Hey! I am done working for a year!

Let us relax and just have some fun. How about a few questions on the lore of the holiday season or seasons? Oh we may throw in a question on recent doings, but only if I get stuck.

Let your mind wander back to childhood and see if you can answer these questions.

1) December 25th is the date Christians picked to celebrate Christmas. How does it relate to the date of the Winter Solstice?

2) What recently added December holiday was conceived on the Seinfeld show?

3) What Christmas themed movie included the line “lovely, glorious, beautiful Christmas around which the whole kid year revolved”?

4) What did Alvin want for Christmas?

5) What was Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer originally named?

6) Where did President Obama spend his Christmas this year?

7) Who is credited with popularizing the tradition of bringing a fir tree into the home for Christmas?

8) Many countries celebrate the holiday known as longest night. What day is this holiday celebrated on?

9) Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson tweeted this message “on this day long ago a child was born who would transform the world by the age of 30.” Who was Tyson referring to?

10)The image of Santa Claus is most likely taken from what Norse god?

11) In 1931 the modern image of Santa Claus was created by Haddon Sundblom. For what purpose did Sundblom create this image?

12) “On the 12th day of Christmas …” When is the 12th day of Christmas?

13) Much of the original celebrations of Christmas, including the day, comes from what ancient Roman celebration?

14) The name Kris Kringle is an alias for Santa Claus. Where is the name Kris Kringle derived from?

15) What movie did the Christmas song “Silver Bells” come from?

Whew! More work than I wanted to do this holiday. Hope you have fun looking up the answers.

What??? Ok, Ok – here’s the answers:

1) In ancient calendars the winter solstice fell on December 25th.

2) Festivus (for the rest of us)

3) Christmas Story

4) a Hula Hoop

5) Rollo – but creator Robert May changed the name before publication of the story

6) In the state where he was born Hawai’i (considered a foreign country by some in the tea party)

7) Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband (he was from Germany where it was already a tradition) in the 1830s.

8) the eve of the winter solstice or the day of the solstice.

9) Isaac Newton – many fundamentalists were rather upset by this tweet.

10) Woden

11) As an advertising image for Coca-Cola

12) Jan 6th aka the feast of the three kings.

13) Saturnalia

14) from the German for the Christ child, Christ Kindl

15) The Lemon Drop Kid starring Bob Hope.