We hang stockings, decorate trees, leave cookies for Santa, and sing carols every December — but have you ever stopped to wonder why? Most Christmas traditions have origin stories that are far stranger, older, or more recent than you'd expect.
These 35 Christmas history trivia questions will take you on a journey through time, from ancient Roman feasts to Victorian England to modern-day commercial Christmas.
Christmas Tree Origins
Q1: Which country is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition?
Answer: Germany. The tradition dates to the 16th century. Some historians credit Martin Luther with adding candles to a tree.
Q2: When did the Christmas tree become popular in England and America?
Answer: The 1840s. An illustration of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert around a decorated tree was published in 1848 and launched the trend.
Q3: What did people use to decorate trees before glass ornaments?
Answer: Fruits (especially apples), nuts, candles, sweets, and homemade paper decorations.
Q4: When was the first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree erected?
Answer: 1931. Construction workers pooled their money for a 20-foot balsam fir. The first official lit ceremony was in 1933.
Q5: Which U.S. president first put a Christmas tree in the White House?
Answer: Franklin Pierce in 1856. The National Christmas Tree tradition on the lawn began with Calvin Coolidge in 1923.
Q6: What ancient cultures brought evergreen boughs indoors during winter?
Answer: The Romans during Saturnalia, the Egyptians during winter solstice, and the Druids as symbols of everlasting life.
The Evolution of Santa Claus
Q7: Who was the real historical figure Santa Claus is based on?
Answer: Saint Nicholas of Myra, a 4th-century Greek bishop in modern-day Turkey, known for secretly giving gifts to the poor.
Q8: What famous 1823 poem helped shape the modern Santa image?
Answer: "A Visit from St. Nicholas" ('Twas the Night Before Christmas), attributed to Clement Clarke Moore. It established the sleigh, eight reindeer, and chimney details.
Q9: Did Coca-Cola invent the red-suited Santa?
Answer: No — but they popularized and standardized the image through 1930s advertising campaigns by illustrator Haddon Sundblom.
Q10: What cartoonist created the first widely recognized visual Santa in the 1860s-1880s?
Answer: Thomas Nast, for Harper's Weekly. His illustrations gradually developed Santa from a small elf to the large, bearded character we know.
Q11: In what country does Santa's "official" postal address receive 500,000+ letters annually?
Answer: Finland. Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi receives letters from nearly 200 countries.
Q12: When was Rudolph created, and by whom?
Answer: 1939, by Robert L. May, a copywriter at Montgomery Ward. His brother-in-law Johnny Marks wrote the song, recorded by Gene Autry in 1949.
Christmas Stockings and Gift-Giving
Q13: What is the legend behind hanging stockings?
Answer: Saint Nicholas secretly threw three bags of gold coins down a chimney, and they landed in stockings hung by the fire to dry.
Q14: What was traditionally placed in the toe of a stocking?
Answer: An orange — representing Saint Nicholas's gold, or reflecting a time when oranges were a rare winter treat.
Q15: When did wrapping presents in decorative paper begin?
Answer: Around 1917. The Hall Brothers (Hallmark) ran out of tissue paper and sold decorated envelope linings as gift wrap.
Q16: Where did Boxing Day originate?
Answer: England. The tradition of giving Christmas "boxes" (gifts or tips) to servants and tradespeople dates back to the Middle Ages.
Christmas Cards and Caroling
Q17: Who sent the first commercial Christmas card?
Answer: Sir Henry Cole in 1843 in London. Artist John Callcott Horsley designed it; 1,000 copies were printed. A surviving original sold for over $30,000.
Q18: What is "wassailing"?
Answer: A medieval English tradition of going door-to-door singing and offering a drink from the "wassail" bowl in exchange for gifts. It evolved into modern Christmas caroling.
Q19: In what decade did Americans first send over a billion Christmas cards?
Answer: The 1930s saw Christmas card sending explode. Americans now send over 1 billion per year.
Why December 25th?
Q20: Was Jesus historically born on December 25th?
Answer: Most historians agree the actual birth date is unknown, and December 25th is unlikely. The Bible doesn't specify a date.
Q21: What Roman festival was celebrated around December 25th before Christmas?
Answer: Saturnalia (Dec 17-23) and Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (Birthday of the Unconquered Sun, Dec 25). Many scholars believe the early church chose this date to absorb these popular pagan celebrations.
Q22: When was December 25th first recorded as the date for Jesus's birth?
Answer: 336 AD, in a Roman almanac called the Chronograph of 354.
Q23: Which country first declared Christmas a national holiday?
Answer: The United States declared it a federal holiday on June 26, 1870. England's Bank Holidays Act of 1871 also formalized it.
Strange and Forgotten Christmas Traditions
Q24: What terrifying figure from Alpine folklore punishes naughty children?
Answer: Krampus, a horned, demonic creature who accompanies Saint Nicholas. Krampusnacht (December 5th) is still celebrated in Austria and Bavaria.
Q25: What role did the "Lord of Misrule" play in medieval England?
Answer: He presided over Christmas festivities including wild revelry and role reversals. The tradition dates back to Roman Saturnalia.
Q26: Why was Christmas once banned in England and parts of America?
Answer: The Puritans considered celebrations too pagan and excessive. Cromwell banned them 1647-1660 in England; Massachusetts banned them 1659-1681 with a five-shilling fine.
Q27: What Christmas tradition involves hiding a pickle ornament?
Answer: The "Christmas Pickle" — the first child to find it gets an extra present. Often claimed to be German, but Germans don't recognize it. It's likely an American marketing invention from the late 1800s.
Q28: In Catalonia, what unusual character do children "feed" before Christmas?
Answer: The Caga Tio — a hollow log with a painted face. Children feed it daily, then beat it with sticks on Christmas Eve, commanding it to "poop" out presents.
Decorations and Their Origins
Q29: Why do people kiss under the mistletoe?
Answer: Likely from Norse mythology (associated with Frigg, goddess of love). Became popular in 18th-century England. Traditionally, a berry was removed after each kiss.
Q30: How did the poinsettia become associated with Christmas?
Answer: Joel Roberts Poinsett brought it from Mexico in 1828. Albert Ecke's family commercialized them as Christmas plants in Hollywood in the early 1900s.
Q31: What are the origins of the Advent calendar?
Answer: German Lutherans marked Advent days with candles or chalk. The first printed calendar was produced by Gerhard Lang around 1908. Chocolate behind doors came in the mid-20th century.
Q32: When were electric Christmas lights first used?
Answer: 1882. Edward H. Johnson, a colleague of Thomas Edison, hand-wired 80 bulbs and strung them around his tree in New York City.
Modern Christmas Milestones
Q33: When was "Merry Christmas" first used as a greeting?
Answer: 1534, in a letter by John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester: "And this our Lord God send you a merry Christmas."
Q34: What event in 1914 made Christmas famous as a symbol of wartime peace?
Answer: The Christmas Truce of WWI, when British and German soldiers spontaneously ceased fighting, sang carols, exchanged gifts, and played football in no man's land.
Q35: When did Black Friday become associated with Christmas shopping?
Answer: The 1950s. Philadelphia police first used the term to describe post-Thanksgiving shopping chaos. Retailers rebranded it as the day stores went "into the black." It became a national phenomenon in the 1980s-1990s.
Planning a Christmas trivia night?
Cheap Trivia has ready-to-host holiday trivia packs with answer sheets and scoring.
More Christmas Trivia to Explore
- Christmas Movie Trivia: 100 Questions
- Christmas Music Trivia: 40 Questions
- Hard Christmas Trivia
- Easy Christmas Trivia
- 100 Christmas Fun Facts
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is the Christmas holiday?
Christmas has been celebrated on December 25th since at least 336 AD, making it nearly 1,700 years old. Many of its traditions have roots in even older pagan winter celebrations.
Did the Puritans really ban Christmas?
Yes. In England from 1647-1660 under Cromwell, and in Massachusetts from 1659-1681 with a five-shilling fine for anyone caught celebrating.
When did Christmas become commercial?
The commercialization accelerated in the mid-1800s when department stores began creating elaborate displays. Buying rather than making gifts became widespread by the late 19th century.