97 Fun Facts About December Holiday

Which European country originated the modern Christmas tree tradition in the 16th century?

The modern Christmas tree tradition arose in 16th-century Germany; Martin Luther is often credited with first adding lighted candles to an indoor evergreen.

Boxing Day, celebrated on December 26th, originated as a day for what purpose?

Boxing Day has roots in the tradition of giving 'Christmas boxes' filled with money, food, or gifts to servants, tradespeople, and the needy as thanks for their service.

In Alpine folklore, which horned figure joins Saint Nicholas on 5 December to punish naughty children?

While the saint hands out small gifts, his companion is said to deal with the naughty using birch rods; the evening is known as Krampusnacht.

Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of which month of the Hebrew calendar?

Hanukkah begins on 25 Kislev; because the Hebrew calendar is lunisolar, the festival falls anywhere from late November to late December on the civil calendar.

Which Swahili word for 'Unity' names the first principle of Kwanzaa?

The principle calls for striving to maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race, and its candle is the first one lit.

Where and when did the Advent calendar tradition originate?

The Advent calendar tradition began in 19th-century Germany, initially with families marking chalk lines or lighting candles to count down to Christmas.

Kwanzaa was created in 1966 in the aftermath of which event?

Kwanzaa was created in 1966 after the 1965 Watts riots in Los Angeles; its creator's stated aim was to give Black Americans a holiday celebrating their own history rather than imitating the dominant society's.

Who authored the classic holiday novella 'A Christmas Carol'?

The novella was published by Chapman & Hall in London, illustrated by John Leech, and Dickens divided it into five 'staves' rather than chapters.

Kissing under the mistletoe is first recorded as a popular custom among servants where and when?

The custom is first recorded in 18th-century England, where it spread among servants; one version of the rule had a berry plucked for every kiss until the sprig was bare.

Which December event marks the shortest day and longest night in the Northern Hemisphere?

The Winter Solstice, typically occurring around December 21st or 22nd, marks the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and is celebrated by various cultures.

How many branches does a Hanukkah menorah (hanukkiah) typically have?

A hanukkiah has nine branches: one for each night of the festival plus a raised or offset holder for the helper candle used to kindle the others.

In Dutch tradition, Sinterklaas arrives each November by steamboat from which country?

Sinterklaas arrives by steamboat from Spain each November; he then rides a white horse over the rooftops, and older songs threatened to carry naughty children back to Spain in a sack.

Who is traditionally credited with inventing the Christmas cracker in 1847?

London confectioner Tom Smith created the Christmas cracker in 1847, inspired by French paper-wrapped bonbons; the paper hats and jokes were later additions by his son Walter.

In Catalonia, children feed and keep warm a hollow log before Christmas so that it will do what?

The Tió de Nadal is covered with a blanket and, on Christmas Eve or Day, thumped with sticks while the family sings for it to deliver sweets and small gifts.

In which country did a 1974 'Kentucky for Christmas' campaign make fried chicken a popular Christmas dinner?

In Japan, KFC's 1974 'Kentucky for Christmas' campaign grew from Takeshi Okawara's 1970 'party barrel' idea at the country's first KFC, pitched as a stand-in for the American turkey dinner.

On what date is St. Nicholas Day traditionally observed in Western Christian countries?

St. Nicholas Day, also known as the Feast of St. Nicholas, is celebrated on December 6th in Western Christian countries, honoring the 4th-century bishop known for his generosity.

What is the four-sided spinning top, marked with Hebrew letters, that children play with during Hanukkah?

Dreidel letters are popularly read as an acronym for 'a great miracle happened there', though the game itself likely derives from the European teetotum.

Which of Kwanzaa's Seven Principles (Nguzo Saba) means collective work and responsibility?

Ujima, the third principle, means collective work and responsibility: building and maintaining the community together and making our brothers' and sisters' problems our own.

How many days is the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah celebrated?

Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish holiday that commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the miracle of a single day's oil lasting for eight.

What is the traditional name for the communal feast held on the sixth day of Kwanzaa?

The Karamu, held on 31 December, the sixth day of Kwanzaa, gathers family and community for food, music and reflection before the final day of the celebration.

Which item is traditionally left in shoes or stockings on St. Nicholas Day in some European countries?

Children find small treats or coins in their shoes; the custom echoes the legend of Nicholas of Myra tossing money through a poor family's window, where it landed in shoes drying by the fire.

The Kwanzaa celebration lasts for how many days each year?

Seven days, ending on New Year's Day, with a candle on the kinara lit for each principle: three red, three green and a black one in the centre.

What is the name of the extra candle on a Hanukkah menorah that is used to light the others?

The shamash, Hebrew for 'helper' or 'servant', is the extra light used to kindle the others; it must sit higher or lower than the row it serves.

What is the name of the candle holder used in Kwanzaa celebrations?

The kinara is the Kwanzaa candle holder; the first one was little more than a wooden log with holes drilled in it to hold the candles.

In which country was the Yule Goat once regarded as an invisible spirit that checked Christmas preparations were done right?

Sweden's Julbocken appeared some time before Christmas to make sure the Yule preparations were done right; the goat remains a Christmas decoration there and across Scandinavia.

What traditional fried potato dish is often eaten during Hanukkah?

Latkes, fried potato pancakes, recall the temple oil said to have burned far longer than its supply allowed; sufganiyot and Sephardic bimuelos are eaten for the same reason.

Which Christmas carol includes the lyrics 'Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh'?

'Jingle Bells' was copyrighted by James Lord Pierpont in 1857 under the title 'The One Horse Open Sleigh', and it was not originally written as a Christmas song.

How many Yule Lads come down from the mountains before Christmas in Icelandic folklore?

Thirteen Yule Lads (jólasveinar) arrive one per night over the 13 nights before Christmas, each named for his mischief, from Spoon-Licker to Door-Slammer; children leave shoes in the window for them to fill.

What is the official start date for the Kwanzaa celebration each year?

Kwanzaa is an annual cultural celebration that begins on December 26th and lasts through January 1st.

Hanukkah gelt given to children is most often sold in what form?

Foil-wrapped chocolate coins replaced or supplemented real money in the 20th century; in 1958 the Bank of Israel even issued commemorative coins for use as gelt.

What popular Christmas beverage is often made with eggs, milk, sugar, and sometimes alcohol?

Eggnog is a traditional Christmas and winter holiday drink, typically made with milk, cream, sugar, beaten eggs, and often brandy, rum, or bourbon.

On 26 December, groups in Ireland and the Isle of Man traditionally went out to 'hunt' which small bird?

The custom survives as Wren Day, with costumed 'wren boys' parading through towns such as Dingle in County Kerry; no real bird is hunted today.

Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by which activist and scholar?

Maulana Karenga chose the spelling with a second 'a' so the name would have a symbolic seven letters.

In the classic story, which reindeer is known for having a bright red nose?

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a well-known fictional character, famous for his glowing red nose that helps guide Santa's sleigh.

The Striezelmarkt, first held in 1434 and among the earliest Christmas markets, is in which city?

Dresden's Striezelmarkt dates from 1434, when it began as a one-day market before Christmas; in southern Germany and Austria such events are called Christkindlmarkt, 'Christ child market'.

Bodhi Day, observed on 8 December in Japan, commemorates which event?

The Buddha's enlightenment, bodhi in Sanskrit and Pali, is said to have come in the third watch of the night beneath a fig tree, later called the Bodhi tree.

Which classic Christmas ballet features Clara, a Sugar Plum Fairy and a battle with the Mouse King?

The Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky's two-act ballet, premiered in Saint Petersburg in December 1892 on a double bill with his final opera, Iolanta.

According to its creator, the name Kwanzaa comes from a Swahili phrase meaning what?

Kwanzaa comes from 'matunda ya kwanza', Swahili for 'first fruits'; an extra 'a' was added so the holiday's name would have a symbolic seven letters.

Which beloved Christmas character famously tries to steal Christmas from the Whos of Whoville?

The Grinch is a character created by Dr. Seuss, known for his attempt to steal Christmas in the classic story 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas!'.

The Christmas carol 'Silent Night' originated in which country?

'Silent Night' (Stille Nacht) is a popular Christmas carol composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria.

What three gifts did the magi bring in the Christmas story?

Matthew's Gospel says the magi offered gold, frankincense, and myrrh; Christmas gift-giving traces partly to these offerings and partly to the tradition of Saint Nicholas.

Which food item is a traditional Christmas Eve staple in the Philippines, often a whole roasted pig?

Lechon, a whole roasted suckling pig, is a highly popular and traditional dish for Christmas Eve feasts in the Philippines.

What is the traditional German Christmas bread made with dried fruit and powdered sugar?

Stollen is a traditional German fruit bread, often containing dried fruit, nuts, and spices, and dusted with powdered sugar, commonly eaten during the Christmas season.

The song 'Auld Lang Syne' is traditionally sung to celebrate the arrival of which holiday?

'Auld Lang Syne' is a traditional Scottish song, widely sung to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve.

Which plant, known for its red and green leaves, is a popular Christmas decoration?

The poinsettia, native to Mexico and Central America, takes its English name from Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first US minister to Mexico, who introduced it to the United States in the 1820s.

Whose chained ghost, Scrooge's dead partner, visits him in A Christmas Carol?

Jacob Marley's ghost drags chains and money boxes 'forged in life' and warns Scrooge that three more spirits will follow.

Which Roman festival, from 17 December, featured gift-giving and masters waiting on slaves?

Saturnalia, honouring the god Saturn, opened on 17 December and eventually stretched to seven days ending on 23 December; it is often cited as an ancestor of later midwinter customs.

The Christmas Eve 'Feast of the Seven Fishes' is a tradition among American families with roots where?

The feast has roots in southern Italy and was carried over by immigrants; Christmas Eve was traditionally a day of abstinence from meat, so the table fills with fish and seafood instead.

In the 1823 poem 'A Visit from St. Nicholas', how many reindeer pull the sleigh?

The poem names them all - Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder and Blixem - the last two later becoming Donner and Blitzen.

Which saint's feast day falls on 26 December, Boxing Day in Britain?

Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr, is honoured on 26 December; the carol 'Good King Wenceslas' opens with the king looking out 'on the Feast of Stephen'.

In Swedish folklore, which gnome-like farm spirit became the Christmas Eve gift-bringer?

The tomte (jultomten), a small bearded farm gnome of Swedish folklore, took over gift-bringing duties in the 19th century; families leave him a bowl of rice porridge on Christmas Eve.

Which spiced mulled wine, served hot with almonds and raisins, is the Nordic Christmas drink?

Glögg is the Nordic mulled wine of the Christmas season, spiced with cinnamon, cardamom and cloves and ladled out hot with blanched almonds and raisins in the cup.

Which country first sent London its Trafalgar Square Christmas tree in 1947?

Norway first sent a spruce from the forests near Oslo to Trafalgar Square in 1947, as thanks for British support during the Second World War; the gift became an annual tradition.

Which star-shaped lantern is the emblematic Christmas decoration of the Philippines?

The parol, a star-shaped lantern traditionally built from bamboo and paper, represents the Star of Bethlehem and hangs outside Filipino homes through the Christmas season.

The Nobel Prizes are presented in Stockholm and Oslo every December 10, the anniversary of what event?

Alfred Nobel died at his villa in San Remo, Italy, on December 10, 1896, and the ceremonies have been fixed to that date ever since.

Churches celebrating Christmas on 7 January keep 25 December of which calendar?

The Julian calendar runs 13 days behind the Gregorian until 2100, so its 25 December falls on 7 January; Russian, Serbian and Ethiopian churches keep Christmas then.

Which New York venue has hosted the Rockettes' Christmas Spectacular since 1933?

The Rockettes' Christmas Spectacular opened at Radio City Music Hall in 1933; its 'Parade of the Wooden Soldiers' routine, ending in a slow-motion toppling line, dates from the earliest shows.

Imani, the seventh and final Kwanzaa principle, means what?

Imani means faith: believing in our people, parents, teachers and leaders and in the righteousness of the struggle; its candle is lit on the final day, 1 January.

Who wrote and recorded the bilingual 1970 Christmas hit 'Feliz Navidad'?

Puerto Rican singer José Feliciano wrote and recorded 'Feliz Navidad' in 1970; its Spanish refrain and the English line 'I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas' made it a seasonal standard.

In 'The Twelve Days of Christmas', what gift arrives on the fifth day?

The fifth day brings five gold rings, the song's drawn-out line; the cumulative carol was first printed in England in 1780 in the children's book 'Mirth Without Mischief'.

Which British monarch delivered the first televised Christmas broadcast, in 1957?

Elizabeth II gave the first televised Christmas message live from Sandringham in 1957, twenty-five years after her grandfather George V's first radio broadcast.

On which date is Saint Lucy's Day, marked in Scandinavia with candle-crowned processions?

Saint Lucy's Day is 13 December; girls in white with candle crowns lead processions carrying saffron lussekatter buns, a custom that spread after a Stockholm newspaper staged a public Lucia procession in 1927.

Las Posadas, celebrated from 16 to 24 December, has been a Mexican tradition since which year?

Las Posadas dates to 1586, when Augustinian friar Diego de Soria obtained papal permission for nine pre-Christmas 'aguinaldo' Masses; the nine nights also mirror the nine months of Mary's pregnancy.

What do Japanese families eat an hour before midnight on Ōmisoka, 31 December?

Toshikoshi soba, long buckwheat noodles (sometimes udon), symbolise 'crossing over from one year to the next'; many families also watch NHK's Kōhaku Uta Gassen singing contest.

In Scottish Hogmanay tradition, what kind of person is preferred as the 'first-foot' after midnight?

A tall, dark-haired man is the luckiest first-foot; the first person over the threshold is said to set the household's luck for the year, ideally bearing coal, shortbread or whisky.

In which Aberdeenshire town do locals swing fireballs of chicken wire and rags at Hogmanay?

Stonehaven's fireball ceremony sees balls of chicken wire stuffed with newspaper, sticks and rags swung on chains along the High Street at midnight, then flung into the harbour.

In France, the tradition of burning a Yule log has largely been replaced by eating what?

A log-shaped cake, the bûche de Noël, keeps the name of the log; in Burgundy gifts were once hidden under the real thing.

Festivus, the December 23 'holiday for the rest of us', was popularized by which sitcom?

Seinfeld's 1997 episode 'The Strike' was co-written by Dan O'Keefe, whose father Daniel had invented the holiday for his family; it features an aluminum pole and the airing of grievances.

Which red fruit is a centerpiece of Iran's Yalda Night, held on the year's longest night?

Pomegranates, with watermelon, are the Yalda table's centrepiece; their red flesh symbolises the crimson of dawn and the glow of life, and families stay up past midnight reading the poetry of Hafez.

At Poland's Wigilia supper on Christmas Eve, what is traditionally tucked under the tablecloth?

Hay recalls the manger; the meal is meatless, begins when the first star appears and traditionally runs to twelve dishes for the twelve Apostles.

Which glutinous rice balls, symbolizing reunion, are eaten at China's solstice Dongzhi Festival?

Tangyuan, glutinous rice balls served in a sweet broth, are eaten at Dongzhi, which falls on the winter solstice around 21 or 22 December; their round shape stands for family reunion.

Which Mexican city hosts the Night of the Radishes carving contest every December 23?

Oaxaca's Noche de Rábanos began with farmers carving radishes to lure Christmas-market shoppers; the city made it a formal competition in 1897, with oversized radishes grown specially for it.

In Spanish-speaking countries, December 28, the Day of the Holy Innocents, is a day for what?

Pranks are the order of the day, much like April Fools': swap the sugar for salt, pin a paper figure on someone's back, then shout '¡Inocente!' when they fall for it.

NORAD's Santa tracker began in 1955 after a misprinted phone number in an ad by which store?

A 1955 Sears ad in Colorado Springs invited children to call Santa, but the misprinted number rang the military's Continental Air Defense Command, whose duty officers began reporting Santa's position instead.

In Iceland, what gift is traditionally exchanged and enjoyed on Christmas Eve?

Books: Iceland's 'Christmas book flood' (Jólabókaflóð) dates from 1944, when wartime import limits were looser on paper than on other goods, and a catalogue of the season's new titles was first mailed to households.

The famous Christmas truce, when soldiers met in no man's land, took place in which year?

The truce came at Christmas 1914, the war's first winter: troops swapped food and tobacco, held joint burials and in places kicked a football around; commanders ordered that it not be repeated in 1915.

The first New Year's Eve ball drop in Times Square was held on December 31 of which year?

The first ball dropped on 31 December 1907, replacing the fireworks The New York Times had staged since 1904; wartime blackouts cancelled the drop in 1942 and 1943.

In Spain, how many grapes are eaten, one per bell strike, at midnight on 31 December?

Twelve grapes, one for each month of the coming year, are swallowed on the twelve strokes of midnight; Alicante growers promoted the custom in 1909 to offload a bumper harvest.

The caganer, a figurine tucked into Catalan nativity scenes, is depicted doing what?

The caganer is shown defecating: traditionally a peasant in a red barretina cap, trousers down, squatting in a corner of the scene; modern shops sell caganers of politicians, athletes and popes.

The hidden 'Christmas pickle' ornament, often billed as an old German custom, likely began where?

The tradition likely began in the United States, where Woolworth's sold imported German glass vegetable ornaments in the late 19th century; a 2016 YouGov poll found 91 percent of Germans had never heard of it.

Sufganiyot became Israel's signature Hanukkah food partly through a push by which organization?

The union wanted jobs for its bakers, drivers and shopkeepers, so it campaigned to replace the homemade latke with the bakery-made jelly doughnut.

Hanukkah commemorates the Maccabean Revolt against which empire in the 2nd century BCE?

Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Seleucid king, had profaned the Temple; Judah Maccabee's rededication of the altar in 164 BCE gives the festival its name, which means 'dedication'.

Which Kwanzaa principle is Kujichagulia?

Kujichagulia means self-determination, the second of the seven principles, defined as the right 'to define and name ourselves, as well as to create and speak for ourselves'.

Which writer scripted King George V's first Royal Christmas Message, broadcast in 1932?

Rudyard Kipling drafted the 1932 message; the King had turned down the BBC a decade earlier, thinking radio mere entertainment, but agreed that year to help launch the new Empire Service.

Which artist's 1930s Coca-Cola ads fixed the modern image of a plump, red-suited Santa?

Haddon Sundblom painted Coca-Cola's Santa from 1931 to 1964; the ads were so influential they spawned the myth that Coca-Cola invented Santa, or that he wears red to match the label.

Saint Nicholas, the model for Santa, was a 4th-century bishop of Myra in what is now which country?

Myra is modern Demre in Turkey; in 1087 sailors from Bari carried off most of his bones to the Basilica di San Nicola, and Venice later claimed the fragments left behind.

Captain William Mynors named Christmas Island after sailing past it on Christmas Day of what year?

Captain William Mynors of the East India Company ship Royal Mary sailed past on Christmas Day 1643; the island was not settled until phosphate was found in the late 1880s.

The Legend of the Christmas Spider, strongest in Ukraine, explains the origin of which decoration?

In the legend a spider's webs turned to silver and gold on Christmas morning, giving rise to tinsel; finding a web on the tree is lucky, and Ukrainians hang spider ornaments called pavuchky.

Greek folklore's kallikantzaroi goblins spend most of the year underground doing what?

They spend the year sawing the World Tree that holds up the earth, surfacing only during the twelve days from Christmas to Epiphany to play pranks; they return to find the tree healed and must start again.

Finland's Declaration of Christmas Peace is read at noon on Christmas Eve in which city?

In Turku the declaration is read from the balcony of the Brinkkala Mansion, its venue since 1886, continuing a tradition that reaches back to the 14th century; the crowd then sings the national anthem.

In Japan's New Year's Eve ritual of Joya no Kane, temple bells are usually rung how many times?

The bell is struck 108 times, one for each of the earthly desires (bonnō) counted in Buddhist teaching; the custom reached Japanese Zen temples from Song-dynasty China.

Which jazz pianist wrote the score, including 'Linus and Lucy', for A Charlie Brown Christmas?

Vince Guaraldi's jazz score, including 'Linus and Lucy', was itself unconventional; the 1965 special also used real children as voice actors, and despite CBS executives' fears it drew nearly half the viewing audience.

Which president lit the first National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse in Washington in 1923?

Calvin Coolidge pressed a button at dusk on Christmas Eve 1923 to light the tree and said nothing; the electrical industry had lobbied for the event to sell more Christmas lights.

Whose recording of 'White Christmas' is the best-selling physical single ever, at 50 million-plus?

Bing Crosby's recording, written by Irving Berlin for the 1942 film Holiday Inn, topped the US chart for eleven weeks in 1942 and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Emperor Aurelian is said to have instituted a 25 December festival in AD 274 for which Roman god?

Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, the 'birthday of the Invincible Sun', fell just after the solstice; scholars dispute whether Aurelian's Sol Invictus festival influenced the date of Christmas.

In which 1946 film does angel Clarence show George Bailey a world without him?

In Frank Capra's 'It's a Wonderful Life' (1946), James Stewart's George Bailey is shown by the angel Clarence Odbody a Bedford Falls in which he was never born.

Panettone, the tall fruit-studded Christmas bread, is most associated with which Italian city?

The name comes from the Milanese dialect panattón, 'large bread'. One legend credits a baker's boy named Toni, hence 'pan de Toni'.