DOUBLE JEOPARDY
According to tradition, this substance meant to last one day kept the menorah lit for eight.
On Christmas Eve 1968, this mission became the first crewed spacecraft to orbit the Moon.
What is Apollo 8?
Before Jesus’ birthday got hijacked, Romans partied for this week-long festival in December—think toga, booze, and gift-giving.
What is Saturnalia?
In this Spanish town, participants chase people through the streets with giant tomatoes during La Tomatina.
What is Buñol?
These Scandinavian butter cookies, often shaped like pretzels or stars, are a Christmas baking staple.
What are krumkake?
Amahl lives with his mom and this extremely judgmental barnyard animal.
A sheep
This U.S. military command accidentally launched the annual Santa-tracking tradition in 1955.
What is NORAD?
Bonus what does NORAD stand for?
Evergreens in your house aren’t just festive—they’re leftover propaganda from this ancient “don’t die in the winter” club.
What are pagan winter solstice rituals?
During this Japanese festival, men throw naked women into cold water to bring fertility and good luck.
What is Hadaka Matsuri?
This spicy, molasses-flavored cookie, often cut into shapes with cookie cutters, is a Christmas tradition in Germany and the U.S.
What is a gingerbread cookie?
These are the Three Wisemen
Kaspar, Balthazar, and Melchior
If Santa followed orbital mechanics instead of magic, he’d most likely be traveling in this kind of Earth orbit to maximize global coverage.
What is low Earth Orbit (LEO)?
Though we celebrate it on December 25, most historians agree Jesus was probably born between 6 and 4 BCE, likely in this season—when shepherds were more plausibly watching their flocks at night.
What is spring (or fall)?
This Icelandic holiday tradition involves 13 mischievous figures called Yule Lads who leave gifts or rotting potatoes in shoes.
What is Jólabókaflóð / Icelandic Yule Lads?
This ingredient in fruitcake helps it last for months—or years without going bad, making it perfect for re-gifting.
What is alcohol (rum, brandy, or wine)?
Kaspar keeps these things in his box.
Stones, Beads, Licorice
When the sleigh is down for maintenance, Santa turns to this Mach-2 Cold War bomber—the only aircraft fast enough to keep Christmas on schedule.
What is the B-58 Hustler?
Some early theologians calculated this event as happening on March 25, which led to a December 25 birth nine months later.
What is the Annunciation (conception of Jesus)?
In this Indian festival of colors, people throw brightly colored powders and water to celebrate the arrival of spring.
What is Holi?
In medieval Europe, bakers added this to fruitcake to make it “fancy” and festive—also the reason it smells so strong.
What are spices (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg)?
This composer decided Christmas needed more opera, more shepherds, and significantly more unresolved trauma.
Who is Gian Carlo Menotti?
To deliver presents to roughly 500 million homes in about 31 hours, Santa would need to travel at roughly this speed—about 1.5% of the speed of light, instantly converting reindeer into plasma.
What is about 4,500 kilometers per second?
Santa’s modern look comes from this 1823 poem and a 19th-century cartoonist—basically the first time marketing met winter cheer.
What is “A Visit from St. Nicholas” and Thomas Nast?
In this Italian town, locals celebrate the Feast of the Ugly Women, honoring ugly people with music, dancing, and sometimes food fights.
What is Cerveteri?
In Mexico, this star-shaped cookie, often decorated with colorful icing, is a favorite during Las Posadas and Christmas celebrations.
What is a polvorón?