98 Fun Facts About Kids Christmas

Which reindeer is famous for a glowing red nose?

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer was created in 1939 by Robert L. May for a department-store giveaway booklet; Gene Autry's hit song followed in 1949.

Who wrote How the Grinch Stole Christmas!?

Theodor Geisel, writing as Dr. Seuss, published the rhyming story in 1957.

Which city does the McCallister family fly to at the start of Home Alone?

The family flies to Paris for Christmas, and the mother only realises mid-flight that one child has been left at home.

What is the town where the Whos live called?

The Whos live in Whoville, the town below Mount Crumpit, where the Grinch sulks in his cave and plots to steal their Christmas.

Which actor plays Buddy in the film Elf?

Will Ferrell plays the human raised by elves who goes to New York to find his father.

What is the name of the Grinch's dog?

Max is the long-suffering dog who ends up harnessed to the sleigh.

What do badly behaved children traditionally find in their stocking?

The custom holds that a child who misbehaves all year gets coal instead of presents.

In the song, what brings Frosty the Snowman to life?

Children put an old silk hat on the snowman's head and he begins to dance around.

In Home Alone, what are the two burglars called?

The burglars are Harry and Marv, played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern, who call themselves the Wet Bandits and target empty houses on the street.

Boxing Day is celebrated on which date?

Boxing Day is 26 December, the day after Christmas Day, and a public holiday in the UK, Canada, Australia and other Commonwealth countries.

How many little doors does a standard Advent calendar have?

A standard Advent calendar has 24 doors, one for each day from 1 December through Christmas Eve on 24 December.

Decorated gingerbread houses are usually linked to which fairy tale?

Gingerbread houses are linked to Hansel and Gretel, the Brothers Grimm tale of 1812 in which two lost children find a witch's house made of bread, cake and sugar.

The film Elf came out in which year?

Elf reached cinemas in 2003 and became a fixture of the holiday rewatch season.

Who sang the best-known recording of "White Christmas"?

Bing Crosby introduced the song, and his recording is the world's best-selling single.

Which poem opens with the line "Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house"?

A Visit from St. Nicholas was first printed anonymously in the Troy Sentinel newspaper in December 1823 and is usually credited to Clement Clarke Moore.

In which country was the carol "Silent Night" first performed?

Silent Night was first sung in Austria on Christmas Eve 1818, at St Nicholas church in Oberndorf near Salzburg, with words by Joseph Mohr and music by Franz Gruber.

The poinsettia, a common Christmas plant, grows wild in which country?

The plant is native to Mexico and Central America and only became a Christmas decoration after being brought north in the 1820s.

In which country did a 1970s advertising campaign turn fried chicken into a Christmas custom?

In Japan, KFC's 1974 'Kentucky for Christmas' campaign made a bucket of fried chicken the standard Christmas meal for millions of families.

Saint Nicholas, the real bishop behind Santa Claus, served a city in which modern country?

Nicholas was bishop of Myra, in what is now Turkey, and his reputation for secret gift-giving grew into the Santa story.

Which royal couple helped make Christmas trees fashionable in Britain?

Victoria and Albert popularised the tree: an 1848 Illustrated London News engraving of the royal family around a decorated tree at Windsor made it a must-have at home.

Advent calendars were first used by Lutherans in which country?

German Lutherans began the practice, and it spread to other churches and then to chocolate makers.

Which American retailer first handed out the story of the red-nosed reindeer in 1939?

Montgomery Ward commissioned Robert L. May to write the Rudolph story as a giveaway booklet for its Christmas shoppers in 1939; the song followed in 1949.

What was the song "Jingle Bells" originally called?

The One Horse Open Sleigh was the title; the lyric about dashing through the snow was published in September 1857.

In Alpine folklore, which horned figure deals with badly behaved children?

Krampus, the horned companion of Saint Nicholas in Austrian and Bavarian folklore, appears on 5 December carrying birch rods to threaten naughty children.

In which town was Jesus born?

The town sits about six miles south of Jerusalem and was also the birthplace of King David, which is why the Bible calls it the City of David.

Which angel visited Mary to tell her she would have a son?

The angel Gabriel brought the news to Mary in Luke's Gospel; his greeting, 'Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee', became the opening of the Hail Mary prayer.

Because there was nowhere for the family to stay, where was the newborn baby Jesus laid?

A manger is a feeding trough for animals, which is why nativity scenes are set in a stable.

An angel announced the birth of Jesus to which group of people, who were out in the fields at night?

Luke's Gospel says shepherds watching their flocks by night were told by an angel to look for a baby wrapped in cloths, as a host of angels sang 'Glory to God in the highest'.

What three gifts did the wise men bring to the baby Jesus?

Frankincense and myrrh are both sweet-smelling tree resins that were as precious as gold in the ancient world.

What did the wise men from the East follow to find the newborn king?

Matthew's Gospel says the wise men followed a star that went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was; astronomers have suggested a comet or a conjunction of planets.

In the Christmas story, which king was frightened when the wise men asked about a newborn king of the Jews?

Herod asked the wise men to report back once they found the child, but they were warned in a dream and went home by another road.

In the Christmas story, an angel warned Joseph in a dream to flee with Mary and the baby Jesus to which country?

Egypt kept the family safe from King Herod; after Herod died an angel told Joseph in another dream that it was safe to return to the land of Israel.

Per Luke's Gospel, in which Galilee town did Mary and Joseph live before the census journey?

Luke 2:4 says Joseph went up from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem for the census, which is why Jesus grew up known as a Nazarene.

Which Roman emperor's census sent Joseph to Bethlehem, the city of his ancestors?

Luke 2:1 says a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered sent Joseph to Bethlehem, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

Which two animals are usually shown in a nativity scene beside the baby?

The donkey and the ox are traditional: neither is named in the Gospels, but Isaiah 1:3 speaks of an ox and an ass knowing their master's crib, and artists added them centuries later.

Who staged the first nativity scene, at Greccio in Italy in 1223?

Saint Francis of Assisi staged the first nativity scene at Greccio in 1223, with a manger, hay and live animals, so that people who could not read could see the story.

Which two Gospels tell the story of the birth of Jesus?

Matthew and Luke have nativity accounts: Matthew tells it through Joseph and the wise men, Luke through Mary and the shepherds, and nativity plays blend the two; Mark and John skip the birth.

Mary's relative Elizabeth gave birth to which baby a few months before Jesus was born?

Elizabeth's son was John the Baptist, born about six months before Jesus; her husband Zechariah was struck dumb for doubting the angel's news that his elderly wife would conceive.

How many days after his birth was Jesus presented at the Temple in Jerusalem?

Luke 2:22 follows the law of Moses, which set a mother's purification at 40 days after a son's birth; Mary and Joseph offered two pigeons, the poor family's gift, and met the aged Simeon.

How many reindeer pull Santa's sleigh in the 1823 poem 'Twas the Night Before Christmas'?

The poem names eight reindeer, from Dasher and Dancer to Comet and Cupid; a ninth, Rudolph, was not added until Robert May's 1939 story.

In the film The Polar Express, what drink do the dancing waiters serve to the children aboard the train?

Hot chocolate arrives in a big dance number, and the girl leaves with the Conductor to take a cup to lonely Billy.

Which actor plays the Conductor, and several other roles, in The Polar Express?

Tom Hanks plays the Conductor, Santa Claus, the Hero Boy's father and the hobo through motion capture in Robert Zemeckis's 2004 film.

In The Polar Express, what does Santa hand the boy as the first gift of Christmas?

The first gift of Christmas is a silver sleigh bell from Santa's sleigh; the boy can hear it ring only once he believes, and at the end only true believers still hear it.

Jack Skellington rules which spooky land in The Nightmare Before Christmas?

Jack Skellington is the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town; he finds a grove of trees with doors to other holiday worlds and tumbles through the one to Christmas Town.

What does Jack Skellington mistakenly call Santa Claus in The Nightmare Before Christmas?

Jack calls him 'Sandy Claws', a name the monsters of his town find far easier to relate to than Santa Claus.

In the 1964 Rudolph TV special, the elf Hermey leaves the workshop to become what?

Hermey wants to be a dentist rather than make toys, and his ambition pays off when he pulls the Abominable Snow Monster's teeth.

Where do Rudolph and his friends wash up after escaping the Abominable Snow Monster?

They land on the Island of Misfit Toys, ruled by the winged lion King Moonracer, who gathers unwanted toys until he can find children to love them.

In the 1964 special, what is the name of the doe who tells Rudolph he is cute?

Clarice tells Rudolph he is cute, and her compliment makes him so happy that he flies for the first time at the reindeer games.

Which folk singer narrates the 1964 Rudolph special as Sam the Snowman?

Burl Ives voices Sam the Snowman and sings 'A Holly Jolly Christmas' in the special; his recording became a standard in its own right.

Which character recites the nativity story on stage in A Charlie Brown Christmas?

Linus van Pelt recites the nativity story from Luke's Gospel on stage, dropping his security blanket at the words 'fear not', a detail many viewers never notice.

Which composer wrote the music for The Nutcracker ballet?

Tchaikovsky composed The Nutcracker in 1891-92, working on it in Rouen, France, and breaking off to conduct at the opening of Carnegie Hall in May 1891; it premiered in St Petersburg in December 1892.

Which bell-like keyboard instrument gives The Nutcracker its famous twinkling sound?

The celesta, a keyboard that strikes metal plates, gives the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy its twinkle; the composer had first used it in his 1891 symphonic ballad The Voyevoda.

In A Christmas Carol, what is the name of Scrooge's dead business partner?

Jacob Marley, dead seven years, appears as a ghost dragging chains of cash-boxes and ledgers forged in life, and warns Scrooge that his own chain is even longer.

Which seriously ill little boy is the youngest son of Bob Cratchit?

Tiny Tim is the Cratchits' crippled youngest son; the Ghost of Christmas Present tells Scrooge the boy will die unless the shadows of the future are changed.

Who plays Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol?

Michael Caine plays Scrooge in the 1992 film; he said he would play the part completely straight, as if acting alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Which Muppet plays the narrator, Charles Dickens, in The Muppet Christmas Carol?

Gonzo the Great plays Charles Dickens as narrator, with Rizzo the Rat tagging along mostly to eat things and complain about the cold.

In It's a Wonderful Life, what is the name of George Bailey's guardian angel?

Clarence Odbody is an angel second class who has yet to earn his wings; the bell ringing at the end tells George that he finally has.

In Miracle on 34th Street, Kris Kringle is hired to play Santa at which store?

Kris Kringle plays Santa at Macy's after pointing out that the parade Santa is drunk, then startles the store by sending shoppers to rival Gimbels for better deals.

In Elf, what is the name of Buddy's grumpy human father, played by James Caan?

Walter Hobbs works at a children's book publisher, is on Santa's naughty list, and at first mistakes Buddy for a singing Christmas-gram messenger.

In Elf, the elves name the baby Buddy after the label on his what?

The elves named him after the 'Little Buddy Diapers' label on his diaper; he had crawled into Santa's sack at the orphanage and was only found back at the North Pole.

In the 1969 Frosty the Snowman TV special, what is the grumpy magician's name?

Professor Hinkle threw his hat away after his magic show flopped at the school, then spent the special trying to get it back once it brought Frosty to life.

Who voiced the Grinch, and narrated, in the 1966 TV special?

Boris Karloff, the Frankenstein star, narrated and voiced the Grinch; the song 'You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch' was sung uncredited by Thurl Ravenscroft.

In the 1966 special, the Grinch's heart is said to be how many sizes too small?

The Grinch's heart is 'two sizes too small'; by the end it grows three sizes, giving him the strength to save the sleigh from sliding off Mount Crumpit.

Who played the Grinch in the 2000 live-action film directed by Ron Howard?

Jim Carrey played the Grinch under heavy prosthetics in Ron Howard's 2000 film, narrated by Anthony Hopkins, the first Dr. Seuss book made into a live-action feature.

Who voices the Grinch in the 2018 animated film from Illumination?

Benedict Cumberbatch voices the Grinch in Illumination's 2018 film, with Pharrell Williams as narrator; it grossed more than $500 million worldwide.

In the 2018 film, what does the Grinch call the fat reindeer he recruits to pull his sleigh?

The Grinch names the reindeer Fred; when Fred turns out to have a family of his own, the Grinch lets him go and harnesses Max instead, though Fred returns to help.

Which country gives London a giant Christmas tree for Trafalgar Square every year?

Norway has sent the Trafalgar Square tree every year since 1947 as thanks for British support during the Second World War; the city of Oslo chooses it from its own forests.

The famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in New York is usually what kind of tree?

The Rockefeller Center tree is nearly always a Norway spruce of 70 to 100 feet; the first, in 1931, was a 20-foot balsam fir that construction workers decorated with cranberries and tin cans.

Who commissioned the first commercially sold Christmas card, in London in 1843?

Sir Henry Cole commissioned the card, designed by John Callcott Horsley; its picture of a family raising a toast drew complaints because it showed a child sipping wine.

Which London sweet-maker is credited with inventing the Christmas cracker in 1847?

Tom Smith, a London confectioner, wrapped sweets with love mottoes in 1847 and added the snapping strip later, turning his bon-bons into crackers.

What shape is the tissue-paper hat found inside a traditional Christmas cracker?

A crown is the shape; whoever ends up holding the bigger end of the cracker traditionally keeps the prize.

Which silver coin was traditionally hidden inside a Christmas pudding for luck?

A silver sixpence was stirred into the pudding, usually on Stir-up Sunday about five weeks before Christmas, and finding it in your slice meant luck for the year ahead.

What colour are the berries of European mistletoe, the plant people kiss beneath?

European mistletoe has white berries; one old rule said a berry had to be plucked for each kiss, and the kissing stopped when the berries ran out.

What animal does Sinterklaas ride through the streets of Dutch towns?

Sinterklaas rides a white horse over the rooftops; Dutch TV's horse was called Amerigo for years, and after his retirement in 2019 a successor named Ozosnel took over.

In Italian folklore, which old woman on a broomstick brings children gifts in early January?

La Befana is said to come down the chimney, which is why her face is always drawn sooty.

Epiphany, also called Three Kings' Day, traditionally falls on which date?

Epiphany falls on 6 January, twelve days after Christmas; many families take their decorations down the night before, on Twelfth Night.

Russia's Grandfather Frost is helped by his granddaughter, the Snow Maiden, called what?

Snegurochka, the Snow Maiden, accompanies Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost), who brings gifts on New Year's Eve rather than Christmas and carries a long magic staff.

The Finnish name for Santa, Joulupukki, literally means "Christmas" what?

The name comes from an old Nordic custom of men dressing up as goats and going round the villages.

Which Swedish town has built a giant straw Yule goat every Christmas since 1966?

Gävle has built its straw Yule goat every year since 1966; the Gävle Goat is famous mainly because vandals have burned it down dozens of times.

Which Finnish city is home to Santa Claus Village on the Arctic Circle?

Rovaniemi, on the Arctic Circle in Finnish Lapland, is home to Santa Claus Village, and Finland promotes it as Santa's official home town.

Which singer released "All I Want for Christmas Is You" in 1994?

Mariah Carey wrote it with Walter Afanasieff and had the studio decorated for Christmas during an August recording session.

"Last Christmas" was released in 1984 by which pop duo?

Wham!'s 'Last Christmas' spent five weeks at number two in the UK, kept off the top by Band Aid, and finally reached number one in January 2021.

How old was Brenda Lee when she recorded "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" in 1958?

Brenda Lee was 13 when she recorded it in October 1958; writer Johnny Marks also wrote 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' and 'A Holly Jolly Christmas'.

Which Puerto Rican singer wrote and recorded "Feliz Navidad" in 1970?

José Feliciano wrote and recorded 'Feliz Navidad' in 1970, homesick in a Los Angeles studio and missing his family's Christmas Eve celebrations in Puerto Rico.

The tune of "Deck the Halls" comes from which country?

The melody belongs to a 16th-century winter carol called "Nos Galan", and the English words were added in 1862.

Christmas Island, in the Indian Ocean, belongs to which country?

Christmas Island is an Australian external territory, famous for the millions of red land crabs that march to the sea each year between October and December.

The first electrically lit Christmas tree, in 1882, was made by an associate of which inventor?

Edward H. Johnson, a vice-president of Thomas Edison's electric company, had 80 red, white and blue bulbs the size of walnuts made for his New York tree in 1882.

A Christingle is a candle pushed into which fruit?

The orange stands for the world and the candle for the light of Christ; a red ribbon and sweets on sticks finish it off.

In the fairy tale, which animal finally eats the runaway Gingerbread Man?

A fox offers to carry the Gingerbread Man across a river and eats him; before that he had outrun an old couple and a whole farmyard of animals.

In "The Twelve Days of Christmas", the gift on the first day is which bird, sitting in a pear tree?

A partridge in a pear tree may point to France: the red-legged partridge that perches in trees was not common in England until about 1770.

In "The Twelve Days of Christmas", how many gold rings does the true love send?

The true love sends five gold rings on the fifth day; the 1780 printing also had 'four colly birds', an old word for coal-black, which later became calling birds.

In Home Alone 2, Kevin tricks the staff into giving him a suite at which famous New York hotel?

Kevin checks into the Plaza Hotel on Fifth Avenue using his father's credit card, fooling the staff with his Talkboy recorder until the card is reported stolen.

NORAD began tracking Santa after a 1955 newspaper ad for which store misprinted a phone number?

A 1955 Sears ad in Colorado Springs misprinted the number, so children reached the Continental Air Defense Command, whose Colonel Harry Shoup had staff report Santa's position.

A legend about Saint Nicholas tossing bags of gold to three poor sisters explains which custom?

The gold is said to have landed in stockings drying by the fire, the origin of hanging up stockings; in some tellings it was three golden balls, the pawnbrokers' sign.

What do French children call Santa Claus?

French children call him Père Noël, 'Father Christmas'; Dutch children call him de Kerstman and Norwegian children Julenissen.

Which magazine printed Thomas Nast's famous Santa Claus drawings in the 1860s?

Thomas Nast drew Santa for Harper's Weekly from 1863; he may also have invented Santa's North Pole home, labelling one 1866 picture 'Santa Claussville, N.P.'

The Polish Christmas Eve supper, Wigilia, traditionally has how many dishes, all meatless?

Wigilia traditionally has 12 meatless dishes, one for each apostle or month; many families also leave an empty place at the table for an unexpected guest.

How was Donner's name spelled in the 1823 printing of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas'?

Dunder and Blixem came from a Dutch oath meaning thunder and lightning; later editions Germanised them to Donder, then Donner, and Blitzen.