Holiday Trivia

True or false: The song "Jingle Bells" was written specifically for Christmas.

• True

• False

Which U.S. President was the first to recognize Hanukkah with a menorah lighting at the White House?

• Gerald Ford

• Jimmy Carter

• Ronald Reagan

• Lyndon B. Johnson

The holiday decoration tinsel was originally made from strands of what metal?

• Silver

• Gold

• Copper

• Aluminum

Answer explanation

Silver. Once a display of wealth, it was tradition in Germany to hang tinsel ("estincele,” or sparkle in Old French, or “lametta,” meaning tiny blade in Italian) made of thin strips of silver on a Christmas tree to reflect candlelight.

How many pieces of holiday mail and packages will the U.S. Postal Service deliver each day this year between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day?

• 15 million

• 40 million

• 60 million

• 80 million

Answer explanation

Thanks to new package processing equipment and operational improvements, the Postal Service is expected to process nearly 60 million packages every day this holiday season, up from 53 million in 2021. Last year, the USPS projected that more than 12 billion holiday letters, cards and packages would be delivered between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.

Which of the four presidents on Mt. Rushmore is rumored to have had his own recipe for eggnog?

• Thomas Jefferson

• Theodore Roosevelt

• Abraham Lincoln

• George Washington

Kwanzaa was first celebrated in the U.S. in what decade?

• 1950s

• 1960s

• 1970s

• 1980s

Answer explanation

The 1960s. Dr. Maulana Karenga created Kwanzaa in 1966 as a way of uniting the African American community. Modeled after traditional African harvest celebrations, the weeklong holiday is celebrated as a cultural holiday; many people celebrate it in addition to other religious traditions.

The beloved ballet The Nutcracker was first performed in what city in 1892?

• Vienna, Austria

• Zurich, Switzerland

• Paris, France

• St. Petersburg, Russia

In the song Frosty The Snowman, what makes Frosty come to life?

• An old silk hat

• A button nose

• A red scarf

Which department store was featured in the film Miracle on 34th Street?

• Macy's

• Nordstrom

• JC Penney

• Dillard's

How much money do Americans spend (on average) on holiday gifts per person?

• $50

• $100

• $500

• $1000