Christmas Traditions & Historical Origins
This tradition, now associated with Christmas, began in Ancient Greece as blessing of fertility in wedding ceremonies
Kissing under the mistletoe
Consumers buy an estimated 2 million of these sugary Christmas loaves each year
This catch 1994 Christmas tune is the best-selling Christmas single ever recorded by a female artist
"All I Want for Christmas is You"
There is an ongoing debate online about whether this action flick starring Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman is actually a Christmas film
"Die Hard"
It takes this many years for a pine tree to grown to an acceptable Christmas-tree height
15
The tradition of using a decorated tree as a symbol of Christmas began in this European Country
Germany
These classic Christmas sweets begin as striped loaves before being pulled and twisted into this, hook-shaped treats
In his original 1943 recording of "I'll Be Home for Christmas", Bing Crosby sang, "Christmas Eve will find me..."
"...where the love like gleams"
In the 1983 holiday favorite "A Christmas Story", Ralphie's father wins a lamp shaped like this body part as a runner-up prize
a woman's leg
This state was the first in the US to officially recognize Christmas as a holiday in 1836
Alabama
This office of the US Armed Services tracks Santa's voyage around the world on Christmas Eve
NORAD
(North America Aerospace Defense Command)
The smooth, candy-like hard frosting used to decorate sugar cookies goes by this regal name
Royal icing
It may sound like a composition from the Middle Ages, but this classic Christmas hymn appeared in the 1843 and made its debut in 1847
"O Holy Night"
What is the title of the 2004 animated Christmas feature adapted from the Chris Van Allsburg story
The number of lights on the Griswold house in "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation"
25,000
The total number of ghosts that visit Ebenezer Scrooge in the novel "A Christmas Carol"
This traditional Christmas beverage, made with brady, fruit juices, and spices is also the subject of an English folk song
Wassail
Spotify has a playlist featuring 100 different versions of this holiday song, originally written and recorded by 1980s Brit-pop duo Wham!
"Last Christmas"
In the 1994 film "The Santa Clause," Tim Allen's character takes over Santa after this accident kills the original Santa
The name Santa Claus appears in the Christmas poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas" this many of times
Zero
The beverage giant which was the first company to use Santa Claus in an advertising campaign
Coca-Cola
Figgy pudding
These barnyard beasts kept time for a percussionist in the carol "The Little Drummer Boy"
the ox and the lamb
Michael Caine
The Ukrainian legend of this crawling creature inspired the Christmas tradition of hiding a similarly shaped ornament on the tree
a spider