100 Fun Facts About Holiday Pop Culture

In which year did Mariah Carey's 1994 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' finally reach No. 1 on the Hot 100?

It topped the Hot 100 in December 2019, 25 years after its release, then the longest climb to No. 1 in chart history. Carey co-wrote it with Walter Afanasieff.

In which year did Wham!'s 'Last Christmas' finally reach No. 1 in the UK?

It reached No. 1 on the chart of 1 January 2021, 36 years after release. George Michael wrote it, and Wham! gave the royalties to Band Aid's Ethiopian famine appeal, which had kept it at No. 2 in 1984.

On which date does the Whamageddon game of avoiding Wham!'s 'Last Christmas' end?

Whamageddon runs from 1 December to midnight on 24 December; hearing the original Wham! recording knocks you out, while covers and remixes do not count. Losers announce defeat with #Whamageddon.

In Home Alone (1990), the McCallisters leave Kevin behind while flying to which city?

The McCallisters fly to Paris for Christmas and only realise mid-flight that Kevin is missing. Chris Columbus directed from a John Hughes script, and the gangster film Angels with Filthy Souls was invented for the movie.

In Elf (2003), Buddy travels to New York to find his birth father, Walter Hobbs, played by which actor?

James Caan plays Walter Hobbs, a children's-book publisher who is on Santa's naughty list. Bob Newhart plays Buddy's adoptive elf father and Ed Asner plays Santa, with Will Ferrell as Buddy.

Which actor made his film debut as Hans Gruber in Die Hard (1988)?

Alan Rickman, a Royal Shakespeare Company stage actor then in his early forties, made his film debut as Hans Gruber. The film adapts Roderick Thorp's 1979 novel Nothing Lasts Forever.

Who sang 'You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch' in the 1966 TV special, uncredited?

He went uncredited, so Dr. Seuss wrote to columnists across the country to set the record straight. Ravenscroft was also the voice of Tony the Tiger.

In the 1964 Rudolph special, misfit elf Hermey leaves Santa's workshop to become what?

Hermey wants to be a dentist and joins Rudolph on the road as a fellow misfit. Burl Ives narrates as Sam the Snowman in the Rankin/Bass special, first broadcast on NBC on 6 December 1964.

The unmistakable jazz score of A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) was written by which pianist?

Vince Guaraldi wrote the score, including 'Linus and Lucy' and 'Christmas Time Is Here'. CBS executives disliked the jazz and the real children's voices, yet the special won the 1966 Emmy for Outstanding Children's Program.

The notorious 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special contained the first appearance of which character?

Boba Fett made his first appearance in the special's animated segment, produced by Toronto studio Nelvana, 18 months before The Empire Strikes Back. The special aired once, on CBS on 17 November 1978.

In which 1942 film did Bing Crosby first sing 'White Christmas'?

Crosby introduced it in Holiday Inn, the 1942 musical that paired him with Fred Astaire. Irving Berlin's song won the Oscar for Best Original Song, and Crosby's recording sold an estimated 50 million copies.

Who co-wrote Band Aid's 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' with Bob Geldof in 1984?

Midge Ure of Ultravox co-wrote and produced it with Geldof. It was recorded in one day at Sarm West Studios in Notting Hill on 25 November 1984 and raised about £8 million within a year.

Which act held 'Fairytale of New York' at No. 2 in the 1987 UK Christmas chart?

Pet Shop Boys' cover of 'Always on My Mind' was Christmas No. 1 in 1987, keeping the Pogues and Kirsty MacColl at No. 2; 'Fairytale of New York' has re-entered the UK Top 20 many times since.

Haddon Sundblom painted the red-suited Santa Claus for which brand's ads from 1931?

Sundblom painted Santa for Coca-Cola's Christmas ads from 1931 to 1964, using his friend Lou Prentice as the first model. He standardised rather than invented the red-suited Santa, which illustrators such as Thomas Nast had drawn decades earlier.

According to the rules in The Elf on the Shelf, what would make the elf lose its magic?

The book's rule is that being touched makes the elf lose its Christmas magic, so children may talk to it but never handle it. Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell self-published it in 2005.

Which band had the 1973 UK Christmas No. 1 with 'Merry Xmas Everybody'?

Slade's 'Merry Xmas Everybody', written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea, topped the UK chart for Christmas 1973; Wizzard's rival 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday' peaked at No. 4.

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York is usually which species?

The tree is almost always a Norway spruce. The first, in 1931, was a 20-foot balsam fir put up by construction workers; since 2007 each tree has been milled into lumber for Habitat for Humanity.

Before the balloons arrived in 1927, the Macy's parade featured live animals borrowed from where?

From the first parade in 1924, Macy's borrowed bears, elephants and monkeys from the Central Park Zoo; they frightened children, so Felix the Cat became the first balloon in 1927.

The first New Year's Eve ball drop in Times Square welcomed which year?

The first ball dropped at midnight on 31 December 1907 to welcome 1908, a 700-pound iron-and-wood sphere lit by 100 bulbs. The drop was skipped in 1942 and 1943 because of wartime dimout rules.

In which year did 'Monster Mash' hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100?

Bobby 'Boris' Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers topped the Hot 100 for two weeks in October 1962. The BBC banned it that year as 'too morbid', and it re-entered the Hot 100 in 1970 and 1973.

In Hocus Pocus (1993), the Sanderson sisters return on Halloween in which Massachusetts town?

The Sanderson sisters, played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, are resurrected in Salem, where the film was partly shot on location. A box-office disappointment in 1993, it became a cult hit through October TV airings.

Which SNL cast member debuted 'The Chanukah Song' on Weekend Update in 1994?

Adam Sandler wrote it with SNL writers Lewis Morton and Ian Maxtone-Graham and first performed it on Weekend Update on 3 December 1994; he later added Parts II, III and IV with updated lists of Jewish celebrities.

In a 2000 Friends episode, Ross teaches his son about Hanukkah dressed as which creature?

Ross rents the only costume left, an armadillo, and dubs himself the Holiday Armadillo, 'a friend of Santa's', to teach Ben about Hanukkah; Chandler then turns up as Santa and Joey as Superman.

Festivus, from Seinfeld's 1997 episode 'The Strike', is celebrated around an unadorned pole made of what?

Frank Costanza's pole is plain aluminum, chosen for its 'very high strength-to-weight ratio'; Festivus falls on 23 December with the Airing of Grievances and Feats of Strength. Writer Dan O'Keefe's father invented the holiday.

In A Christmas Story (1983), the Old Man's prized 'major award' is a lamp shaped like what?

The lamp is a fishnet-stockinged woman's leg, which the Old Man proudly displays in the front window until Mother 'accidentally' breaks it. TNT began the 24-hour marathon in 1997; TBS took it over in 2004.

In It's a Wonderful Life, which angel second class tries to earn his wings by saving George?

Clarence Odbody, Angel Second Class, is sent to stop George Bailey's suicide and earns his wings when a bell rings at the end. The film's copyright lapsed in 1974, and free TV airings turned it into a classic.

In Love Actually (2003), Hugh Grant plays David, who holds which job?

Hugh Grant plays a newly elected Prime Minister who falls for his junior staffer Natalie, played by Martine McCutcheon; Richard Curtis's film counts down the five weeks to Christmas through ten interlocking stories.

In Christmas Vacation (1989), Clark Griswold gets a membership in what instead of his bonus?

Instead of his bonus, Clark receives a one-year membership in the Jelly of the Month Club, prompting Cousin Eddie to kidnap his boss. The film grew out of John Hughes's National Lampoon story 'Christmas '59'.

Tim Burton conceived The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), but who directed the stop-motion film?

It grew from a poem Burton wrote in 1982. Danny Elfman wrote the songs and sang Jack Skellington's parts, and Disney released it under Touchstone because it feared the film was too dark for kids.

John Lewis's 2014 Christmas advert starred a boy named Sam and Monty, a what?

Monty is a penguin, a toy that Sam imagines alive, and the advert was set to Tom Odell's cover of John Lennon's 'Real Love'. John Lewis has made a Christmas advert every year since 2007.

In which year did Michael Bublé release his album Christmas?

Christmas came out in October 2011 and topped both the Billboard 200 and the UK album chart that December; it has sold more than 16 million copies worldwide.

In The Office's 'Christmas Party', Michael Scott turns Secret Santa into what?

Michael, who bought Ryan a $400 iPod against a $20 limit, scraps Secret Santa for a Yankee Swap in which gifts can be stolen; Jim's teapot for Pam ends up with Dwight until Pam trades the iPod for it.

In Miracle on 34th Street, which federal body's recognition of Kris as Santa wins his case?

Fred Gailey has sacks of children's letters to Santa delivered to Kris in court, arguing the US Post Office, a federal agency, has recognised him. Edmund Gwenn won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar as Kris.

Who composed 'Sleigh Ride' (1948), the orchestral Christmas staple first recorded by the Boston Pops?

Leroy Anderson composed 'Sleigh Ride' in 1948; Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops made the first recording in 1949, and Mitchell Parish added the lyrics in 1950.

Which 1996 blockbuster has aliens blow up the White House before Will Smith fights back?

Independence Day, directed by Roland Emmerich, has Will Smith's fighter pilot and Jeff Goldblum's scientist lead a Fourth of July counterattack; the White House explosion helped win the film the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.

In Groundhog Day (1993), Bill Murray's Phil Connors wakes up every morning to which song on the radio?

The clock radio plays Sonny & Cher's 'I Got You Babe' at 6:00 every morning, followed by the DJs' 'It's cold out there'. Harold Ramis shot the Punxsutawney scenes in Woodstock, Illinois.

In It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, what does Charlie Brown get at every house while trick-or-treating?

At every house Charlie Brown gets a rock while the others get candy; his ghost costume with too many eye holes does not help. Linus spends the night in the pumpkin patch awaiting the Great Pumpkin in the 1966 special.

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve first aired in 1972 on which network, before its long run on ABC?

The first two editions, welcoming 1973 and 1974, aired on NBC, hosted by Three Dog Night and then George Carlin, before the show moved to ABC. Clark's 2004 stroke put Regis Philbin in the chair that year.

In WKRP in Cincinnati's 1978 Thanksgiving episode, what live animals are dropped from a helicopter?

Station manager Arthur Carlson drops live turkeys from a helicopter over a shopping centre as a Thanksgiving promotion, then laments, 'As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.'

Michael Myers's blank white mask in Halloween (1978) was made from a $1.98 mask of which actor?

It was a William Shatner Captain Kirk mask, bought for $1.98, with the eyebrows and sideburns removed and the face spray-painted bluish-white. John Carpenter shot the film for about $300,000 and wrote the score himself in about three days.

Which band recorded 'Killing in the Name', the 2009 UK Christmas No. 1?

Rage Against the Machine's 1992 track won a Facebook campaign by Jon and Tracy Morter to deny X Factor winner Joe McElderry the 2009 Christmas No. 1, selling about 500,000 downloads in the week.

In Gremlins (1984), one of the three rules for keeping a mogwai is never to feed it when?

Never feed a mogwai after midnight; the other rules are no bright light and no water. Complaints about its violence, alongside Temple of Doom, led Spielberg to propose the PG-13 rating, introduced in July 1984.

With which unlikely partner did Bing Crosby record a Christmas duet in September 1977?

David Bowie taped 'Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy' with Crosby for the TV special Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas, five weeks before Crosby died. Bowie disliked the carol, so writers added the 'Peace on Earth' counter-melody in about an hour.

In Home Alone 2, Kevin talks his way into a suite at which hotel with his dad's credit card?

Kevin checks into the Plaza Hotel on Fifth Avenue, where then-owner Donald Trump has a cameo giving him directions to the lobby. Tiger Electronics' Talkboy recorder, a film tie-in, became a real hit toy.

Which song-and-dance legend voices narrator S.D. Kluger in 1970's Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town?

Fred Astaire voices the mailman S.D. Kluger, who narrates the Rankin/Bass special; Mickey Rooney voices Kris Kringle and Paul Frees is the toy-banning Burgermeister Meisterburger.

Which ex-Beatle recorded the divisive 'Wonderful Christmastime' (1979) entirely solo?

Paul McCartney played every instrument himself, jingle bells and synthesizer included, during the 1979 sessions for his album McCartney II. A 2010 estimate put his annual royalties from it at about $400,000.

What does John Candy's Del Griffith sell in Planes, Trains and Automobiles?

Del Griffith is a travelling salesman of shower curtain rings, which he hawks as earrings at a bus station. John Hughes wrote, produced and directed the 1987 film, set in the run-up to Thanksgiving.

Which horror legend delivered the spoken-word section of Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'?

Vincent Price recorded the spoken section in two takes. John Landis's 14-minute video, with Michael Peters's zombie choreography, became the first music video added to the National Film Registry, in 2009.

Which singer recorded 'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree' at 13 in 1958 and saw it hit No. 1 in 2023?

Brenda Lee, 78, became the oldest artist to top the Hot 100 when the song hit No. 1 in December 2023, passing Louis Armstrong. Johnny Marks wrote it, and Kevin plays it during his fake party in Home Alone.

Who directed the live-action How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)?

Ron Howard directed Jim Carrey as the Grinch; Rick Baker's makeup won an Oscar and took about two and a half hours a day to apply. It was the top-grossing film of 2000 at the US box office.

Which act had five consecutive UK Christmas No. 1s from 2018 to 2022?

LadBaby, YouTuber Mark Hoyle and his wife Roxanne, topped the Christmas chart from 2018 to 2022 with sausage-roll novelty songs, passing the Beatles' four and raising money for the Trussell Trust food banks.

In which country was the first documented ugly Christmas sweater party held, in 2002?

The 2002 party in Coquitlam, a suburb of Vancouver, Canada, is the earliest documented one. Colin Firth's reindeer jumper in Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) had already made the garment a symbol of embarrassment.

Which singer wrote and first recorded 'Feliz Navidad' in 1970?

José Feliciano, born in Puerto Rico and blind from birth, wrote and recorded the bilingual 'Feliz Navidad' in 1970; the original recording reached the Hot 100's top ten for the first time in December 2020.

Who plays Ebenezer Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)?

Michael Caine plays Scrooge, saying he approached it as if acting with the Royal Shakespeare Company rather than puppets; Gonzo narrates as Charles Dickens. It was Brian Henson's feature directorial debut.

In The Santa Clause (1994), what job does Tim Allen's Scott Calvin hold before becoming Santa?

Scott Calvin is a marketing executive at the toy company B&R Toys when he startles Santa off his roof and, under the fine-print 'Santa clause' on the suit's card, is bound to take over.

In Jingle All the Way (1996), what toy are Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad desperate to buy on Christmas Eve?

The toy is the Turbo Man action figure, which Howard Langston has forgotten to buy and which postman Myron also wants; the rival fathers race around Minneapolis in a satire of Christmas commercialism.

Bad Santa (2003) was the last live-action film appearance of which actor, to whom it is dedicated?

Ritter died on September 11, 2003, before the film's release; the Coen brothers were executive producers.

In Scrooged (1988), Bill Murray's Frank Cross works as what?

Frank Cross is a ruthless television executive, president of the IBC network, haunted by three ghosts while staging a live Christmas Eve broadcast of A Christmas Carol. Richard Donner directed.

In which English town was the 1984 TV film A Christmas Carol, starring George C. Scott, filmed?

The film was shot in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, whose medieval streets stood in for Dickens's London; the prop gravestone for Scrooge was left in St Chad's churchyard. Director Clive Donner had edited the 1951 film Scrooge.

Netflix's Klaus (2019) won Best Animated Film at which awards ceremony?

Klaus won Best Animated Film at the BAFTAs in 2020, beating Toy Story 4 and Frozen II, and took seven Annie Awards including Best Animated Feature; it lost the Oscar to Toy Story 4.

Who recorded the original, purring 'Santa Baby' in 1953?

Eartha Kitt recorded it with Henri René's orchestra in 1953, the year after her Broadway breakthrough in New Faces of 1952; Joan Javits and Philip Springer wrote it for her, and Madonna's 1987 cover followed.

Judy Garland introduced 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' in which 1944 musical?

In Meet Me in St. Louis, Esther (Garland) sings it to console her little sister Tootie on Christmas Eve. Hugh Martin's first draft was so bleak ('it may be your last') that Garland refused it, so he softened the lyrics.

In 1958's 'The Chipmunk Song', what toy does Alvin keep begging for?

Alvin keeps pleading for a hula hoop, the craze of 1958. Ross Bagdasarian sped up his own voice for all three chipmunks, and the single topped the Hot 100 and won three Grammys at the first ceremony in 1959.

In Mean Girls, which Christmas song do the Plastics perform at the Winter Talent Show?

The Plastics' routine to Bobby Helms's 1957 'Jingle Bell Rock' ends with Gretchen kicking the stereo into the crowd; Lindsay Lohan re-recorded the song in 2022 for her Netflix film Falling for Christmas as a nod to it.

Who plays a leather-jacketed Santa Claus in Netflix's The Christmas Chronicles (2018)?

Kurt Russell plays the leather-jacketed Santa; his real-life partner Goldie Hawn appears as Mrs. Claus in the final scene and co-stars in the 2020 sequel. Santa also fronts a jailhouse blues number, 'Santa Claus Is Back in Town'.

Who voices the Grinch in Illumination's 2018 animated film?

Benedict Cumberbatch voices the Grinch with an American accent so the character would not stand out from the rest of the cast. Pharrell Williams narrates, and Tyler, the Creator reworked 'You're a Mean One' for the soundtrack.

The first full Simpsons episode (Christmas 1989) ends with the family adopting whom?

Homer bets his last money on a 99-1 greyhound named Santa's Little Helper at Springfield Downs; it loses and is dumped by its owner, so the Simpsons take it home. The intended opener 'Some Enchanted Evening' had botched animation.

Which talking character debuted in South Park's first Christmas episode in December 1997?

Mr. Hankey, the talking Christmas Poo, came from a story Trey Parker's father told him as a child. The episode aired on 17 December 1997 and spawned the 1999 album Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics.

In The Holiday (2006), Kate Winslet's Iris swaps homes with which actress's character?

Cameron Diaz's Amanda, a Los Angeles trailer producer, finds Iris's Surrey cottage on a home-exchange website and they switch for two weeks; Jude Law and Jack Black supply the romances on each side of the Atlantic.

Jaws (1975) unleashes its shark on Fourth of July crowds at which fictional beach town?

Amity Island, whose mayor refuses to close the beaches for the Fourth of July weekend, was played by Martha's Vineyard. The mechanical shark broke down so often that Spielberg kept it off screen for most of the film.

Which Friends star made her film debut in the 1993 horror comedy Leprechaun?

Jennifer Aniston made her film debut as Tory Redding, a year before Friends premiered; Warwick Davis played the gold-obsessed leprechaun, and the low-budget film launched a series of eight.

Which A-lister played Rachel-hating Will Colbert in Friends' 2001 Thanksgiving episode?

Brad Pitt, then married to Jennifer Aniston, played Will Colbert, who co-founded the high-school 'I Hate Rachel Green' club with Ross; the role earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.

Which carol did the Gemini 6 crew play from orbit in December 1965, a first from space?

Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford reported a mysterious 'satellite' in polar orbit, then played 'Jingle Bells' on a smuggled harmonica and sleigh bells. The song was copyrighted in 1857 as 'The One Horse Open Sleigh'.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer began as a 1939 giveaway booklet for which retailer?

Copywriter Robert L. May wrote it, and 2.4 million copies went out the first year. His brother-in-law Johnny Marks later turned it into the Gene Autry hit.

Which jazz singer co-wrote 'The Christmas Song' (Chestnuts Roasting...) in 1945?

Mel Tormé and lyricist Bob Wells wrote it in about forty minutes during a July 1945 heatwave, trying to think cool thoughts. Nat King Cole's 1946 recording made it famous, and he re-recorded it several times, most famously in 1961.

Darlene Love sang 'Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)' yearly on whose show until 2014?

Darlene Love sang it on David Letterman's shows almost every December from 1986 to 2014, his last Christmas before retiring. Phil Spector produced the 1963 original, released on 22 November 1963, the day John F. Kennedy was shot.

Which Queen song was the UK Christmas No. 1 in both 1975 and 1991?

'Bohemian Rhapsody' topped the Christmas chart in 1975 and again in 1991, reissued as a double A-side with 'These Are the Days of Our Lives' weeks after Freddie Mercury's death, with royalties going to the Terrence Higgins Trust.

'Carol of the Bells', heard in Home Alone, comes from a New Year chant of which country?

It is based on 'Shchedryk', a New Year song from Ukraine arranged by Mykola Leontovych in 1916 from a four-note folk motif about a swallow promising a bountiful year; Peter Wilhousky wrote the English bell lyrics in 1936.

Taylor Swift's 'Christmas Tree Farm' recalls her childhood on a real one in which state?

Swift spent her early childhood on Pine Ridge Farm, a Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania near Reading, before the family moved to Tennessee for her career; the 2019 song's video is cut from her family's home movies.

Christmas with the Kranks (2004) adapts Skipping Christmas, a novel by which author?

John Grisham, the legal-thriller author, published the comic novel Skipping Christmas in 2001 as a rare departure from courtrooms. Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis play the couple who try to skip the holiday for a cruise.

In Trading Places (1983), the Dukes settle their nature-vs-nurture wager for what sum?

The Duke brothers bet $1 on whether swapping Winthorpe's and Valentine's circumstances would change their character; the film runs from Christmas to New Year and ends with the pair bankrupting the Dukes in the orange-juice futures pit.

Who narrates the 1969 Rankin/Bass special Frosty the Snowman, in his final film role?

Jimmy Durante narrates and sings the title song, which he had recorded in 1950; it was his last film role. Andy Griffith narrated the 1976 sequel Frosty's Winter Wonderland after Durante's stroke.

The Christmas Invasion (2005) was whose first full episode as the Doctor in Doctor Who?

David Tennant's Tenth Doctor spends most of the episode unconscious after regenerating, then wakes to duel the Sycorax leader in his pyjamas. Its success made a Christmas special an annual fixture for the next twelve years.

Which Mad Men star headlined Black Mirror's 2014 festive special 'White Christmas'?

Jon Hamm plays Matt Trent, a dating coach turned interrogator, opposite Rafe Spall in a snowbound cabin where three interlocking stories unfold; the feature-length special aired on Channel 4 in December 2014.

In A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, Snoopy serves toast, popcorn, pretzel sticks and what?

The meal is buttered toast, popcorn, pretzel sticks and jelly beans, topped off with ice-cream sundaes; Peppermint Patty invites herself over and is outraged by it. The 1973 special won an Emmy.

NORAD's Santa tracker began in 1955 after a misprinted phone number in whose ad?

A Sears ad in a Colorado Springs newspaper told children to call Santa but printed a number that reached the Continental Air Defense Command; Colonel Harry Shoup took the first call, and CONAD's successor NORAD kept the tradition.

Which boy band beat Mariah Carey to the 1994 UK Christmas No. 1?

East 17's 'Stay Another Day', written by Tony Mortimer about his brother's suicide, held Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' at No. 2 in December 1994; the sleigh bells were a late addition.

White Christmas (1954) was the first film released in which Paramount widescreen format?

VistaVision ran 35mm film horizontally through the camera to double the negative area, and White Christmas was its first release. Fred Astaire turned down the Danny Kaye role, and the film was the top-grossing release of 1954.

In The Bishop's Wife (1947), Cary Grant plays a suave angel with what name?

Cary Grant plays the angel Dudley, sent to help David Niven's bishop; Grant was first cast as the bishop and the two swapped roles. Denzel Washington played the angel in the 1996 remake The Preacher's Wife.

Which screenwriter set Lethal Weapon, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Iron Man 3 all at Christmas?

Shane Black set Lethal Weapon (1987), The Long Kiss Goodnight, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Iron Man 3 at Christmas, a habit he has traced to the festive backdrop of the thriller Three Days of the Condor.

Who guest-voiced the murderous Robot Santa in Futurama's 1999 episode 'Xmas Story'?

John Goodman voiced Robot Santa, who judges nearly everyone naughty because his standards were set too high. Goodman was unavailable for later episodes, so John DiMaggio took over the role.

Which director made both the slasher Black Christmas (1974) and A Christmas Story (1983)?

Bob Clark directed both, with Porky's (1981) in between. Black Christmas, a sorority-house slasher, used the 'calls are coming from inside the house' device four years before Halloween (1978).

Feuding step-brothers Heat Miser and Snow Miser star in which 1974 Rankin/Bass special?

In The Year Without a Santa Claus, Mother Nature forces her sons to compromise so it can snow in Southtown. Shirley Booth voiced Mrs. Claus in her final screen role, and the Misers' songs became cult favourites.

Whose New Year's Eve broadcasts made 'Auld Lang Syne' the midnight song in North America?

Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians played 'Auld Lang Syne' on their New Year's Eve broadcasts every year from 1929 until his death in 1977, and Times Square adopted their recording as the song played after the ball drop.

Den serving Angie divorce papers on EastEnders at Christmas 1986 drew how many viewers?

The episode drew 30 million viewers (30.15 million, including the Sunday omnibus repeat), the highest audience for any British soap episode. Angie had lied to Den that she had six months to live.

Who sang 'Walking in the Air' in the original 1982 film The Snowman?

Peter Auty, a St Paul's Cathedral choirboy, sang it uncredited in the film; Aled Jones's 1985 cover, made for a Toys R Us advert, reached No. 5 and is the version most people remember. Howard Blake wrote it.

'A Visit from St. Nicholas' first appeared anonymously in 1823 in which NY town's paper?

It appeared in the Troy Sentinel on 23 December 1823. Clement Clarke Moore did not publicly claim it until 1837, and some scholars attribute it to Henry Livingston Jr.; the poem gave Santa his eight named reindeer.

'Baby, It's Cold Outside' won the Best Song Oscar after appearing in which 1949 film?

Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalbán sang it in Neptune's Daughter, with Betty Garrett and Red Skelton reprising it with the roles reversed. Frank Loesser had written it in 1944 as a party piece for himself and his wife.

Who, aged ten, played Martian girl Girmar in Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)?

Pia Zadora, later a Golden Globe winner for Butterfly (1982), played Girmar. The film was shot in an old aircraft hangar on Long Island and was later skewered on Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Which band's 1967 hit 'Snoopy's Christmas' has the Red Baron call a festive truce?

The Royal Guardsmen, from Ocala, Florida, followed their 1966 hit 'Snoopy vs. the Red Baron' with this sequel, in which the Red Baron spares Snoopy and toasts him, echoing the real Christmas truce of 1914.