As one might expect of me, I am endlessly fascinated by the history of Christmas. You have religious history, social history, cultural history, economic history, political history, music history, and more coming together, and there are so many factors to consider. We often take our own holiday traditions for granted and assume that they are a “given”, but they very much are not. I thought that doing a holiday history quiz would be a fun and entertaining way to share some of my favourite “factoids” with you! (And stretch your brain a little!) You can do this holiday history quiz with friends and family or by yourself- the answers are below!
Holiday History Quiz
1. The British Royal Family’s Christmas decorations at Sandringham are taken down when?
a) St. Stephen’s Day/Boxing Day
b) New Year’s Day
c) Twelfth Night
d) 6 February
2. What poem inspired Haddon Sundblom’s image of Santa Claus for Coco-Cola?
3. Which household item do Norwegians traditionally hide on Christmas Eve?
a) Brooms
b) Blankets
c) Knives
d) Buckets
4. Which King of England was crowned on 25 December?
5. Where was the Christmas cracker invented in 1847?
a) Paris
b) Munich
c) London
d) Berlin
6. Who wrote The Little Match Girl?
7. Who is Clara’s nemesis in The Nutcracker?
8. What traditional holiday treat did Oliver Cromwell ban in 1644?
a) Gingerbread
b) Mince Pies
b) Christmas Cake
9. What are the names of the three wise men?
10. Where is it always winter but never Christmas?
11. Which European city is the gingerbread capital of the world?
a) Berlin
b) Nuremberg
c) Munich
d) Frankfurt
12. What is the primary gift-bringer in France called?
Quiz Answers
1. d) 6 February- the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s ascension
2. “A Visit from St. Nicholas”
3. a) Brooms- legends say that witches would steal them.
4. William the Conqueror in 1066.
5. a) London.
6. Hans Christian Andersen.
7. The Mouse King
8. b) Mince Pies.
9. Gaspar, Balthazar, and Melchior
10. Narnia
11. b) Nuremburg
12. Père Noël
What was your score on the 2022 holiday history quiz?
Cheers,
The Historian
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