Round 1
In Home Alone, where are the McCallisters going on holiday when they leave Kevin behind?
Paris
What traditional Christmas decoration is actually a parasitic plant?
Mistletoe is a parasite – it steals water and nutrients from trees. ... Most mistletoe seeds are spread by birds, which eat the berries and defecate on tree branches. If attached to a new host tree, the parasitic seed releases a compound called “viscin”, which dries to form a stiff biological cement.
Where does the name “Boxing Day” come from?
Back in the days, Boxing Day was a traditional day off for servants in which they received a ‘Christmas Box’ from their master. They would also go home on Boxing Day to give presents to their families
In what country are Christmas trees decorated with spiders?
In traditional Ukrainian houses a Christmas tree will often be decorated with a spider and web. It's believed that the webs will bring good fortune and luck for the upcoming year.
What Country Started The Tradition Of Exchanging Gifts?
Italy (Romans)
This was a pagan tradition, but also adds a lot of meaning to Christmas; which is the gift of appreciation.
What year did Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ come out?
1994
How long has Coca-Cola been using Santa Claus for advertising?
Coca-Cola did not create the legend of Santa Claus. ... But in 1931, Coca-Cola commissioned illustrator Haddon Sundblom to paint Santa for Christmas advertisements. Those paintings established Santa as a warm, happy character with human features, including rosy cheeks, a white beard, twinkling eyes and laughter lines.
*Also found 1920 in some sources.
What Roman holiday held from December 17th to the 23rd had a large influence on how Christmas was celebrated?
Saturnalia was one of the most popular holidays in the Roman calendar. It of course involved lots of feasts and drinking and merry making. Because, well, they’re Roman. But it also involved role reversals where slaves were allowed to be rude to their owners and by some accounts were waited on by their owners. Also, similarly to our modern Christmas, there was lots of gift giving. Especially on December 19th, Sigillaria.
Which Christmas-themed ballet premiered in St Petersburg, Russia in 1892?
The Nutcracker
Why Were Candy Canes First Invented?
For bored kids at church. Candy canes were made to imitate a shepherds hook in honor of Jesus.
In which country is it tradition to eat KFC for Christmas dinner?
In 1970, Takeshi Okawara—manager of the first KFC restaurant in Japan—began promoting fried chicken "party barrels" as a Christmas meal intended to serve as a substitute for the traditional American turkey dinner. ... Eating KFC food as a Christmas time meal has since become a widely practised custom in Japan.
In what modern-day country was Saint Nicholas born?
Saint Nicholas, known throughout the world as Santa Claus, was born in the ancient Lycian city of Patara, an important city on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Around 300 A.D., during a prosperous era for Patara, a rich wheat merchant had a son and named him Nicholas. His remains were later brought to Bari, southern Italy. These remains still lie in the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, a destination for both Orthodox Christian and Roman Catholic pilgrims. Each May a festival celebrates their homecoming, re-enacted by priests who arrive by boat with an icon-style painting of the saint.
In what country did Silent Night originate?
It’s original German title was Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht. The lyrics were written by Joseph Mohr in 1816 and the music was composed by Franz Xaver Gruber 1818.
As a heartwarming Christmas miracle, it was sang during the impromptu WWI Christmas truce. Because it was a carol popular in both English speaking and German speaking countries, it was known by both sides. Both sides sang it in their respective languages.
The biggest Christmas gift was the gift of friendship to the US from the people of France. What was it?
The Statue of Liberty was gifted by France to the USA as a Christmas gift in the year 1886.
Do all Christians celebrate Christmas?
Not all Christians celebrate Christmas. For example, Jehovah's Witnesses don't observe Christmas.
Which country started the tradition of putting up a Christmas tree?
Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. Some built Christmas pyramids of wood and decorated them with evergreens and candles if wood was scarce.
What is the best-selling Christmas single of all time?
"White Christmas" is an Irving Berlin song reminiscing about an old-fashioned Christmas setting, released in 1942. The version sung by Bing Crosby is the world's best-selling single with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide.
Which country donates the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square?
Norway – the city of Oslo, Norway, donates the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree to the people of Britain each year since 1947
What is your star sign if you are born on Christmas Day?
Capricorn
Why is Christmas celebrated in December?
Though there's no specific date of birth mentioned in the Bible, let alone clues that would suggest a wintertime birthday (in fact, some experts think the presence of shepherds hints at a springtime birth), it's believed that Christians chose this month and date to celebrate Jesus's arrival to replace a series of pagan celebrations that used to occur in December.
What is traditionally hidden inside a Christmas pudding?
A coin
The Christmas sixpence
A silver sixpence was placed into the pudding mix and every member of the household gave the mix a stir. Whoever found the sixpence in their own piece of the pudding on Christmas Day would see it as a sign that they would enjoy wealth and good luck in the year to come.
What happened in the 1914 Christmas Day truce during the First World War?
A game of football between British and German soldiers
https://www.history.com/topics/christmas-truce-1914-world-war-i-soldier-accounts
Where did Puritans ban Christmas? Bonus points for when.
Boston and England from 1659-1681
In 1659 the Puritan government of the Massachusetts Bay Colony actually banned Christmas. The Puritans, a pious religious minority (who, after all, fled the persecution of the Anglican majority), felt that such celebrations were unnecessary and, more importantly, distracted from religious discipline.
Where does the advent calendar tradition come from?
While the religious advent season celebrated by Christians technically starts four full weeks before Christmas, the celebratory advent calendars most folks use today usually begin on December 1 and date back to the 19th century. The tradition was first started by German Protestants who lit candles or made chalk marks on doors every day during the month of December.
Why is the Christmas Tree bad at knitting?
Because it drops all the needles :)