Yule Cat, which hunts and eats poor people that didn't get a piece of new clothing by Christmas Eve.
The short story A Christmas Legend - written by James Rees in 1849 - introduced what beloved yuletide figure?
Mrs. Claus
James Rees originally named her Gertrude. It wasn't until 1951 that the name Mrs. Claus was mentioned in the Yale Literary Magazine
The ancient king of modern-day Thailand used to give out what rare animal that would later be the title of a group Christmas game?
The white elephant.
He would give them to courtiers he disliked because they were expensive to keep, hard to give away, and weren't very useful.
With more than 137,000 known recordings, name the biblical carol that is the most covered Christmas song of all time?
"Silent Night"
People often debate on whether or not the following movies are Christmas movies, but which film was actually released in December?
A) Die Hard
B) A Nightmare Before Christmas
C) Edward Scissorhands
D) Gremlins
E) Batman Returns
C) Edward Scissorhands (December 14th, 1990)
Die Hard was released on July 22nd, 1988; A Nightmare Before Christmas on October 29th, 1993; Gremlins on June 1st, 1984; and Batman Returns on June 19th, 1992
In Japan, what fast food restaurant do millions of families eat every year on Christmas?
KFC, after a successful marketing campaign used the slogan "Kentucky for Christmas!"
Which of the following is NOT an alternate name or version of Santa Claus?
A) Père Noël
B) Papa Christo
C) Noel Baba
D) Santy
E) Ash Man
B) Papa Christo
Père Noël (France); Noel Baba (Turkey); Santy (Ireland); Ash Man (Germany)
We all know the "Christ" in "Christmas" refers to Jesus Christ, but what does the Old English suffix "-mas" mean?
Mass
Though the ballet had premiered in Russia in 1892, American audiences were first introduced to the music of The Nutcracker with what early Disney film?
Fantasia (1940)
Finish this iconic Christmas movie quote: "Every time a bell rings, a ____ gets its ____."
"angel"; "wings" (from It's a Wonderful Life (1946))
Every year in Sweden, a giant statue made of straw is built to resemble what animal?
A goat, inspired by the pagan Yule Goat
Thomas Nast - whose illustrations greatly inspired the modern-day image of Santa - drew a magazine cover that depicted the jolly saint handing out gifts to soldiers of what war?
The Civil War.
He became a heroic symbol for the Unionists, and Abraham Lincoln described Santa as "his best recruiting agent!"
A 2005 children's book written by Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell led to the widespread influx of this "mobile" Christmas decoration?
The Elf on the Shelf
The concept was inspired by a tradition Aebersold and her kids had with a toy elf she received as a child