Did you know that a wealth of fascinating trivia surrounds the Christmas holiday? Share some of these tidbits of information with friends and family to inspire amusement and curiosity at this fun time of year! Some popular areas of seasonal trivia include: historical Christmas-season trivia; holiday movie trivia; Santa Claus trivia; Christmas-season shopping trivia and gift trivia.
Historical Christmas-season Trivia Fun historical facts relating to the popular mid-winter holidays continue to delight people in the modern era. Just consider some of these items. Yuletide for decades has fascinated history buffs:
-
Alabama led the nation in recognizing December 25th as an official holiday in 1836.
-
President Ulysses S. Grant, a former Union general, signed a law enacting December 25th as an official federal holiday in 1870, just a few years after the end of the Civil War.
- The first President to erect an indoor tree in the White House for the holidays remains in dispute. However, many sources believe the honor goes to President Franklin Pierce.
- Every year, the NCTA donates a tree to the White House for display in the Blue Room.
- The Eisenhowers celebrated the holidays with gusto, at one point erecting a record 27 festive tree displays around the White House!
Some notable secular historical figures born on December 25th include: The great scientist
Sir Isaac Newton arrived in the world on December 25, 1642 at Wolsthorpe Manor in England. He would make many contributions to mathematics, physics and astronomy. The businessman who founded the famous Hilton Hotel chain,
Conrad Hilton, would eventually transform the hospitality industry by designing inns with a resort-like atmosphere. He celebrated a December 25, 1887 birthday. The late Egyptian President,
Anwar el-Sadat traced his birthday to December 25, 1918 in Mit-Ab al-Kawm, Egypt. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978. Although some sources claim the late film star
Humphrey Bogart's birthday occurred on January 23rd, the actor always reported the date as December 25th. Quite a number of famous folk celebrate Christmas-day birthdays. Just a few of these individuals include:
December 25th Movie Trivia Most of us have enjoyed watching a cheery Christmas-themed movie at one
- Christmas in Connecticut(1945)
- It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
-
Miracle on 34th Street (1947) (Edmund Gwenn won an Academy Award "Best Supporting Actor" designation for the film in 1947)
- White Christmas(1954)
These, and many other holiday films, continue to delight audiences.
Santa Claus Trivia Jolly Santa Claus with his bright red and white suite, huge round belly, long white beard and sparkling smile pleases people around the world. Perhaps your loved ones will appreciate knowing some of the trivia related to this iconic character: Legend holds that Santa Claus delivers gifts with the assistance of a flying sleigh pulled by
eight incredible reindeer. Trivia buffs can list all their names:
- Comet;
- Cupid;
- Dancer;
- Prancer;
- Dasher;
- Donner
- Blitzen;
- Vixen.
In many popular stories, a red-nosed reindeer named "Rudolph" joins the team! The largest gathering of Santas occurred on December 14, 2010, when
over 14,900 people appeared together dressed in red Santa Clause suits in Portugal for a holiday event.
Christmas-Themed Shopping Trivia Retailers absolutely love the Christmas-themed shopping season. Not surprisingly, as the date for the arrival of glittering displays in store aisle extends ever further into the summer, some dedicated trivia buffs have assembled a growing body of retail store Christmas-shopping trivia: The first red-costumed Santa appeared in a department store in 1890, to the delight of children. Massachusetts business owner
James Edgar dressed up as Santa and his employees wore elf costumes. Every year, the United States alone accounts for the sale of some
$3 billion in holiday Christmas-themed cards. The
Northgate Shopping Center erected the tallest holiday tree in 1950, a Douglas Fir. It measured an impressive 221 feet in height, according to the Guiness Book of World Records. Some retailers in the USA obtain
70% of their annual revenues during the month-long period before the arrival of December 25th.
Holiday Season Gift Trivia Many households exchange gifts during the holidays. Trivia fans have gathered a rich body of lore about these gifts, also. Did you know all these amazing Christmas-themed gift trivia facts? The old tradition that children who misbehaved during the year would receive a
gift of coal reportedly began in Italy. The
first Toys For Tots holiday toy drive began in 1947 to provide holiday gifts for impoverished children. Children in North America often receive small gifts in
festive holiday stockings.
A Wonderful Holiday As you enjoy this wonderful time of year with your household, spend some timesharing trivia about the holiday. You'll enjoy discovering who possesses the best memory for unusual facts and statistics about this happy celebration!
