Incredibly, the holiday season has arrived once again. That means Christmas Carols will be traveling the radio waves, last-minute shopping trips to the mall will become increasingly frequent and school will finally be let out for the semester. Yet, how often do we see something holiday-related and understand its true origins? The following is a list of random holiday trivia questions designed to be both fun and enlightening in explaining some little-known facts about the happiest time of the year. If you ace it, consider yourself a true holiday expert -- the questions increase in difficulty as the quiz progresses, with the last two questions being nearly impossible (in my opinion, at least). Happy holidays to all!
1. How would one say "Merry Christmas" in German?
a. Vrolijk Kerstfeest
b. Frohe Weinachten
c. Joyeux Noël
d. Krismas chibai
2. What is the best selling Christmas song of all time and also the best selling single in any genre of music?
a. All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey (1994)
b. The Christmas Song - Nat Cole King (1946)
c. White Christmas - Bing Crosby (1942)
d. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Judy Garland (1944)
3. Which U.S. President declared Thanksgiving a national holiday?
a. George Washington
b. Abraham Lincoln
c. Andrew Johnson
d. Woodrow Wilson
4. The pilgrims dined with what tribe of Indians on the first Thanksgiving?
a. Sioux
b. Winnebago
c. Apache
d. Wampanoag
5. The best selling holiday movie of all time is:
a. A Christmas Story (1983)
b. How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
c. Home Alone (1990)
d. Love Actually (2003)
6. How long does it take the typical Christmas tree to grow before it's sold?
a. 5 years
b. 10 years
c. 15 years
d. 20 years
7. Where was the first reference to a Christmas tree made back in 1531?
a. Germany
b. Israel
c. France
d. Norway
8. Which civilization would have its children fill their stockings for the God Odin's eight-legged horse Sleipnir?
a. Ancient Rome
b. Ancient Greece
c. The Vikings
d. Ancient Egypt
9. The busiest shopping day of the year is:
a. Black Friday
b. The Saturday before Christmas
c. Christmas Eve
d. Christmas Day
10. According to modern-day research, when was Jesus most likely born?
a. March
b. September
c. November
d. December
11. The first state to recognize Christmas, in 1836, was:
a. Alabama
b. Georgia
c. Louisiana
d. South Carolina
12. In which country does the leader of a group of carolers carry a "steaua," or a large wooden star?
a. Romania
b. Brazil
c. Russia
d. Latvia
13. Christmas Island, a territory owned by Australia, has approximately how many people?
a. 1,000
b. 1,500
c. 2,000
d. 2,500