True or False
Jingle Bells was originally a Thanksgiving song
True.
The song was originally published as “One horse open sleigh” in 1857 and was inspired by sleigh races in Massachusetts. The song was first performed in a Sunday school for Thanksgiving later evolving into a Christmas staple.
Christmas was not always celebrated on December 25th
True.
Early Christians initially did not celebrate Jesus’s birth and this specific date is not mentioned in the bible. The date was fixed in the 4th century, likely chosen to coincide with existing Roman winter solstice festivals, such as Sol Invictus (Birthday of the Unconquered Sun)
In Japan, eating KFC for Christmas dinner is a popular tradition.
True.
“Kentucky for Christmas” was a marketing campaign in 1974 which capitalized on the lack of turkey and the growing westernization of Japanese holidays, making fried chicken a festive symbol for families.
Christmas was once banned in England.
True.
Christmas was officially banned in England from 1647 to 1660 under the rule of Oliver Cormwell, who saw the traditional feasting and revelry as sinful.
Counting Rudolph, Santa has 7 reindeers.
False.
Santa has 9 reindeers
Dasher: The swift leader.
Dancer: Graceful and joyful.
Prancer: Elegant and proud.
Vixen: Clever and mischievous.
Comet: Energetic and bright.
Cupid: Brings love and cheer.
Donner: Strong.
Blitzen: Fast as lightning.
Rudolph: The famous ninth, with a bright red nose.
Feliz Navidad means Merry Christmas in French
False.
In Spanish it means “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Christmas”
Christmas falls during summer in Australia.
True.
Yes, Australians celebrate Christmas in the middle of summer, which means warm, sunny weather, barbecues, beach days, and outdoor gatherings instead of snow and cold, with traditions like Santa in shorts, seafood feasts
The Rockefeller Center Tree can be found in Los Angeles.
False.
Its in New York City. Midtown Manhattan to be exact. Its estimated more than 50,000 multicolored LED lights wrap the tree and a 900lbs Swarovski star will be placed on top. The spike of the star is covered in over 3 million Swarovski crystals.
Mariah Carey’s song “All I want for Christmas is You” was released in the 2000’s.
False.
The song was released in 1994 generating an estimated $2.5 million to $3 million in annual royalties.
There is a town in Florida named ‘Christmas’ with streets named after Santa’s reindeer.
True.
The community of Christmas, Florida located near Orlando has streets named after Santa’s reindeers. The locals say this creates a festive atmosphere year-round.
Gingerbread houses originated in Germany.
True.
The gingerbread houses originated in Germany, becoming a popular Christmas tradition in the 16th century. It gained fame after the Brothers Grimm published “Hansel and Gretel” inspiring German bakers to create edible Fairy-tale houses from Lebkuchen (gingerbread)
Thomas Edison invented electric Christmas lights.
False.
While Thomas Edison invented the practical incandescent light bulb and first strung electric lights in 1880, it was his associate, Edward H. Johnson, who created the first practical electric Christmas tree lights in 1882.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was created for a department store
True.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was created in 1939 by Robert L. May, a copywriter for the Montgomery Ward department store, as a promotional booklet for shoppers to save money on their annual giveaways, turning the misfit reindeer into a holiday icon distributed to millions.
Coca Cola popularized Santa’s red suite.
True.
Before this, Santa’s wore red, green, brown and sometimes blue.
The first artificial Christmas tree was made from Goose feathers.
True.
Developed in the 19th Century to combat deforestation, Christmas trees were crafted from green-dyed goose feathers attached to wire branches.
There are no plums in plum pudding.
True.
A traditional plum pudding (also known as Christmas pudding) typically contains no actual plums. The name is an archaic term that stems from a historical use of the word "plum" to mean raisins or other dried fruits
The 12th day of Christmas is January 1st.
False.
The 12th day of Christmas is usually Jan 5th.
The largest Christmas tree ever displayed was in Brazil.
False.
Brazil actually has 2 Guinness World Records for Christmas trees. First record for a for a floating structure about 279 feet in 2007 and second, a structure standing 419 feet tall in 2009.
Santa's reindeers are all male.
False.
Santa’s reindeers are all females, as male reindeers typically shed their antlers in the winter.
Norway gives Britan a large Christmas tree every year.
True.
Norway gives Britain a large Christmas tree every year for Trafalgar Square, a tradition that started in 1947 as a thank-you for Britain's support during World War II
Candy Canes were originally white.
True.
Candy canes were originally solid white sugar sticks, with the classic red stripes and peppermint flavor added much later around the turn of the 20th century
There’s a real city called the North Pole.
True.
Yes, there's a real city named North Pole, Alaska. Famous for its year-round Christmas theme, decorations like candy-cane streetlights, and the "Santa Claus House" where mail gets special postmarks
NORAD tracks Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve.
True.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command otherwise known as NORAD, tracks Santa’s sleigh on Christmas eve.
Approximately 30 million real Christmas trees are sold each year in North America.
True.
Approximately 30 million real Christmas trees are sold in North America every year, totaling over $1.2 billion in sales.
Sven, is the name of the snowman in Frozen
False.
Olaf is the name of the snowman in Frozen.