Here’s some Christmas morning trivia to keep you busy while waiting for the kids to wake up.
‘Jingle Bells’ was originally a Thanksgiving song. “Jingle Bells” was written by James Lord Piermont in 1857 for his church’s Thanksgiving concert. However, over the years, it became more closely associated with Christmas and is now one of the most popular holiday songs!
In Japan, it’s a tradition for people to enjoy a Kentucky fried Christmas. What started as a marketing campaign by KFC in the 1970s has evolved into a widely adopted tradition of eating a bucket of KFC chicken to celebrate Christmas. Many people even place their KFC orders well in advance to secure their Christmas chicken dinner.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer almost had a different name. The creator, Robert L. May, was considering Rollo and Reginald before he finally settled on Rudolph.
How did the tradition of Christmas stockings begin? This custom is believed to have originated in the early 19th century in Europe. One popular legend involves St. Nicholas, who, according to folklore, put gold coins in the stockings of three poor sisters. Over time, this evolved into the cherished holiday tradition of hanging stockings by the fireplace and filling them with small Christmas gifts.
The first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was actually small. Construction workers placed the first small, undecorated tree at Rockefeller Center in 1931. These days, the famous tree features more than 50,000 multicolored LED lights—That’s nearly five miles of lights!
‘The Grinch’ is the highest-grossing Christmas film of all time. The 2018 computer-animated film brought in $512,858,819 worldwide. The runner-up? Home Alone, the Christmas classic from 1990. “White Christmas” the 1954 Bing Crosby/Danny Kaye/Rosemary Clooney classic only made $30 million worldwide. (Cont.)
An estimated 85% of American kids believe in Santa Claus. And the average age when children stop believing is eight.
Tom Hanks played six different roles in ‘The Polar Express.’ In addition to voicing the conductor, Hanks also played Hero Boy, Father, Hobo, Scrooge, and Santa Claus.
Why do we kiss under the mistletoe? This popular kissing tradition may have its roots in Norse mythology. Frigg, the goddess of love, promised to kiss anyone who passed under the berry-laden plant after it saved her son’s life.
’It’s a Wonderful Life’ was a box-office flop. The enduring Christmas classic initially bombed at the box office. It wasn’t until 1974, when its copyright expired and television networks could air it for free, that it cemented its place as one of the most beloved Christmas movies of all time.
‘’Twas the Night Before Christmas’ actually has a totally different title. Clement Clarke Moore’s iconic 1823 poem is actually called “A Visit from St. Nicholas.” It’s more commonly known as “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” because of its famous first line.
‘Jingle Bells’ was the first song played in space. On December 16, 1965, the Christmas song was broadcast during NASA’s Gemini 6A space flights.
Coca-Cola played a big role in shaping the image of Santa. In 1931, Coca‑Cola commissioned an artist to paint Santa Claus for the company’s Christmas ads. The artist created the warm, jolly character we all know today, complete with rosy cheeks, a white beard, and twinkling eyes.
Bing Crosby’s classic song “White Christmas” is not only the best-selling Christmas song, but the best-selling single of all time.
Rudolph was a marketing gimmick. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer made his debut in 1939 in a giveaway coloring book created by a copywriter for the Montgomery Ward department store.
Natalie Wood, who was 8 years old, still believed in Santa Claus when she starred in ‘Miracle on 34th Street.’
You can track Santa Claus next year by using the official Norad Santa tracker website, Norad and Nato have support aircraft up and guarding Santa and his deers. .
Rod Gonzalez 12 months ago
Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to Tank and Barb!
ATGMer 12 months ago
Repurposing the Elf on the shelf?
jagedlo 12 months ago
I’m reminded of the Jeff Foxworthy bit about testing the cord for the first jump…www.youtube(dot)com/watch?v=JufosGW1g-Q
cmerb 12 months ago
I just love the puppy in that hat : )
MS72 12 months ago
Thief!
Ellis97 12 months ago
Merry Christmas from Tank McNamara and all of his friends.
frumdebang2 12 months ago
Thanks to Bill Hinds (and Tank) for giving us a present every day, 365 days a year. (366 times in the new year.) Merry Christmas to all.
MailbuEd 12 months ago
Here’s some Christmas morning trivia to keep you busy while waiting for the kids to wake up.
‘Jingle Bells’ was originally a Thanksgiving song. “Jingle Bells” was written by James Lord Piermont in 1857 for his church’s Thanksgiving concert. However, over the years, it became more closely associated with Christmas and is now one of the most popular holiday songs!
In Japan, it’s a tradition for people to enjoy a Kentucky fried Christmas. What started as a marketing campaign by KFC in the 1970s has evolved into a widely adopted tradition of eating a bucket of KFC chicken to celebrate Christmas. Many people even place their KFC orders well in advance to secure their Christmas chicken dinner.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer almost had a different name. The creator, Robert L. May, was considering Rollo and Reginald before he finally settled on Rudolph.
How did the tradition of Christmas stockings begin? This custom is believed to have originated in the early 19th century in Europe. One popular legend involves St. Nicholas, who, according to folklore, put gold coins in the stockings of three poor sisters. Over time, this evolved into the cherished holiday tradition of hanging stockings by the fireplace and filling them with small Christmas gifts.
The first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was actually small. Construction workers placed the first small, undecorated tree at Rockefeller Center in 1931. These days, the famous tree features more than 50,000 multicolored LED lights—That’s nearly five miles of lights!
‘The Grinch’ is the highest-grossing Christmas film of all time. The 2018 computer-animated film brought in $512,858,819 worldwide. The runner-up? Home Alone, the Christmas classic from 1990. “White Christmas” the 1954 Bing Crosby/Danny Kaye/Rosemary Clooney classic only made $30 million worldwide. (Cont.)
MailbuEd 12 months ago
An estimated 85% of American kids believe in Santa Claus. And the average age when children stop believing is eight.
Tom Hanks played six different roles in ‘The Polar Express.’ In addition to voicing the conductor, Hanks also played Hero Boy, Father, Hobo, Scrooge, and Santa Claus.
Why do we kiss under the mistletoe? This popular kissing tradition may have its roots in Norse mythology. Frigg, the goddess of love, promised to kiss anyone who passed under the berry-laden plant after it saved her son’s life.
’It’s a Wonderful Life’ was a box-office flop. The enduring Christmas classic initially bombed at the box office. It wasn’t until 1974, when its copyright expired and television networks could air it for free, that it cemented its place as one of the most beloved Christmas movies of all time.
‘’Twas the Night Before Christmas’ actually has a totally different title. Clement Clarke Moore’s iconic 1823 poem is actually called “A Visit from St. Nicholas.” It’s more commonly known as “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” because of its famous first line.
‘Jingle Bells’ was the first song played in space. On December 16, 1965, the Christmas song was broadcast during NASA’s Gemini 6A space flights.
Coca-Cola played a big role in shaping the image of Santa. In 1931, Coca‑Cola commissioned an artist to paint Santa Claus for the company’s Christmas ads. The artist created the warm, jolly character we all know today, complete with rosy cheeks, a white beard, and twinkling eyes.
Bing Crosby’s classic song “White Christmas” is not only the best-selling Christmas song, but the best-selling single of all time.
Rudolph was a marketing gimmick. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer made his debut in 1939 in a giveaway coloring book created by a copywriter for the Montgomery Ward department store.
Natalie Wood, who was 8 years old, still believed in Santa Claus when she starred in ‘Miracle on 34th Street.’
joannesshadow 12 months ago
Santa is dunking! Merry Christmas!
Moore 1 12 months ago
You can track Santa Claus next year by using the official Norad Santa tracker website, Norad and Nato have support aircraft up and guarding Santa and his deers. .
jimmy d from peabody! 12 months ago
great job on the trivia, merry Christmas Tank & Barb, Bill and the rest of us