Holiday Trivia

Front

What is a traditional Christmas dinner in Japan?

Back

KFC

Answer explanation

Christmas in Japan is a secular holiday with less than 1% of the Japanese population identifying as Christian. When KFC launched their “Kentucky for Christmas” marketing campaign in 1974, it was an instant hit and now KFC is a popular choice for Christmas dinners in Japan. Orders must be placed two months in advance.

Front

which U.S. Department store created Rudolph the Reindeer?

Back

Montgomery Ward

Answer explanation

Rudolph the Reindeer was created by the U.S. department store Montgomery Ward to get children to buy Christmas coloring books, however, his nose was not red as they did not want him to appear as a chronic alcoholic.

Front

What does Hanukkah mean?

Back

Dedication

Answer explanation

What is Hanukkah? The word Hanukkah means "dedication." The holiday commemorates the triumph of a band of rebel Jews known as the Maccabees in reclaiming their temple from the Greek-Syrians.

Front

How many nights does Hanukkah last?

Back

8

Answer explanation

Hanukkah lasts for eight nights, to commemorate how long the holy light burned. The temple required a holy light to burn inside at all times, but the Jews had only enough oil for one night. Incredibly, the light burned for eight days.

Front

Which Holiday was Jingle Bells originally associated with? Options: Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Years

Back

Thanksgiving

Answer explanation

“Jingle Bells,” originally called “One Horse Open Sleigh,” was composed in Massachusetts by James Pierpont as a Thanksgiving song and was the first song sung on December 15, 1965 by astronauts Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra while they were in space.

Front

Which day is the busiest for shopping each year? Options: Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Prime Day, Friday/Saturday before Christmas

Back

Friday/Saturday before Christmas

Answer explanation

Many people think Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year in the United States. However, the busiest shopping days of the year are the Friday and Saturday before Christmas.

Front

How many days is Kwanzaa celebrated?

Back

7

Answer explanation

Kwanzaa is a cultural celebration, not a religious one.

Gifts are given during Kwanzaa, but there are no deities involved. Instead, Kwanzaa is a seven-day ritual to welcome the first harvests to the home for the New Year. The observance celebrates community rather than reliance on a higher power. Observed from December 26 to January 1, Kwanzaa is Swahili for “first” and was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach, during the height of the Black Nationalist movement

Front

How many principles are used to represent Kwanzaa?

Back

7

Answer explanation

There are seven principles that represent Kwanzaa.

According to the University of Pennsylvania's African Studies Center, Karenga designed the seven principles of Kwanzaa, known as Nguza Saba, to connect Black Americans to their African roots by uplifting the community through recognizing and honoring traditional African family values. The foundation of Kwanzaa is built on these concepts, which are (in English and Swahili):

Unity (Umoja)

Self-determination (Kujichagulia)

Collective work and responsibility (Ujima)

Cooperative economics (Ujamaa)

Purpose (Nia)

Creativity (Kuumba)

Faith (Imani)

Front

How long does a Christmas tree have to grow before it's ready to be sold for Christmas?

Back

15 Years

Answer explanation

Christmas trees usually grow for close to 15 years before they can be sold.

Front

Which state was the first to declare Christmas as a legal holiday? Options: Oklahoma, Ohio, Alabama, Washington

Back

Alabama

Answer explanation

Christmas used to be illegal. Alabama declared Christmas a legal Holiday in 1836. Oklahoma was the last U.S. state to declare Christmas a legal Holiday in 1907.