Christmas Trivia Questions

Thanks to a 1970s KFC marketing campaign, fried chicken became a Christmas staple in Japan—about 3.6 million families partake yearly.

Oregon, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania lead in Christmas tree production. Hawaii and Alaska produce very few commercially.

From 1659 to 1681, the Puritan-led Massachusetts Bay Colony outlawed Christmas, considering it a pagan and wasteful celebration. Violators were subject to fines.

Composed in 1857 by James Lord Pierpont, 'Jingle Bells' was titled 'One Horse Open Sleigh' and intended for Thanksgiving.

Coca-Cola popularized the red-suited Santa, but Thomas Nast and others drew him that way decades earlier in the 1800s.

The Statue of Liberty was a diplomatic gift, but it was dedicated in October 1886, not given as a Christmas present.

Poinsettias are only mildly toxic; ingestion may cause minor irritation or stomach upset but is not deadly. Severe poisoning is extremely unlikely.

Poinsettias are mildly irritating if eaten but not highly toxic. A 50-pound child would need to eat 500 leaves for serious harm.

Puritans in Massachusetts banned Christmas from 1659 to 1681, considering it pagan and un-Christian. Violators faced a five-shilling fine.

Coca-Cola popularized Santa's red suit in ads, but his modern look (white beard, red outfit) existed since the 1800s, thanks to cartoonist Thomas Nast.

Legend says St. Nicholas dropped gold down a chimney, which landed in stockings hung to dry. That tale inspired the stocking-hanging tradition.

James Lord Pierpont's 1857 composition was first published as 'The One Horse Open Sleigh'; the name 'Jingle Bells' came later when it became a Christmas classic.

Rudolph was created in 1939 by Robert L. May for Montgomery Ward's free coloring book, not for toy sales. It was a marketing giveaway.

Early German Christmas trees, known as paradise trees, were indeed adorned with apples, candles, and paper flowers.

X represents the Greek letter Chi, the first letter of Christos. Xmas has been used by Christians since the 1500s.

Puritans in colonial New England outlawed Christmas from 1659 to 1681, considering it too pagan and unruly. Celebrating meant a fine.

This is actually true—'X' is Chi, so Xmas means Christmas. But it's a common myth that it's a secular abbreviation to remove Christ.

The Statue of Liberty was a diplomatic gift, but it was not given at Christmas. It arrived in June 1885 and was dedicated in October 1886.

Hawaii has very few Christmas tree farms. The top producers are Oregon, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, shipping millions of trees annually.

While mistletoe is sometimes harvested with shotguns, it is not specifically done on Christmas Eve; harvesting typically takes place earlier in the holiday season.

Icelandic folklore features 13 Yule Lads who leave gifts or rotten potatoes in shoes. Each has a distinct prank, like stealing sausages or slamming doors.

In Norse myth, Baldur was killed by a mistletoe arrow. This story is frequently cited as a possible origin of the mistletoe kissing custom.