Did you know we can thank Coca-Cola in part for the Christmas imagery we see today? In 1931, they released an advertisement with the popularized image of Santa – a jolly, fat man sporting red, white and green. Santa was previously depicted as thin, elf-like and wore blue as much as he did red.

If you enjoyed this fun fact, you'll love these trivia questions about America's favorite holiday. 

We've listed the questions for each category and reveal the answers at the end. Read a little bit more and you'll discover the history behind some of the most popular Christmas traditions. 

Christmas movie and TV trivia

Questions:

  1. What year was the Christmas movie “Elf” released?
  2. What is the name of Buddy’s love interest in “Elf,” played by Zooey Deschanel?
  3. In “Elf,” to Buddy’s excitement, the department store manager announces Santa is coming tomorrow to take pictures with customers. What time does he say he’s coming?
  4. What are the four main food groups for elves, according to Buddy in “Elf”?
  5. How many Grinch movies are there in total?
  6. What does Buddy cram into the VCR in the movie “Elf”?
  7. What is the name of the elf who wants to be a dentist in “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”?
  8. In “Love Actually,” what gift does Harry (Alan Rickman) give his wife, Karen (Emma Thompson), for Christmas? 
  9. What song does Hugh Grant’s Prime Minister character dance to in “Love Actually”? 
  10. What popular stop-motion film could be considered both a Halloween and a Christmas movie?
  11. What’s the name of the town “It’s a Wonderful Life” takes place in?
  12. In the world where George was never born, what was Mary’s occupation in "It's a Wonderful Life"?
  13. What’s the name of the guardian angel that George Bailey meets in "It's a Wonderful Life"?
  14. How many roles did Tom Hanks play in “The Polar Express”?
  15. Where do the Griswolds live in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”?
  16. What does Clark Griswold’s boss give him instead of a Christmas bonus in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”? 
  17. What real-life store is a main plot point in “Miracle on 34th Street”?
  18. What does Ralphie want for Christmas in “A Christmas Story”?
  19. What is the secret message Ralphie decodes from the Little Orphan Annie show in “A Christmas Story”?
  20. What language does Ralphie’s father think “Fragile” is when he opens his prize in “A Christmas Story”?
  21. What is Ralphie’s punishment for swearing in “A Christmas Story”?
  22. What is the name of the 2015 horror comedy starring a horned beast who punishes naughty children at Christmas?
  23. Where can you find the “Home Alone” house, where most of the movie is filmed?
  24. What do the burglars who break into the McCallister’s house in “Home Alone” call themselves?
  25. How many siblings does Kevin have in “Home Alone”?
  26. What kind of pet does Buzz from “Home Alone” have?
  27. What is the name of the head elf in the 1994 movie “The Santa Clause”?
  28. How many “Santa Clause” movies are there?
  29. In “The Office” Christmas episode “Christmas Party,” what gift does Michael give in the Secret Santa gone wrong?
  30. How many new Christmas movies did Hallmark release this year?
  31. Lindsay Lohan made her return to the silver screen in a new Hallmark movie last year. What is it called?
  32. What longtime actor and comedian plays a man making a deal with an elf in the 2023 Christmas movie "Candy Cane Lane?"

Answers:

  1. 2003 
  2. Jovie
  3. 10 a.m.
  4. Candy, candy corn, candy canes and syrup
  5. 3 
  6. 11 cookies 
  7. Hermey 
  8. A Joni Mitchell CD 
  9. Jump (For My Love) by The Pointer Sisters 
  10. The Nightmare Before Christmas 
  11. Bedford Falls
  12. A librarian
  13. Clarence
  14. Six: The conductor, the older version of the Hero Boy, Father, Hobo, Scrooge, and Santa Claus
  15. Chicago
  16. A one-year membership to the Jelly of the Month Club
  17. Macy’s
  18. A Red Rider BB gun
  19. “Be sure to drink your Ovaltine”
  20. Italian
  21. A bar of soap in his mouth
  22. Krampus
  23. Illinois
  24. The wet bandits
  25. Four
  26. A tarantula
  27. Bernard
  28. 3, with a follow-up limited series released in 2022
  29. An iPod
  30. 40
  31. "Falling for Christmas"
  32. Eddie Murphy

History lesson: The1946 classic "It's a Wonderful Life" is set in the fictional Bedford Falls. Like many of its silver screen counterparts, the movie was filmed in California, but many believe Bedford Falls is based on the real-life Seneca Falls in upstate New York. The town even has an "It's a Wonderful Life" museum and celebrates an annual festival paying homage to the movie in December.

So what's the connection? One piece of evidence points to director Frank Capra's visit to Seneca Falls in 1945 while working on the script with screenwriters. There's also the nod to Seneca Falls architecture. Jimmy Hawkins, who played George Bailey's son Tommy in the movie, told Country Living "There's a lot of Seneca Falls in Bedford Falls," pointing to similarities between the Seneca Falls bridge and the movie's bridge, where George's pivotal decision occurs. The museum also marks similarities between local houses, railroad stations and even affordable housing projects referenced in the film by Bailey Brothers Building and Loan. 

Hawkins serves as an advisor to the "It's a Wonderful Life Museum" alongside on-screen siblings Carol Coombs (Janie Bailey) and Karolyn Grimes (Zuzu Bailey). 

Christmas song trivia

Questions:

  1. What name do we call the snowman in “Winter Wonderland”? 
  2. What is the most streamed Christmas song of all time?
  3. True or false: David Bowie recorded “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” as a member of the super-charity group Band Aid
  4. What does Alvin want for Christmas in the song “The Chipmunk Song”?
  5. How many gifts in total were given by the end of “The Twelve Days of Christmas”?
  6. What year was Michael Bublé’s “Christmas” album released? 
  7. Which musician sang “Santa Baby” in 1953, making it one of the most well-known versions to date?
  8. Which 1990 film is credited with popularizing “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”?
  9. In “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” what did Grandma drink too much of?
  10. According to the song, “You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch,” what does the Grinch have in his smile?
  11. What word is used instead of “family” in “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”? 
  12. When was the original “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” released?
  13. What song did the New Yorker describe as "one of the few worthy modern additions to the holiday canon" in 2006?
  14. What Christmas song was written in California during a heat wave in 1945?
  15. “Where Are You Christmas?” was written by James Horner, Will Jennings and this famous pop star for the 2000 live-action “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
  16. What pop Christmas song was released in 1984 but didn’t track on Billboard’s Hot 100 until 2017?
  17. This "Goddess of Pop" performed "DJ Play a Christmas Song," a single from her recently released Christmas album, at the Macy's Day Parade this year. Who is it?

Answers:

  1. Parson Brown
  2. All I Want for Christmas is You 
  3. False, Bowie was asked to join but had scheduling conflicts
  4. A hula hoop
  5. 364
  6. 2011
  7. Eartha Kitt
  8. Home Alone
  9. Eggnog
  10. Termites
  11. Kin
  12. 1963
  13. “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey
  14. “Let It Snow”
  15. Mariah Carey
  16. “Last Christmas” by Wham!
  17. Cher

History lesson: Did you know those 12 days of partridges, turtle doves, gold rings and more add up to 364 gifts? A Reuters analysis added the gifts from your true love to a whopping cost of $105,561. This includes $210.18 for planting pear trees and acquiring a partridge, almost $15,000 for assorted birds, $945 for those coveted golden rings and $58 for milk maids. The 2020 study of holiday costs didn't include the price for the ladies dancing, lords-a-leaping, pipers piping, drummers drumming, which it said was on pause due to the pandemic. "You and your true love could spend an evening watching some TikToks instead," Reuters writes.

Christmas traditions trivia 

Questions:

  1. What is Santa Claus known as in France?
  2. In what country is Santa known as Babbo Natale?
  3. Who wrote the poem “The Night Before Christmas”?
  4. True or false: Poinsettias, the popular Christmas flower, are poisonous to dogs.
  5. What two states are home to towns named “Santa Claus”?
  6. When was St. Nicholas born?
  7. When was Christmas declared a federal holiday in the United States?
  8. How long did the Puritans ban Christmas in Massachusetts in the 17th century? 
  9. True or false: We know definitively that Jesus Christ was born on December 25.
  10. Which famous U.S. military event happened on Christmas Day in 1776?
  11. According to a 2020 survey, what percent of Americans who put up a tree will use an artificial one instead of a real tree?

Answers:

  1. Père Noël
  2. Italy
  3. Clement Moore
  4. True, the flowers are mildly toxic to both dogs and cats
  5. Indiana and Georgia
  6. Between AD 260 and 280
  7. 1870
  8. 22 years
  9. False, there’s no real evidence 
  10. George Washington and the Continental Army crossed the Delaware River
  11. 63%

History lesson: The Puritans made it a criminal offense to publicly celebrate Christmas in Massachusetts from 1659 to 1681. According to History.com, after overthrowing King Charles I, the Puritans declared Dec. 25 a day of "fasting and humiliation" for the supposed sins of the Englishmen. Puritans in Massachusetts followed suit, banning the holiday with a swift message: celebrating Christmas comes with a fine. The ban came both from the Puritan interpretation of the Bible (which they said did not mention celebrating the holiday) and a distaste for rowdy holiday celebrations. The Massachusetts Bay Colony repealed the ban in 1681, but even still, Christmas did not become a public holiday in the state until 1856. 

Get in the holiday spirit with these other USA TODAY reads

  • Christmas jokes:160 quips "yule" love this holiday season
  • Christmas memes:These might land you on the naughty list
  • Top Christmas movies:Stream these popular picks this holiday season
  • Family Christmas movies:Keep kids entertained with these holiday favorites
  • Listen to the hits:Here's where to find Christmas music on the radio
  • Christmas tree 101:Everything to know before purchasing
  • Healthy holiday eating:Enjoy favorites and feel good with these tips
  • How to play White Elephant:Try this game of holiday gift swap mischief
  • Give back:Where you can volunteer this holiday season

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