Leslie's Christmas Trivia and Urban Legends Quiz
 

If you know me - you know I love trivia quizzes and urban legends and myths. So, I've combined these two things to come up with a little true or false quiz for my friends for Christmas. Have fun!
Hold the mouse pointer over the wreath or stocking and the answer should appear.
(If it disappears before you're done, click on the picture!)
 
The Christmas tradition of mistletoe comes from a Druid tradition.
True - the plant was hung from the ceiling for protection, friendship and fertility. Wrong!
 

In the original version of the poem A Visit from St. Nicholas the 7th reindeer is not Donner, but Donder.
Wrong! False. It was neither. The 7th and 8th reindeer were in fact Dunder and Blixem - Dutch for thunder and lightening.
 
Our present tradition of Santa Claus comes mostly from the English settlers to America who brought the tradition of Father Christmas with them.
Wrong! False. The Dutch brought a more familiar tradition of Sinterklaas with them. The Puritans were very much against celebrations of Christmas, preferring a solemn and reflective observation of the day, and abominating "merry" indulgence and parties.
 

Only the first lines of the Christmas song I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day were written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and the rest was completed by an anonymous songwriter.
Wrong! False. Longfellow wrote the poem, published in 1867, from which the entire song is taken - although some changes occurred in the ordering of the verses, and some stanzas were removed.
 
The story of The Nutcracker was originally quite an unpleasant and unhappy tale.
True. Like so many children's stories, it was filled with cruel and unhappy twists of harsh fate. Wrong!
 
The original St Nicholas was the person who first proposed observing the anniversary of the birth of Jesus as the Christmas holiday.
Wrong! False. He was a kind and giving bishop born in 280 AD in Turkey. He had nothing to do with the religious observance, however he was notorious for sneaking in houses at night to give gifts, especially to children.
 
Good King Wenceslas is technically a Boxing Day carol, not a Christmas Day carol.
True. The Feast of Stephen referred to in the song is St Stephen's Day - Dec. 26. Wrong!
 
Red and white Santa suit, red and white Coke can - not a coincidence! Coca-cola played a large role in popularizing our modern conception of St. Nick.
True - Although the fat, jolly Santa in a red and white suit had become the most popular image by the 1920s, there can be no doubt that the 1930s Coke ad campaign depicting him that way solidified our current image of Santa. Wrong!
 
The word Christmas comes from Old English Cristes Maesse meaning Christ's mass.
True. The word Yule however comes from a pagan mid-winter festival. Wrong!
 
The flower of the poinsettia plant is red.
Wrong! False. The flower is yellow - what most people think of as the flowers are actually sections of red colored leaves, called bracts.  
 

Poinsettias are poisonous.
Wrong! False - this is a myth which survives despite being disproven repeatedly.
 

Candy canes were not originally striped.
True. Candy canes seem to have added their stripes around the turn of the 20th century. 1800s depictions generally show solid white canes. Wrong!
 
Boxing Day is so named because it was traditionally the day that Christmas decorations and ornaments were taken down and put away in boxes, which were originally wooden.
Wrong! False - it is called that because of the money collected in alms boxes in churches was collected up on that day and distributed to the poor and needy.
 
The song The 12 Days of Christmas was a secret catechism in code for Catholics in England.
Wrong! False. The song is of French origin, and pretty clearly based on a memory game.
 
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer was invented as a promotional gimmick for Montgomery Ward stores.
True. Montgomery Ward employee Robert May came up with the story in 1939 for their free Christmas booklets. Wrong!
 
Groundhog's Day is related to Christmas.
True. February 2nd is also known as Candlemas, 40 days after the birth of Christ when Mary went to the Temple, upon completing her purification. Wrong!
 
All of Santa's reindeer are female.
True. Reindeer do indeed lose their antlers in the winter - males usually lose theirs in late November or early December, while females keep theirs until the start of spring. You do the math. Wrong!
 
I hope you enjoyed the quiz!!
 

Have a very Merry Christmas and all the best for 2002!!!
 
As always, here are the links to my past Christmas pages:
 
Christmas 98
Christmas 00