68 Fun Facts About Christmas

Which city does the McCallister family fly to for Christmas, accidentally leaving Kevin behind?

The McCallister family flies to Paris for Christmas, accidentally leaving Kevin behind in their Chicago suburb home.

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

Will Ferrell stars as Buddy, a human raised by elves at the North Pole who travels to New York City to find his biological father.

What is the name of the Grinch's dog?

Max is the Grinch's loyal dog who is forced to help carry out the plan to steal Christmas from the Whos in Whoville.

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

Bing Crosby's 1942 recording is the world's best-selling single, with estimated sales in excess of 50 million physical copies. It was listed as the best-selling single in the first Guinness Book of Records in 1955 and still holds the title.

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

Ralphie Parker wants a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle, 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 song "White Christmas"?

Irving Berlin wrote White Christmas in 1940. It was first performed by Bing Crosby on a radio show in 1941 and later featured in the 1942 film Holiday Inn.

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

A bell works loose from the reins of Santa's reindeer and lands at the boy's feet, and Santa lets him keep it as the first gift of Christmas. Only those who truly believe can hear it ring.

Which band originally performed "Last Christmas" in 1984?

Wham!, the pop duo of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, released Last Christmas in 1984. It has become one of the most-played Christmas songs of all time.

What 1990 Christmas movie was the highest-grossing film of that year at the domestic box office?

Home Alone, starring Macaulay Culkin, earned over $476 million worldwide and was the highest-grossing film of 1990 domestically.

What country started the tradition of putting up a Christmas tree?

The Christmas tree was first recorded in use by German Lutherans in the 16th century, including a tree placed in Strasbourg Cathedral in 1539. The custom developed in Central Europe, particularly Germany and Livonia, now Estonia and Latvia.

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

Mistletoe became a Christmas decoration under which lovers are expected to kiss, a custom recorded as popular among servants in late eighteenth-century England. In one version, a berry was plucked from the sprig with each kiss and the kissing stopped once the berries ran out.

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).

What is the name of the ballet that features the Sugar Plum Fairy and is commonly performed at Christmas?

The Nutcracker, composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, premiered in 1892 and has become the most frequently performed ballet during the Christmas season worldwide.

How many reindeer pull Santa's sleigh according to the classic poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas"?

Clement Clarke Moore's 1823 poem describes Santa's sleigh as drawn by a team of eight reindeer, and is largely responsible for the modern lore of a named reindeer team.

Which company's 1930s advertising, painted by Haddon Sundblom, spawned the myth that Santa Claus wears red because of its brand colours?

Haddon Sundblom's paintings from the 1930s gave rise to the legend that Coca-Cola invented Santa Claus, or at least his red and white colours. Santa was already appearing in essentially his modern red-and-white form on Puck magazine covers early in the 20th century, and White Rock Beverages used a Santa figure in adverts 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.

What was the role of the 4th-century figure from Myra whose secret gift-giving inspired the Santa Claus legend?

Saint Nicholas was a 4th-century Greek Christian bishop of Myra (in modern-day Turkey), known for his generous gifts to the poor. His feast day on December 6th became associated with gift-giving.

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 which century was the first commercially produced Christmas card published?

Sir Henry Cole commissioned the first commercially available Christmas card in London in 1843, designed by John Callcott Horsley. A one-off card was sent to James I of England as early as 1611, but it was never produced for sale.

What traditional Christmas drink is made with milk, cream, sugar, and eggs?

Eggnog is a rich, sweetened, creamy drink made with milk and cream, sugar and whipped eggs, often with brandy, rum or bourbon added. It may have developed from posset, a medieval European drink of hot milk curdled with wine or ale and flavoured with spices.

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

Tradespeople, employees and servants traditionally received presents or gratuities, called Christmas boxes, from customers and employers on the day after Christmas, and alms boxes in churches were opened and distributed to the poor. The exact origin of the name is not settled.

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

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen is an English traditional carol, also known as Tidings of Comfort and Joy after its refrain. An early version survives in an anonymous manuscript from the 1650s, and the earliest known printed edition is a broadsheet of about 1760.

What is the German name for the traditional Christmas market?

Weihnachtsmarkt literally translates to Christmas market. These markets originated in Germany in the Late Middle Ages and feature handmade crafts, food, and mulled wine (Gluhwein).

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

The poinsettia is indigenous to Mexico and Central America and takes its English name from Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States minister to Mexico, who is credited with introducing it to the US in the 1820s. The red parts are bracts, which are leaves rather than petals.

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

The fifth day's gift is five gold rings, sung as five golden rings in North America since Mitch Miller's 1961 recording. The best known English version was first printed in Mirth without Mischief, a children's book published in London around 1780.

Which Dickens character 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.

What does Advent count down to in the Christian calendar?

Advent is the period of preparation leading up to Christmas Day (December 25th), beginning four Sundays before Christmas. Advent calendars typically have 24 or 25 doors counting down the days.

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

In the Netherlands, children place their shoes by the fireplace or door on the evening of December 5th (Sinterklaasavond). Sinterklaas, the Dutch version of St. Nicholas, fills them with small gifts and treats.

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

The fruit in the toe may echo the legend of the three balls of gold that the Bishop of Myra gave to three poor maidens as dowries. Oranges were also a rare and expensive fruit in nineteenth-century Europe, which made one a treat worth saving for Christmas.

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.

What is the name of the traditional Italian Christmas Eve feast of seafood?

The Feast of the Seven Fishes (Festa dei Sette Pesci) is an Italian-American Christmas Eve tradition featuring seven different seafood dishes. The number seven has various symbolic meanings in Catholic tradition.

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.

In what form did the red-nosed reindeer character created by Robert L. May first appear in 1939?

Robert L. May wrote the story for Montgomery Ward, which had been buying booklets to give away each Christmas and decided to produce its own. The store distributed 2.4 million copies in the first year. Johnny Marks turned the story into a song in 1949, recorded by Gene Autry.

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

American children leave a plate of cookies and a glass of milk out on Christmas Eve. The custom took off in the 1930s, during the Great Depression, when parents used it to teach children to give to others and to be grateful for what they received.

Which famous scientist was born on Christmas Day in 1642?

Isaac Newton was born on December 25, 1642, according to the Julian calendar in use in England at the time. Under the Gregorian calendar, his birthday would be January 4, 1643.

A 1990 Christmas film held the record as the highest-grossing live-action comedy worldwide until which 2011 sequel overtook it?

Home Alone's $476.7 million worldwide gross made it the top live-action comedy for two decades, until The Hangover Part II passed it in 2011.

In the Christmas song, what did Frosty the Snowman have for a nose?

Frosty is described with a corncob pipe, a button nose and two eyes made out of coal. The song was written by Walter 'Jack' Rollins and Steve Nelson and first recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950.

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 the 1988 film Die Hard, what is the name of the Los Angeles skyscraper where the Christmas Eve party is held?

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 celebrates Christmas on January 7th instead of December 25th?

Russia and several other Orthodox Christian countries celebrate Christmas on January 7th because the Russian Orthodox Church follows the Julian calendar, which is 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar.

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

Tradition credits London confectioner Tom Smith with inventing the cracker in 1847, and the Oxford English Dictionary records the pulling of crackers from that year. The gifts, paper hats and varied designs were introduced later by his son Walter.

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

The Yule log was a specially selected log burnt on the hearth, with a portion burned each evening through to Twelfth Night. The chocolate cake version, the buche de Noel, emerged in the 19th century, probably in France.

In the movie Elf, what are Buddy's four main food groups?

Buddy the Elf proudly declares that elves stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup. This line perfectly captures Buddy's childlike nature and elf upbringing.

What ancient Roman festival, celebrated in late December, heavily influenced modern Christmas celebrations?

Saturnalia was a Roman festival honoring the god Saturn, held from December 17-23. It featured gift-giving, feasting, and merrymaking, many aspects of which were later absorbed into Christmas celebrations.

What popular Christmas Eve tradition involves tracking 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.

A YouGov poll of more than 2,000 Germans found that 91% had never heard of the custom of hiding a pickle ornament on the Christmas tree. Where is it actually a popular tradition?

Despite the name Weihnachtsgurke and the usual attribution to Germany, the Christmas pickle is a German-American custom, thought to have been created in the 1890s to go with glass ornaments then being imported from Germany. The first person to find the pickle gets an extra present or a year of good fortune.

What is frankincense, one of the gifts the Three Wise Men brought to baby Jesus?

Frankincense is an aromatic resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia. It has been used for thousands of years as incense in religious ceremonies and was extremely valuable in the ancient world.

In which decade was the first Christmas tree illuminated with electric lights?

Edward H. Johnson, an associate of Thomas Edison, displayed the first known electrically illuminated Christmas tree in December 1882, hand-wired with 80 red, white and blue bulbs. Electric lights were too expensive to replace candles in most homes until about 1930.

What ancient Roman festival, celebrated in mid-December, is often associated with the origins of some Christmas traditions?

The Roman festival of Saturnalia, dedicated to the god Saturn, was celebrated from December 17th to 23rd and featured feasting, gift-giving, and general revelry, influencing many modern Christmas customs.

Which monarch's husband is credited with popularizing the Christmas tree in England during the 19th century?

Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's German-born husband, made the Christmas tree fashionable in Britain. An 1848 Illustrated London News cover showing the royal family around their tree at Windsor Castle was widely copied, and middle-class families followed. Trees had appeared in England earlier, though: the German-born Queen Charlotte set one up in 1800.

The earliest surviving document placing the birth of Jesus on December 25 dates from which era?

The Chronograph of 354, also called the Calendar of Filocalus, is the earliest document to give December 25 as the birthday of Jesus. Liturgical historians generally agree that this part of the text was written in Rome in AD 336.

Which historical figure is the primary inspiration for the modern Santa Claus?

The popular image of Santa Claus is largely based on traditions surrounding Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century Christian Greek bishop known for his generosity and gift-giving.

The carol 'Silent Night' was first performed on Christmas Eve 1818 in a village church in which present-day country?

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht was composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to words by the priest Joseph Mohr, and first performed on Christmas Eve that year at the Nikolauskirche in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, then in the Austrian Empire.

Who wrote the classic novella 'A Christmas Carol'?

Charles Dickens penned the enduring Christmas tale 'A Christmas Carol' in 1843, which tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and his transformation.

What bird is traditionally the main course for Christmas dinner in the United Kingdom?

Roast turkey is the usual centrepiece of Christmas dinner in the United Kingdom, served with stuffing, gravy, Yorkshire puddings, pigs in blankets, bread sauce, roast potatoes and vegetables such as Brussels sprouts and parsnips.

In the original 1823 text of 'A Visit from St. Nicholas', what are the last two reindeer called?

The 1823 text used the Dutch-derived names Dunder and Blixem, meaning thunder and lightning. Later printings changed them to the now-familiar Donner and Blitzen.

Including the reindeer added to the team in 1939, how many are commonly said to pull Santa's sleigh?

The traditional poem 'A Visit from St. Nicholas' introduced eight reindeer, but Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was added later in a popular story and song, bringing the commonly recognized total to nine.

On what date is Christmas Day primarily observed in Western Christian traditions?

While many Orthodox Christians follow the Julian calendar, resulting in Christmas on January 7th, the majority of Western Christian traditions observe Christmas Day on December 25th.

Which Christmas evergreen has glossy prickly leaves and bright red berries that grow only on the female plant?

European holly, Ilex aquifolium, is the species long associated with Christmas. Its glossy green prickly leaves and bright red berries, produced only by the female plant, turn up in 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.

Which country is widely credited with originating the tradition of decorating evergreen trees as Christmas trees?

The modern Christmas tree tradition is often traced back to 16th-century Germany, where Christians began decorating trees in their homes.

What is the name of Santa's most famous reindeer, known for guiding his sleigh with a luminous red nose?

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was created by Robert L. May in a 1939 booklet and became famous for leading Santa's sleigh.

Which traditional hot spiced drink shares its name with the Twelfth Night custom of going door to door singing in exchange for gifts?

Wassail is a drink of hot mulled cider, ale or wine with spices, drunk as part of wassailing. The house-visiting wassail falls on Twelfth Night, when people go door to door singing and offering a drink from the wassail bowl in exchange for gifts.

Which ancient Roman holiday, marked by feasting and gift-giving, is believed to have influenced some 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 at the foot of a Christmas tree, follows a young 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 England during the 16th and 17th centuries, which bird was commonly served at Christmas dinner?

Goose or capon was the common Christmas bird in England through the 16th and 17th centuries, while the wealthy sometimes dined on peacock and swan.