198 Fun Facts About Christmas

In Home Alone, the McCallister family flies from suburban Chicago to which European capital, leaving eight-year-old Kevin behind?

Paris is the destination, and Kevin, eight, is left alone to defend the family's suburban Chicago home from a pair of burglars.

Which actor plays Buddy the Elf in the 2003 movie Elf?

Will Ferrell's Buddy, raised by elves at the North Pole, heads to New York City to find a biological father who doesn't know he exists.

Which dog is forced to haul a sleigh down to Whoville for a Christmas heist?

Max is disguised as a reindeer to pull the sleigh, and the heist carries off every present in Whoville.

Which festive recording holds the Guinness record as the best-selling single of all time?

Bing Crosby's White Christmas, introduced in the 1942 film Holiday Inn, has sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide.

In A Christmas Story, what does Ralphie desperately want for Christmas?

Ralphie wants a Red Ryder BB gun, but everyone keeps telling him he'll shoot his eye out.

What Christmas movie features the line "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings"?

This iconic line is spoken near the end of the 1946 classic It's a Wonderful Life, directed by Frank Capra and starring Jimmy Stewart.

Who wrote the Christmas ballad that won the Oscar for Best Original Song in the 1942 film Holiday Inn?

Irving Berlin presented that year's Oscar for Best Original Song, so he opened the envelope and read out his own name.

In the movie The Polar Express, what is the first gift of Christmas?

A silver bell is the boy's first gift of Christmas; he loses it through a hole in his pocket, Santa sends it back, and his parents can't hear it ring.

Which band originally performed "Last Christmas" in 1984?

Wham!'s Last Christmas was kept off the top by Band Aid in 1984 and didn't reach UK number one until 2021, 36 years later.

In which 1994 comedy does Tim Allen's character take over as Santa after startling the old one off his roof?

The Santa Clause is the fine print on the fallen Santa's card: whoever puts on the suit takes the job, and Scott soon gains weight and grows a white beard.

In which 1984 film does a young man receive a mogwai as a Christmas present, along with three strict rules?

In Gremlins the rules get broken, and the mogwai's offspring turn into gremlins that tear up the town on Christmas Eve.

What plant is traditionally hung in doorways at Christmas for people to kiss under?

Mistletoe kissing was popular among servants in late 18th-century England, and in one version a berry was plucked with each kiss until none were left.

In which country is it a Christmas tradition to eat KFC for Christmas dinner?

In Japan, eating KFC for Christmas became a nationwide tradition after a hugely successful 1974 marketing campaign called Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakkii (Kentucky for Christmas).

In which 2003 film does Hugh Grant play a British prime minister who falls for a member of his staff?

Love Actually plays out over the weeks before Christmas, and the Prime Minister's crush is Natalie, the junior staffer who brings him his tea.

Which Christmas carol borrows its tune from 'Nos Galan', a Welsh New Year's Eve song?

Deck the Halls got its English words from Scottish musician Thomas Oliphant in 1862, set to a Welsh tune published in 1794 but much older.

Which company's 1930s ads, painted by Haddon Sundblom, spawned the myth that Santa wears red for its brand colours?

Haddon Sundblom's 1930s paintings gave rise to the legend that Coca-Cola invented Santa's red and white. Santa already appeared in his modern form on Puck magazine covers early in the 20th century; White Rock Beverages used him from 1915.

What is the name of the main character in the 1843 novella A Christmas Carol?

Ebenezer Scrooge is the miserly protagonist of A Christmas Carol, published in 1843. He is visited by three ghosts who help him rediscover the meaning of Christmas.

Which saint's feast on 13 December is marked in Sweden by processions in white gowns and crowns of candles?

Saint Lucia's name comes from the Latin for light, and under the old Julian calendar her feast fell on the winter solstice, the darkest night of the year.

What Christmas decoration was originally made from strands of silver?

Modern tinsel was invented in Nuremberg in 1610 and was originally made from shredded silver. Because silver tarnishes quickly, other shiny metals were substituted, notably lead, and later plastics took over.

In 'The Gift of the Magi', what does Della sell to buy a chain for Jim's watch?

Della sells her hair for Jim's watch chain, while Jim sells his watch to buy her combs for the hair she no longer has.

Which rich Christmas drink is made from milk, cream and sugar, often spiked with brandy, rum or bourbon?

Eggnog gets its frothy texture from whipped eggs, and it likely evolved from posset, a medieval drink of hot milk curdled with wine or ale.

What was the original purpose of Boxing Day, held on 26 December in many Commonwealth countries?

Gifts for servants and the poor came via employers' Christmas boxes and church alms boxes, though the name's exact origin is still debated.

Which Christmas carol contains the lyrics "O tidings of comfort and joy"?

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen: 'rest you merry' once meant 'keep you merry', so the opening wishes the gentlemen well rather than calling them merry.

Which French city calls itself the 'Capital of Christmas' and has held a Christmas market since 1570?

Strasbourg's Christkindelsmärik, a market dedicated to the Christ Child, dates from 1570, yet the city only proclaimed itself Capital of Christmas in 1992.

What is the traditional Christmas flower, originally from Mexico, that turns red in winter?

The poinsettia is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first US minister to Mexico, and its red 'petals' are really bracts, which are leaves.

In the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas," what gift is given on the fifth day?

Five golden rings began as 'five gold rings', and Mitch Miller's 1961 recording made 'golden' more usual in North America, one syllable per note.

Which character in A Christmas Carol says 'God bless us, every one'?

Tiny Tim, the sickly young son of Bob Cratchit, speaks this famous line in A Christmas Carol. It has become one of the most quoted phrases associated with the Christmas spirit.

Which thriller writer wrote 'Skipping Christmas', the comic novel filmed as Christmas with the Kranks?

John Grisham's Kranks skip Christmas for a Caribbean cruise, until their daughter unexpectedly comes home for the holidays.

In which European country do children leave their shoes out for Sinterklaas to fill with gifts?

In the Netherlands, children leave a shoe by the fireplace on Sinterklaas's eve, and he fills it with small gifts and treats.

What fruit is traditionally placed in the toe of a Christmas stocking?

An orange in the toe may echo the gold a bishop of Myra secretly gave three poor sisters, gold balls that are sometimes shown as oranges.

What popular Christmas movie is actually based on a Dr. Seuss book published in 1957?

How the Grinch Stole Christmas was written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) and published in 1957. It was adapted into a beloved TV special in 1966 and a live-action film in 2000.

Which Christmas Eve seafood dinner is an Italian-American tradition rooted in Catholic abstinence on a holy day's eve?

The Feast of the Seven Fishes, also called la Vigilia, grew from Catholic abstinence on the eve of a feast day, and no one agrees why the number is seven.

Which country donates the Christmas tree that stands in Trafalgar Square in London each year?

Norway has donated a Christmas tree to London every year since 1947 as a gesture of gratitude for British support during World War II. The tree comes from the forests around Oslo.

Which department store chain created Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer as a Christmas giveaway booklet in 1939?

Montgomery Ward had been buying colouring books as free gifts, decided writing its own would be cheaper, and handed out 2.4 million copies in 1939.

What sweet treat is traditionally left out for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve in American homes?

American children have left cookies and milk out for Santa on Christmas Eve since the 1930s, though many people simply eat the cookies themselves.

Which famous scientist was born on Christmas Day in 1642?

Isaac Newton was born on Christmas Day 1642 under the Julian calendar then used in England, which was 4 January 1643 under the Gregorian calendar.

Which 2003 dark comedy stars Billy Bob Thornton as a conman who robs shopping malls on Christmas Eve?

Bad Santa's Willie and his partner pose as a mall Santa and his elf every year, but befriending a small boy starts to bring out his kinder side.

In the song 'Frosty the Snowman', what does Frosty have for a nose?

A button nose, with eyes made out of coal; Frosty only comes alive when children put a magic silk hat on his head.

What traditional Christmas spice comes from the bark of a tree?

Cinnamon is harvested from the inner bark of trees in the genus Cinnamomum. It has been a prized spice for thousands of years and is a key ingredient in many Christmas recipes, from mulled wine to gingerbread.

What is the name of the period of 12 days between Christmas Day and Epiphany?

Christmastide (also called the Twelve Days of Christmas) runs from December 25 to January 5, ending on the eve of Epiphany (January 6). This period is the basis for the famous cumulative song.

In Die Hard (1988), what is the Los Angeles skyscraper hosting the Christmas Eve party?

John McClane flies to Los Angeles on Christmas Eve for a party thrown by his estranged wife's employer, the Nakatomi Corporation, at Nakatomi Plaza. Hans Gruber's crew seizes the building mid-party.

Which country's Orthodox Church still marks Christmas by the Julian calendar?

Russia's Orthodox Church keeps Christmas by the Julian calendar, and Soviet rule recast the tree and Grandfather Frost as New Year symbols instead.

What is the British term for a decorated paper tube that snaps open to reveal a toy, joke and paper crown?

Tradition credits London sweet-maker Tom Smith with inventing the Christmas cracker in 1847; his son later added the gifts and paper hats.

What was the Yule log in the original European winter tradition?

A large log burned in the hearth: a little was burned each evening until Twelfth Night, and France's chocolate bûche de Noël came later.

What are Buddy the Elf's four main food groups?

Candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup, Buddy explains, right after producing his own maple syrup for Emily's spaghetti.

Which singer recorded 'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree' at 13 and topped the Billboard Hot 100 with it 65 years later?

Brenda Lee's climb set the record for the longest wait to number one, beating Mariah Carey's 25 years, and made her the oldest artist to top the chart.

Which Christmas Eve tradition follows Santa's journey around the world via radar?

NORAD Tracks Santa began in 1955 when a Sears ad misprinted a phone number, directing children to the Continental Air Defense Command (now NORAD). A colonel on duty played along, and the tradition has continued every Christmas Eve since.

Where is hiding a pickle ornament on the Christmas tree actually a popular tradition?

The Christmas pickle is popular in the United States: it's thought to be a German-American custom from the late 19th century, and 91% of Germans polled didn't know it.

What is frankincense, one of the Three Wise Men's gifts to Jesus?

An aromatic resin used as incense, frankincense comes from Boswellia trees and has been burned in religious rites for thousands of years.

Whose associate lit the first known electric Christmas tree in 1882?

Edward Johnson, vice president of Thomas Edison's electric light company, hand-wired his tree with 80 red, white and blue bulbs the size of walnuts.

In which Christmas comedy does Clark Griswold's cousin Eddie turn up unannounced and live in an RV on his property?

Christmas Vacation keeps piling on for Clark Griswold: on top of cousin Eddie's camper, his employer reneges on the holiday bonus he needs.

Which royal made the Christmas tree fashionable in 19th-century England?

Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's German-born husband, made the Christmas tree fashionable in Britain; an 1848 Illustrated London News cover of the royal family's tree was widely copied. Queen Charlotte had set one up in 1800.

Which animals, never mentioned in the Gospels, traditionally flank the baby Jesus in nativity scenes?

An ox and a donkey come from a verse in Isaiah, 'The ox knows its master', and Origen was the first Christian writer to put them in the stable.

Which 4th-century Greek bishop, famed for secret gift-giving, is the main historical model for Santa Claus?

Saint Nicholas, bishop of Myra, secretly threw purses of gold through a poor man's window so his three daughters could have dowries.

'Silent Night' was first performed on Christmas Eve 1818 in a village church in which country?

Austria: Stille Nacht was first sung at the parish church of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, to Franz Xaver Gruber's melody and the priest Joseph Mohr's words.

Who wrote the classic novella 'A Christmas Carol'?

Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol in London in December 1843, with illustrations by John Leech.

What bird is the traditional centrepiece of a British Christmas dinner, served with pigs in blankets and bread sauce?

Turkey is Britain's Christmas bird, and flocks were once walked from East Anglia to London's markets, their feet sometimes tarred for the road.

Before Donner and Blitzen, what were Santa's last pair of reindeer called in the 1823 'Night Before Christmas'?

Dunder and Blixem, meaning thunder and lightning, were changed by Moore himself to Donder and Blitzen in his 1844 book of poems.

Which country's Christmas Eve supper, Wigilia, begins when the first star appears in the sky?

Poland's Wigilia traditionally has twelve dishes for the Apostles, with an empty place set for a wanderer who may need food.

Which Handel oratorio, now a Christmas staple, premiered in Dublin in April 1742?

Handel wrote Messiah in just 24 days, and its Dublin premiere fell in the Lent and Easter season; the Christmas tradition came much later.

Which evergreen of Christmas wreaths and cards has glossy prickly leaves and red berries, borne only by the female plant?

Holly berries come only from female plants; European holly, Ilex aquifolium, is the species long tied to Christmas wreaths, garlands and cards.

In Italian folklore, which witch-like old woman delivers gifts to children on the night of 5 January?

The Befana brings sweets, candies or toys to good children and coal to bad ones on Epiphany Eve. She is covered in soot because she enters houses down the chimney.

The X in 'Xmas' stands for which Greek letter?

Chi, written X, begins the Greek Christós, and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle was already abbreviating Christmas this way around 1100.

Which Christmas carol, long credited to Martin Luther, was first published in America in the 1880s?

Away in a Manger is wholly American in origin: no German version appeared until 1934, more than 50 years after its first English printing.

Which hot mulled drink shares its name with a Twelfth Night custom of singing door to door, trading a sip for gifts?

Wassail is hot mulled cider, ale or wine with spices, and on Twelfth Night (5 January) revellers carry the bowl door to door, as in 'Here we come a-wassailing'.

Which Roman feasting and gift-giving holiday is thought to have shaped Christmas traditions?

Saturnalia, a Roman festival honoring the god Saturn, involved feasting, gift exchanges, and a temporary reversal of social roles, and is thought to have contributed to some Christmas customs.

Which Tchaikovsky ballet, set on Christmas Eve, features a girl and a battle with the Mouse King?

Tchaikovsky's 'The Nutcracker,' based on an E.T.A. Hoffmann story, is a beloved Christmas ballet first performed in 1892, telling the tale of Clara's magical journey.

In 16th- and 17th-century England, which bird, or a capon, was the usual Christmas dinner while the rich ate peacock and swan?

Goose or capon was England's usual Christmas bird, and in A Christmas Carol the Cratchits still sit down to a goose: 'There never was such a goose.'

Which Gospel tells of an angel bringing news of Jesus's birth to shepherds in the fields?

Luke's angel tells the shepherds to look for a baby wrapped in cloths, and then a great company of the heavenly host appears, praising God.

In the Gospel account, what makes the Holy Family travel from Nazareth shortly before Jesus is born?

A census ordered by Caesar Augustus sends everyone to register in their own town, and the family's line runs back to King David.

Which Gospel is the only one to mention the Magi's visit?

Matthew's single account never gives the Magi's names, their homeland or even how many there were; all of that came from later tradition.

What prompted the Holy Family's flight into Egypt?

A warning to Joseph in a dream said Herod would search for the child to kill him, so the family stayed in Egypt until Herod died.

By Western tradition, what are the names of the three Magi?

Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar don't appear in the Bible; the names first turn up in an eighth-century chronicle, and Syriac Christians often count twelve Magi.

Which German cathedral claims to hold the relics of the Magi in a golden shrine?

Cologne Cathedral was begun in 1248 specifically to house the shrine, whose relics Frederick Barbarossa handed to the city's archbishop in 1164.

Who is credited with staging the first live nativity scene, at Greccio in Italy in 1223?

Francis of Assisi staged it in a cave near the Sanctuary of Greccio, with real animals, and his re-enactment inspired nativity scenes across Christian Europe.

On a traditional Advent wreath, what colour is the candle lit on the third Sunday, Gaudete Sunday?

Rose marks Gaudete Sunday, a joyful pause in penitential Advent, because Gaudete, 'rejoice', is the first word of that Sunday's introit.

Which carol has a Czech duke brave the snow to give alms to a poor man on the Feast of Stephen?

Good King Wenceslas was really Wenceslaus I, a duke who never reigned as king; Emperor Otto I granted the royal title only after his murder.

Which 25 March feast marks Gabriel telling Mary she is to bear Jesus?

The Annunciation, known in England as Lady Day, marked the start of the English new year until 1752.

Christmas decorations traditionally stay up until which 2 February feast of the Presentation?

In some countries Christmas decorations stay up until Candlemas, which takes its name from the candles blessed in church that day.

Which carol is Isaac Watts's paraphrase of Psalm 98 rather than a nativity text?

Joy to the World first appeared in Watts's 1719 psalm book, and it was not written as a Christmas carol.

Whose tune, written for a Gutenberg festival, became the melody of Hark the Herald Angels Sing?

Felix Mendelssohn's tune was secular festival music until organist William Cummings fitted Charles Wesley's words to it, and the pairing stuck.

What is the original Latin title of "O Come, All Ye Faithful"?

Adeste Fideles has been credited to John Francis Wade, John Reading and King John IV of Portugal, among others, though most hymnals now name Wade.

"O Holy Night" was set to music in 1847 by which French composer, better known for the ballet Giselle?

Adolphe Adam set 'Minuit, chrétiens', a poem by wine merchant Placide Cappeau, and finished the music within days.

The Christmas song Carol of the Bells is adapted from a folk chant from which country?

Carol of the Bells adapts Shchedryk, a folk chant from Ukraine arranged by Mykola Leontovych, which Peter Wilhousky gave English words in 1936.

Which event in Jesus's life does the Orthodox feast of Theophany chiefly commemorate?

Theophany celebrates his baptism in the Jordan as his manifestation as the Son of God, and in Greece priests throw a cross into the sea for swimmers to retrieve.

Which Mexican tradition re-enacts the Holy Family's search for lodging on the nine nights before Christmas?

Las Posadas takes its name from posada, Spanish for lodging, and the custom is traced to Augustinian friars near Mexico City.

The Christingle service began in the 18th century in which church?

Moravian bishop Johannes de Watteville started the Christingle in 1747 near Frankfurt, as a way to get children thinking about Jesus.

Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean is an external territory of which country?

Australia administers it, though it lies about 350 km south of Java; Captain William Mynors named it when he sailed past on Christmas Day 1643.

Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean is famous for the annual migration of which animals?

Tens of millions of red crabs march from the forest to the sea to spawn, and the island closes roads and builds crab bridges to help them cross.

Which explorer landed on the Pacific's Christmas Island on Christmas Eve 1777?

James Cook stopped there on his third voyage; today the atoll keeps UTC+14 time, making it one of the first inhabited places to see each New Year.

The Pacific atoll known as Christmas Island belongs to which nation?

Kiribati's Christmas Island is part of the Line Islands, and its local name, Kiritimati, is simply 'Christmas' spelled in Gilbertese.

Santa Claus Village, which sits on the Arctic Circle, is in which Finnish city?

Rovaniemi's Santa Claus Village still has the cottage built for Eleanor Roosevelt's visit in the 1950s.

Which holiday song did Judy Garland have rewritten because she found its original words too depressing?

Hugh Martin brightened Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas for Meet Me in St. Louis after Garland, co-star Tom Drake and director Vincente Minnelli called his draft depressing.

Indiana's Santa Claus Land, which claims to be the first theme park, opened nine years before which California park?

Santa Claus Land opened in 1946, nine years before Disneyland in 1955, though Knott's Berry Farm also calls itself America's first theme park.

The city of North Pole, with its Santa Claus Lane and Kris Kringle Drive, is in which US state?

North Pole, Alaska, was named in 1952 by developers hoping to attract a toy manufacturer, and its post office now gets hundreds of thousands of letters to Santa.

Which Christmas carol began as a Christina Rossetti poem later set to music by Gustav Holst?

In the Bleak Midwinter first appeared as Rossetti's poem in 1872, and Holst named his 1906 tune for it Cranham, after a Gloucestershire village.

The parol, a star-shaped lantern, is the signature Christmas decoration of which country?

The Philippines' parol lights up the season, and the family feast after midnight Mass on Christmas Eve is called Noche Buena.

The 13 Yule Lads, who leave gifts or rotten potatoes in children's shoes, belong to which country's folklore?

Iceland's Yule Lads arrive one per night over the 13 nights before Christmas, with names like Spoon Licker and Door Slammer.

The Tió de Nadal, a log children 'feed' and beat until it drops presents, is a tradition of which region?

In Catalonia, children start feeding the Tió on 8 December, and the log is popularly known by a ruder name, Caga Tió.

The Church of the Nativity, marking the traditional birthplace of Jesus, stands in which town?

Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity marks the spot with a 14-pointed silver star, and in 2012 it became the first World Heritage Site listed under Palestine.

What is the very low entrance to the Church of the Nativity known as?

The Door of Humility, about 1.2 metres high, was made small centuries ago to keep carts and animals out, so every visitor has to stoop.

Carols by Candlelight, now held around the world, began in 1938 in which city?

Melbourne's Carols by Candlelight was started by radio announcer Norman Banks after he saw an elderly woman singing along to a carol by candlelight.

Ethiopian Christmas draws pilgrims to which famous rock-hewn churches?

Lalibela's 11 churches were carved from solid rock, reputedly so King Lalibela could build a second Jerusalem in Ethiopia.

The famous Christmas truces on the Western Front broke out during which war?

The World War I truces spread in December 1914, but a year later commanders' strict orders made them far rarer.

In accounts of the Christmas truce, which sport did British and German soldiers play in no man's land?

Letters describe football kickabouts in no man's land, though historians doubt a proper organised match was ever completed there.

Which Sunday, the last before Advent, is named after the opening words of its collect?

Stir-up Sunday takes its name from the collect 'Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord', and families traditionally take turns stirring the Christmas pudding that day.

Panettone, the domed Christmas sweet bread, is associated with which Italian city?

Milan's panettone got its tall dome from Angelo Motta, who let the dough rise three times over almost 20 hours.

Which horned beast of Alpine folklore roams on the night of 5 December, punishing naughty children?

Krampus carries birch rods and chains, and in Krampus runs, young men dressed as the demon charge through crowds in Alpine towns.

Since 2007, the milled lumber of the Rockefeller Center tree has gone to which charity?

Habitat for Humanity uses the milled lumber in house construction, and the trees themselves are traditionally donated to Rockefeller Center.

Which Swedish city's giant straw Yule goat is famous for being burned down by vandals?

Gävle's giant goat was dreamed up in 1966 by advertising consultant Stig Gavlén, and vandals have destroyed or damaged it in most years since.

Which jazz pianist wrote the score for A Charlie Brown Christmas?

Vince Guaraldi's jazz score joined other unorthodox choices for 1965, including real children's voices and no laugh track.

The 1965 Charlie Brown special is credited with virtually killing demand for which fad decoration?

Aluminum trees were a fad until Charlie Brown chose a small real tree over Lucy's pink aluminum idea, and by 1967 their time had almost completely passed.

In the 1964 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer TV special, misfit elf Hermey leaves Santa's workshop to pursue what career?

A dentist is Hermey's dream, which comes in handy against the Abominable Snow Monster; his travelling companion Yukon Cornelius hunts silver and gold.

Who voiced Sam the Snowman, the narrator of the 1964 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer special?

Burl Ives narrates as Sam the Snowman, but most of the special's other voices were Canadian actors and its music was recorded in England.

Who won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for playing Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34th Street (1947)?

Edmund Gwenn won for a Christmas film that studio boss Darryl Zanuck released in May, arguing that more people go to movies in warm weather.

Which Christmas song was written in October 1962 as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Married songwriters Noël Regney and Gloria Shayne wrote Do You Hear What I Hear?, swapping their usual roles so he wrote the words and she the music.

Under what title was Jingle Bells first published?

The One Horse Open Sleigh was republished in 1859 under the new title Jingle Bells, or The One Horse Open Sleigh.

On Christmas Eve 1968, the Apollo 8 crew read the opening verses of which book on live TV?

Reading Genesis from lunar orbit, the Apollo 8 crew reached an estimated quarter of the people alive at the time.

Besides fruit and spices, what did medieval mince pies contain that today's sweet versions usually leave out?

Meat, such as mutton or beef, filled mince pies for centuries before fading from recipes in the 1800s and 1900s, though traditional mincemeat still uses beef suet.

Which Brothers Grimm fairy tale is often credited with inspiring the gingerbread house?

Hansel and Gretel gets the credit, though some food historians argue the Grimms were describing edible houses that already existed.

Tim Burton conceived The Nightmare Before Christmas, but who directed it?

Henry Selick directed it, while Tim Burton produced the film and wrote the original 1982 poem it grew from.

Which American colony's Puritans outlawed Christmas in 1659, fining anyone caught celebrating it?

Massachusetts Bay's ban carried a five-shilling fine and lasted until 1681, yet Christmas didn't catch on around Boston until the mid-1800s.

Washington's Christmas-night Delaware crossing in 1776 led to a surprise attack on which town?

Washington's army struck Trenton and defeated its Hessian garrison on the morning of 26 December.

As of 2025, which act holds the record for the most UK Christmas number one singles, with five?

LadBaby topped the chart every Christmas from 2018 to 2022 with charity singles for the Trussell Trust, then sat out 2023.

Which country issued the first charity Christmas seals, to fight tuberculosis, in 1904?

Denmark's idea was copied by Sweden the same year and eventually spread to some 130 countries.

Which country's 1898 map stamp, inscribed 'XMAS 1898', is a contender for the first Christmas stamp?

Canada's 1898 map stamp was issued to mark Imperial Penny Postage, so whether it counts as a Christmas stamp is still debated.

The French Christmas Eve feast 'réveillon' takes its name from a word meaning what?

Réveillon comes from réveil, 'waking', because diners traditionally stay awake until morning, and New Orleans restaurants still serve réveillon menus.

Simbang Gabi's run of pre-dawn Christmas Masses forms which Catholic devotion?

The novena of Simbang Gabi began as a compromise for farmers who worked before sunrise, and completing all nine Masses is said to grant a wish.

Which listings magazine has printed a fortnight-long Christmas double issue every December since 1969?

Radio Times breaks its own rules for the 'Christmas Number': its cover carries painted festive artwork, where almost every other issue since the 1970s has used a photograph.

In a British Christmas pantomime, which role is traditionally played by a man in women's clothes?

The Dame, such as Widow Twankey in Aladdin, is traditionally a man in drag, while the Principal Boy is traditionally a young woman.

Which broadcaster has aired an 'alternative Christmas message' since 1993, the first of them delivered by Quentin Crisp?

Channel 4 started the tradition by accident while making a 'Christmas in New York' series: Crisp, who was himself born on Christmas Day, was invited to play on the word 'queen'.

Which BBC chart show lost its weekly slot in 2006, decades after first airing a Christmas special in 1964?

Top of the Pops' festive edition counts down the year's biggest sellers and the Christmas number one, and from 1967 it went out on Christmas Day afternoon, around 2:15.

Which Wolverhampton band's 'Merry Xmas Everybody' was 1973's Christmas number one, beating Wizzard's rival single?

Slade's single was the fastest-selling in Britain at the time, while Wizzard's 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday' stalled at number four. Noddy Holder wrote the lyrics overnight at his mother's house in Walsall.

Which double act's 1977 BBC Christmas show drew over 20 million viewers, one of British TV's biggest audiences?

Morecambe and Wise's 1977 show won producer Ernest Maxin a BAFTA, and their Christmas shows famously coaxed newsreader Angela Rippon, a trained ballet dancer, out from behind her desk to dance.

Which Cornish village eats stargazy pie, fish heads poking through the crust, on Tom Bawcock's Eve, 23 December?

Mousehole honours a fisherman said to have braved a storm to end a famine, and the night inspired Antonia Barber's children's book The Mousehole Cat.

Which London lake has hosted a 100-yard swim every Christmas morning since 1864, for a cup given by J. M. Barrie?

The Serpentine race starts at 9 am in Hyde Park, and the Peter Pan Cup is open only to club members who have swum the Saturday races all winter, so no one plunges in cold.

Whose first full episode as the Doctor was 'The Christmas Invasion', Doctor Who's first Christmas special, in 2005?

David Tennant's new Doctor spends much of The Christmas Invasion out of action after regenerating, leaving his friends to face the alien Sycorax.

Which BBC drama about the nuns and nurses of Poplar has aired a special every Christmas Day since 2012?

Call the Midwife's specials have sent the Nonnatus House team far from the East End, on missions to South Africa, the Outer Hebrides and Hong Kong.

Which charity launched Christmas Jumper Day in 2012?

Save the Children's first Jumper Day fell on Friday 14 December 2012, and the charity now urges people to buy second-hand jumpers rather than new.

Which pink, yellow-spotted character from Noel's House Party took the Christmas number one of 1993?

Mr Blobby began in 1992 as a prank in the show's 'Gotcha' segment, catching out celebrities; Bob Mortimer later called him a 'pink, spotty, rubber' something unprintable.

Which king was crowned at Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066?

William the Conqueror was crowned in the abbey where Harold had almost certainly been crowned less than a year earlier.

Which monarch delivered the first royal Christmas broadcast, on BBC radio from Sandringham in 1932?

George V read a Christmas speech written for him by the author Rudyard Kipling.

Which Queen song was Christmas number one in both 1975 and, after Freddie Mercury's death, 1991?

Bohemian Rhapsody was the first song ever to reach number one in the UK twice with the same recording: nine weeks in 1975 and five more in 1991 as a double A-side with 'These Are the Days of Our Lives'.

Which chorister's 1985 single of 'Walking in the Air' reached number five, although he never sang it in The Snowman?

Aled Jones, a teenager from Anglesey, made the song famous on record, but the voice in the film belongs to Peter Auty, an uncredited St Paul's Cathedral choirboy.

As of 2025, which Pogues duet had never been a Christmas number one despite reaching number two in 1987?

Fairytale of New York has made the UK Top 20 more than twenty times, yet its two singers never recorded their vocals together in the studio.

Which coronation relic did four Scottish students carry off from Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1950?

The Stone of Scone had sat under the Coronation Chair since Edward I seized it in 1296; England had promised to return it in 1328, but rioting crowds stopped it leaving the Abbey.

Which Wrong Trousers villain returns in Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, BBC One's Christmas Day film of 2024?

Feathers McGraw, the silent penguin, hijacks Wallace's robotic garden gnome Norbot to avenge the Blue Diamond heist the pair foiled in 1993. Netflix released the film abroad on 3 January 2025.

Which group's 'Goodbye' in 1998 made them the first act since the Beatles to take three Christmas number ones in a row?

Spice Girls' run began with '2 Become 1' in 1996 and ended with a ballad released after Geri Halliwell had left the group. Melanie C later added a fourth with the Justice Collective in 2012.

Whose Restoration in 1660 made Christmas a legal holiday in England again, after the Puritans had abolished it in 1647?

Charles II's return voided the Puritan laws that had scrapped Christmas, Easter and Whitsun, after pro-Christmas riots had broken out in several cities.

Which Anglican book supplied the collect that gave the Christmas pudding-making day its nickname?

The Book of Common Prayer supplied that collect, and families took its opening words as a cue to start their puddings weeks before Christmas.

Which tinned assortment, launched by Mackintosh's of Halifax in 1936, took its name from a J. M. Barrie play?

Quality Street was Harold Mackintosh's way of selling chocolates to working-class families: wrapping each sweet in coloured paper and tipping them into a tin was cheaper than a box with separate compartments.

At what time, embargoed even online, is the monarch's Christmas message traditionally broadcast in the UK?

The 3 pm slot has outlived the BBC's monopoly on the message: since 1997 production has rotated between the BBC and ITN, with Sky News joining in 2011.

Which charity took up the Christingle as a fundraiser across Britain from 1968?

The Children's Society's John Pensom popularised the Christingle in Britain in 1968; the first one, in 1747, was just a candle wrapped in a red ribbon.

Which London theatre holds a Twelfth Night cake ceremony for its company under actor Robert Baddeley's will?

Drury Lane's Baddeley Cake honours a former valet turned actor who left £3 a year for cake and wine in the green room on Twelfth Night.

Which 1984 charity single, written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, raised money for famine relief in Ethiopia?

Do They Know It's Christmas? was recorded in a single day in November 1984 and stayed the UK's best-selling single until Candle in the Wind 1997.

Which Walthamstow boy band's 'Stay Another Day' beat Mariah Carey's festive single to 1994's Christmas number one?

East 17's only number one was written by Tony Mortimer about his brother Ollie's suicide and reworked into a love song; the band took its name from their home postcode.

Which smuggled instrument did astronaut Wally Schirra use to play 'Jingle Bells' from Gemini 6 in 1965?

A harmonica about an inch long, backed by crewmate Tom Stafford on bells, made it one of the first songs broadcast from space. Schirra later gave the instrument to the Smithsonian.

Which Disney character gives his name to the cartoon special Swedes have watched every Christmas Eve since 1960?

Donald Duck is far more popular than Mickey Mouse in Sweden, so the special is known there simply as Kalle Anka. Its full title means 'Donald Duck and His Friends Wish You a Merry Christmas'.

Which vegetable is carved into prize-winning scenes at a festival in Oaxaca, Mexico, every 23 December?

Radishes grown oversized for the event are the stars of the Night of the Radishes. Farmers first carved them into figures to catch shoppers' attention at the city's Christmas market.

In Home Alone (1990), what nickname do Harry and Marv, the burglars targeting Kevin's street, give themselves?

The Wet Bandits earn the name because Marv floods every house they rob, and it is their undoing. Police use the flooding to identify all the homes the pair broke into.

In which fictional land has the White Witch made it always winter but never Christmas?

Narnia stays frozen for a hundred years under her spell. When Father Christmas finally gets past her magic, he hands the children gifts that include weapons.

Which dolls, each sold with a birth certificate and adoption papers, sparked shopper riots before Christmas 1983?

Cabbage Patch Kids were in such demand that maker Coleco cancelled its advertising while it tried to keep up. Parents literally fought in stores to get one.

Which garden bird, a British Christmas card favorite, shared its name with red-coated Victorian postmen?

Robin was the nickname for postmen in their red jackets, and the bird on a card is said to stand for the man who delivered it. Robins have starred on Christmas cards since the mid-19th century.

Which space telescope, the successor to Hubble, blasted off from French Guiana on Christmas Day 2021?

Webb, the James Webb Space Telescope, rode an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou after years of delays and cost overruns. A month later it reached its post about 1.5 million km from Earth.

In 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas', which dessert do the carolers refuse to leave without?

Figgy pudding is demanded with the threat not to go 'until we get some'. In England's West Country the name meant a raisin or plum pudding, not necessarily one with any figs in it.

Which Pumpkin King of Halloween Town tries to take over Christmas in a 1993 stop-motion film?

Jack Skellington has Santa Claus kidnapped and hands out Halloween-themed presents that terrify the real world. His singing voice came from the film's composer, Danny Elfman.

In Yule folklore, which giant animal is said to eat people who receive no new clothes for Christmas?

A cat, the monstrous Yule Cat, was a threat that pushed farm workers to finish processing the autumn wool before Christmas. Those who did the work were rewarded with new clothes; the rest were its prey.

In the song 'Frosty the Snowman', what do the children place on Frosty's head that brings him to life?

An old silk hat with magic in it does the trick. Comedian Jimmy Durante narrated the 1969 TV special and sang the song in it, promising that Frosty would be back on Christmas Day.

Which former Beatle released 'Wonderful Christmastime' in 1979, his first solo single in eight years?

Paul McCartney recorded it at his Sussex home during sessions for the album McCartney II. The single's B-side was an instrumental called 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reggae'.

Which Puerto Rican singer-songwriter wrote and first recorded the bilingual hit 'Feliz Navidad' in 1970?

José Feliciano, who was born blind, wrote a song that became a holiday standard in both Spanish and English. His original recording entered the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2010.

Which 'Singing Cowboy' took 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' to number one in the week of Christmas 1949?

Gene Autry cut the song as a suggested B-side, and it became his biggest hit. He was also the first to record 'Frosty the Snowman', a year later.

Which singer first recorded 'Santa Baby' in 1953, a tongue-in-cheek wish list of sables and yachts?

Eartha Kitt had the song written for her that summer and recorded it live with an orchestra in New York. Decades later she disliked Madonna's association with the song.

Which jazz singer, nicknamed the Velvet Fog, co-wrote 'The Christmas Song' during a sweltering summer?

Mel Tormé and Robert Wells wrote about chestnuts roasting on an open fire to 'stay cool by thinking cool'. Nat King Cole's trio made the first recording in 1946.

In the carol 'The Twelve Days of Christmas', what are the lords doing when they arrive as a gift?

Leaping lords are the tenth gift in Frederic Austin's 1909 arrangement, the version that fixed the carol's familiar tune and wording.

In the song 'Winter Wonderland', the couple build a snowman in the meadow and pretend he is whom?

Parson Brown gave way to a circus clown in a 1947 children's lyric, which turned the romantic song into one about playing in the snow.

Which singer's 1957 recording turned 'Blue Christmas' into a rock-and-roll holiday classic?

Elvis Presley recorded it for his 1957 Christmas album, nine years after Doye O'Dell made the first recording. Presley's version was not sold as a single until 1964.

At which New York department store is Kris Kringle hired to play Santa in Miracle on 34th Street (1947)?

Macy's takes him on after its parade Santa turns up drunk on Thanksgiving morning. Later, in court, the store's owner admits under oath that he believes Santa exists.

In A Christmas Story, what 'major award' does Ralphie's father win in a newspaper contest?

A leg lamp, shaped like a woman's leg in a fishnet stocking, is the Old Man's pride and joy until his wife 'accidentally' breaks it.

In the 1964 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer special, which prospector spends his life searching for silver and gold?

Yukon Cornelius joins Rudolph and a misfit elf on their travels, then tumbles over a cliff with the Abominable Snow Monster while driving it away from his friends.

Which actor plays several roles, including the Conductor and Santa Claus, in the 2004 film The Polar Express?

Tom Hanks optioned the book after reading it to his children, hoping to play both parts. Author Chris Van Allsburg agreed to sell the film rights only once he learned Hanks was involved.

In Jingle All the Way, which sold-out action figure does Arnold Schwarzenegger's character hunt for on Christmas Eve?

Turbo Man is a TV superhero whose doll a pair of rival fathers, one of them played by the comedian Sinbad, chase across Minneapolis on a last-minute shopping spree.

In 'A Christmas Carol', which dead business partner appears wrapped in a chain of cash-boxes, keys and padlocks?

Jacob Marley has been dead for seven years when the story opens. He wears the chain as punishment for a lifetime of greed, and warns that his old partner will be cursed to carry one too.

In which novel do the four March sisters give away their Christmas breakfast to an impoverished family?

Little Women opens on the family's first Christmas without their father, a chaplain away with the Union Army. He returns home on Christmas Day a year later.

In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which heirloom of his father's does Harry receive anonymously at Christmas?

The Invisibility Cloak lets Harry explore the school undetected at night, which is how he finds the Mirror of Erised and sees what he most desires.

Which fantasy author wrote his children illustrated letters from Father Christmas between 1920 and 1943?

J.R.R. Tolkien filled the letters with the mishaps of the North Polar Bear, who keeps getting into trouble. They were published in 1976, three years after his death.

Which American writer, known for surprise endings, published the Christmas story 'The Gift of the Magi' in 1905?

O. Henry was one of the pen names William Sydney Porter used for stories he published while serving time in an Ohio prison. The tale first ran in a New York newspaper that December.

In the poem known as 'The Night Before Christmas', which reindeer does Santa call by name first?

Dasher leads the roll call, followed by Dancer, Prancer and Vixen. The 1823 poem is largely credited with giving Santa his team of eight named reindeer.

Which New York seminary professor is credited with the 1823 poem that begins ''Twas the night before Christmas'?

Clement Clarke Moore had a reputation as an erudite professor and at first did not want his name on such unscholarly verse. It ran anonymously in a Troy newspaper before he claimed it in 1837.

Which Harper's Weekly cartoonist is generally credited with the first modern image of Santa Claus, drawn in 1863?

Thomas Nast drew his Santa in the midst of the Civil War, on the Union side and holding a puppet of Confederate president Jefferson Davis with a noose around its neck.

Which New York newspaper told eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon in 1897, 'Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus'?

The Sun was her choice because, as her letter said, her father had told her, 'If you see it in The Sun it's so.' The reply became the most reprinted newspaper editorial in the English language.

Which king of the Franks was crowned emperor by Pope Leo III in St. Peter's Basilica on Christmas Day 800?

Charlemagne became the first recognised emperor to rule from the west since the fall of the Western Roman Empire about three centuries earlier, and put the new title on his documents at once.

Which leader resigned as president of the Soviet Union in a televised speech on Christmas Day 1991?

Mikhail Gorbachev handed over control of the nuclear launch codes as he stepped down. That evening the Soviet flag was lowered from the Kremlin for the last time.

Which silver coin was traditionally stirred into a British Christmas pudding to bring its finder wealth?

A sixpence, or a silver threepence, went into the mixture, and whoever found it in their serving could keep it. Other charms included a thimble for thrift and an anchor for safe harbor.

Which German city's stollen, first recorded in 1474, is sold at its Striezelmarkt Christmas market?

Dresden stollen, originally called Striezel, is produced in the city itself and carries a seal showing King Augustus II the Strong. The market that sells it was founded in 1434.

What nickname is given to the top prize in Spain's Christmas lottery, drawn every 22 December?

El Gordo, 'the big one', is usually shared: tickets are sold in tenths called décimos, which clubs and workplaces split into smaller shares. The first Christmas draw was held in Cádiz in 1812.

Which US president lit the first National Christmas Tree in 1923, in a scheme to promote electric lights?

Calvin Coolidge was talked into it on behalf of an electrical trade group that wanted Americans to buy more Christmas lights. He lit the tree at dusk on Christmas Eve but did not say a word.

Reindeer, the animals said to fly Santa around the world, go by which name in North America?

Caribou and reindeer are one species, Rangifer tarandus. They are unique among deer in that females may grow antlers as well as males.

The song title 'Mele Kalikimaka' is a version of the greeting 'Merry Christmas' in which language?

Hawaiian has a very different sound system from English, so the borrowed greeting cannot be pronounced much closer to the original than Mele Kalikimaka. The song itself dates from 1949.