Christmas Books
Published anonymously in 1823, this was originally called "A Visit from St. Nicholas"
What is The Night Before Christmas.
What is a squirrel?
This European country is credited with creating the Christmas tree tradition, known there as the Tannenbaum
What is Germany?
Gene Autry's upbeat song Frosty the Snowman was introduced in this year
What is 1950?
Between the years 1981 - 2007, Mike's mother JoAnn could be found most nights at this Dubuque watering hole
What is Denny's Lux Club?
This award-winning 1985 picture book by Chris Van Allsburg ends with a silver bell that can be heard only by those who truly believe
What is The Polar Express?
In the 1946 classic It's a Wonderful Life, George Bailey is shown what life in Bedford Falls would be like if he had never been born, thanks to the intervention of this guardian angel
Who is Clarence?
Children in Austria may receive sweets for good behavior—but fear this horned companion of St. Nicholas if they’ve been naughty
Who is Krampus?
The song Jingle Bells was originally written for this holiday
What is Thanksgiving?
According to Mike, the most treasured Christmas gift he ever received was this homemade item
What is a mud ball?
In this 1905 short story, a young couple's mutually sacrificial gifts echo the wisdom of biblical visitors while rendering both presents temporarily useless
What is The Gift of the Magi?
This 1988 Christmastime film turns a company holiday party into an increasingly dangerous test of endurance rather than cheer and goodwill
What is Die Hard?
In this country, a beloved Christmas tradition is eating takeout from Kentucky Fried Chicken
What is Japan?
This Christmas song is sung to the tune of Greensleeves
What is What Child Is This?
In an attempt to leave his traumatic past behind him, in the spring of 1998 Mike opened a popular pizza / carpet cleaning establishment under this alias
Who is "Todd" or "Pizza Boy"?
In early drafts of A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens originally gave Tiny Tim this name
What is Little Fred?
In Chris Columbus' 1990 Home Alone Gus Polinski of the Kenosha Kickers proudly reports selling 623 copies of their album, primarily in this Wisconsin city
What is Sheboygan?
This festival, which takes place on December 13th, originates in Scandinavia and honors the patron saint of Scandinavia with songs and candlelit processions (including a young girl who wears a wreath with lit candles on her head)
What is Saint Lucia Day?
According to legend, this song, first performed on Christmas Eve in 1818, was written because a church organ was broken
What is Silent Night?
While his parents were out, Mike often spent hours chained to here in his family home
What is a pipe in the basement?
Written in anapestic tetrameter, this Christmas book was inspired in part by its author's growing frustration with holiday commercialism
What is The Grinch?
In this classic Christmas film, the phrase “Merry Christmas” is surprisingly only spoken at the end of the film
What is It's a Wonderful Life?
In Poland, Christmas Eve dinner traditionally consists of twelve dishes, symbolizing this
What are the twelve apostles?
Songwriter Meredith Wilson wrote this classic Christmas song in addition to the University of Iowa fight song and the hit 1957 musical The Music Man
What is It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas?
This unusual form of currency was used by Mike’s mom to buy his Christmas presents
What is Camel Bucks?