Christmas Through Ten Categories Quiz

Answer: Reindeer

The reindeer's names are usually given as Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen: and of course Rudolph. The first eight names were first mentioned in Clement C. Moore's poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas". Rudolph was not an original reindeer, but came along in 1939 when Robert L. May published a booklet that was found in the Montgomery Ward catalog.

Another name for reindeer is caribou. Both the males and the females grow antlers.

Answer: O Christmas Tree

It is "O Christmas Tree" because it's a tree made of the letter O. And it's a Christmas tree because there's a star on top. "O Christmas Tree" was written by Ernst Anschutz. It's original title in German is "O Tannenbaum". The song was written in 1824 with traditional folk music of the time.

Answer: Will Ferrell

Will Ferrell was born July 16, 1967, in California. He started his career on "Saturday Night Live" as a Not Ready for Prime Time Player. In 1995, he was in his first movie "The Death Artist". In 2003, he played the role of Buddy in the film "Elf".

Answer: Coal

There are many legends about how naughty kids came to get coal in their stocking. Fortunately, it's also believed that Santa very rarely leaves coal as he finds most children to be good for most of the year.

Answer: January 6th

All these dates have been considered Christmas day in various parts of the world. However, the first date originally given to Christmas by Eastern Christianity was January 6th. In Armenia this is still the date used for Christmas. When the calendar was revised many people in the world started to celebrate on December 25th.

Answer: Tchaikovsky

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born in 1840 and died in 1893, in Russia. In 1884, he was honored by Emperor Alexander III of Russia. His mother died from cholera when he was a child. This scarred him for life. His father also was ill with the disease but fully recovered. "The Nutcracker" was written in 1892.

Answer: William Sydney Porter

"The Gift of the Magi" is one of O. Henry's best known short stories, and was written in 1905. It is a beautiful story about a couple who cannot afford to get each other presents so they sacrifice their most prized possessions to buy each other a gift.

In the story the wife's most cherished possession was her long hair, while the husband's was his gold fob watch. One Christmas, unable to afford to buy each other gifts, she sells her hair to buy him a watch chain, while he sells his watch to buy her combs for her hair.

Answer: Letters from the post office

"Miracle on 34th Street" came out in 1947 and starred Natalie Wood as Susan, Maureen O'Hara as her mother, John Payne as the lawyer and Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle. It is about a little girl and her mother who do not believe in Santa. When Santa arrives in New York to be in the Macy's Day parade he and the lawyer help the two believe.

But then, when Kris claims he is the real Santa he is committed in a mental hospital where the lawyer has to prove that he is not crazy, but rather the real Santa Claus.

He is able to do this when the post office delivers all the mail to Santa Claus to Kris. The post office being a federal office of the US government means that it would be a felony to knowingly deliver the mail to a person who was not the real Santa.

The court recognized that if the US post office said Kris was Santa the court could not do otherwise. Kris was free to go, just in time for Christmas eve.

Answer: Mary's Boy Child

"Mary's Boy Child" was written in 1956 by Jester Hairston. The song's original title was "He Pone and Chocolate Tea" but was never recorded with this title. One of the most popular versions of this song is the one recorded by Harry Belafonte.

Answer: Luke 2

An excerpt from this chapter is Luke 2:9-14:

9."And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

The Christmas story can also be found in Matthew 1. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that Christmas was on the 25th December. In fact, many Bible scholars believe Jesus was actually born in the springtime.