Beech Tree News Network

Recently, I came across online Christmas trivia quizzes – some questions easy, some not. Several sites even have free printable trivia quizzes. Based on the comments made on one website, these trivia questions have been used in a variety of ways: as adult party games, to entertain children during family gatherings, and as a teaching tool leading up to Christmas. Some of that information is listed below.

•Why do we decorate Christmas trees? The use of Christmas trees goes all the way back to ancient Egyptians and Romans, who marked the winter solstice with evergreens as a reminder of spring, according to History.com. But when Prince Albert of Germany introduced the tree to his new wife, Queen Victoria of England, the tradition took off. A drawing of the couple in front of a Christmas tree appeared in Illustrated London News back in 1848, and the Christmas tree became popular.

•How do you say “Merry Christmas” in Spanish? Feliz Navidad.

•A Christmas song from space? "Jingle Bells" was the first song broadcast from space. On December 16, 1965, the Gemini 6 crew serenaded Mission Control after they reported seeing a "red-suited" astronaut.

•Visions of which sweet foodstuff danced in children’s heads as they slept, according to Clement Clarke Moore’s poem “‘Twas the Night before Christmas”? Sugar-plums.

•Why might the holidays be dangerous? The Consumer Product Safety Commission has estimated that 14,700 people visit hospital emergency rooms each November and December from holiday-related decorating accidents. Also, dried Christmas trees spark about one hundred fires.

•How does Christmas affect the U.S. Postal Service each year? Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, the U.S. Postal Service delivers an estimated 850 million packages – in addition to 15 billion pieces of mail.

•What percentage of Americans celebrate Christmas? About 90% of Americans celebrate Christmas. Approximately 51% of those people who celebrate also attend church on Christmas; about 33% think of Christmas as a cultural celebration.

•Which type of tree was the partridge sitting in, according to a well-known Christmas song? Pear.

•What is the favorite main dish? Although both ham and turkey are Christmas favorites, spiral-cut ham is the most popular choice.

•Who began the advent calendar tradition? The tradition began with German Protestants who lit candles every day during the month of December.

•How much do we spend on holiday shopping? The average American spends a little more than $900 on gifts and Christmas shopping.

•What's the most successful holiday movie? Back in 1990, Home Alone brought in $286 million dollars at the box office, making it the most successful holiday movie ever. 

•Who made the first gingerbread cookie? Some evidence suggests that gingerbread recipes existed all the way back in 2400 B.C. However, according to PBS, Queen Elizabeth I wanted to impress a group of foreign guests and asked for a series of special gingerbread cookies designed to look like each visitor. This led to the gingerbread cookies we enjoy today.

•How many wise men or Magi came to worship Jesus? Although three gifts were mentioned, the Bible doesn’t report how many men came.

•Every elf has the same ornament on the tip of their shoes. Which ornament? Bells.

•The eight original reindeer were Blitzen, Comet, Cupid, Dasher, Prancer, Vixen, Dancer, and Donner. Two of the reindeers are named after weather phenomenon. Which ones? Donner, which means thunder in German, and Blitzen, which means lightning.

•Which country is credited with the creation of the Christmas beverage eggnog? England.

•Which is the most popular ornament placed at the top of the Christmas tree? An angel.

•Which was the first state in the United States to recognize Christmas as an official holiday? Alabama.

•What are two other names for Santa Claus? Saint Nick and Kris Kringle.

(Sources of information: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/christmas-ideas/g2972/surprisi... https://www.countryliving.com/life/g23461993/christmas-trivia/; https://icebreakerideas.com/christmas-trivia/.)

Creating or finding a holiday trivia quiz for a friends-and-family gathering could be fun. After all, in the spirit of the season, the purpose would be to have fun, not to know every answer.