Christmas Presents in Christmas Songs Quiz

Answer: Santa Baby

"Santa Baby" was recorded and released by Eartha Kitt in 1953. Written by Joan Jarvis and Philip Springer, the song is meant to be a humorous look at a lady's extravagant Christmas wish list. One of the items she desires is a deed to a platinum mine. Platinum is a precious metal commodity. It is more scarce than gold and silver and is considered a lucrative investment.

Answer: Santa Baby

Joan Javits, one of the writers of "Santa Baby", was the niece of US Senator Jacob Javits of New York. Joan had met the other writer, Philip Springer, in 1950. He discouraged her from becoming a songwriter but three years later, when he was looking for a new co-writer, she was suggested to him and so he called her. At first she declined his invitation but soon decided to partner up with Springer to "write a hit song".
The implication in the song is that the ring requested was a wedding ring. That has led some to believe that the the "Santa" in the song was the singer's rich boyfriend.

Answer: Santa Baby

Although a commercial success - it was the best-selling Christmas song in 1953 - "Santa Baby" was a controversial song. Critics decried that the song was full of sexually suggestive undertones that were inappropriate for a Christmas song. It has been on lists for both the best and worst Christmas songs of all time.
A sable is a small mammal that lives in the forest of Russia. Since the sixth century, its fur has been considered valuable and is still highly cherished in the fur trade.

Answer: Santa Baby

"Santa Baby" has been covered by many singers from several genres over the years. Some of the most successful covers were recorded by Madonna and country singer Kellie Pickler. Michael Buble's cover, which referred to Santa as "Santa Buddy" was mentioned on several lists as one of the worst Christmas songs ever recorded. In the song the singer specifically asks for a 1954 convertible. Convertibles were a relatively new concept. Georges Paulin, a French dentist, had one of the first patents for a hydraulic system that could lower a car's roof for the Peugeot company in the early 1930s. Chrysler introduced a retractable hardtop in 1941 and Ford was the first to mass produce convertible coupe in 1957, four years after the song was written.

Answer: Up on the Housetop

"Up on the Housetop" was written, in 1864, by American pastor and abolitionist Benjamin Hanby. He wrote over eighty songs with several being anti-slavery songs including "Darlin' Nellie Gray" and "Little Tillie's Grave".

Several presents are mentioned in "Up on The Housetop" including a doll that laughs and cries for little Nell. Dolls have their origin in ancient times in places like Egypt and Rome. They have traditionally been used for religious, educational, and entertainment purposes. "Crying" dolls began appearing in the 1800s. When tipped a bellows in the doll vibrated a reed making a crying sound. In the 1870s Thomas Edison used the technology used in his phonograph invention to improve sound-making dolls.

Answer: Up on the Housetop

The Ohio-born Benjamin Hanby died of tuberculosis at the age of thirty-three. His most famous of the over eighty songs he wrote was "Up on the Housetop". It is believed that he got the idea for the song from the poem "'Twas the Night Before Christmas", written by Clement Moore in 1822.

In the song, the gift of a hammer and tacks is mentioned. Hammers have been around since the Stone Age. Toy hammers have evolved over the years from simple wooden objects to modern plastic ones. They are not only used to help teach children how to use the tool, but it helps in a child's development of hand-eye coordination and other motor skills. The hammer and tacks in the song may refer to a tack hammer which is a small hammer with a magnetic head that is often used by upholsterers.

Answer: Up on the Housetop

Another toy mentioned in the song "Up on the Housetop" is a ball. Balls have been around for centuries. In the early years a ball would probably be made with inflated animal bladders or even animal or human skulls. By the time Hanby's song was written in 1864, the making of balls became a little more humane with the use of cloth and leather becoming more common.

Answer: Up on the Housetop

"Up on the Housetop" (1864) is considered the second oldest secular Christmas song, after "Jingle Bells" (1857). It gained fame when Gene Autrey recorded and released the song in 1953.

One of the toys mentioned in the song is a whip. A whip is considered an animal training device, weapon, or device used for punishment. However, for role playing as a cowboy or as Indiana Jones toy whips are still available. Whip cracking is part of the fun of playing with a whip. It is considered a sport in some countries. A whip "cracks" when part of the whip moves faster than the speed of sound causing the cracking sound.

Answer: Santa Claus is Coming to Town

American songwriters Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie wrote "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" in 1933. It has been recorded by close to three hundred different artists.

One of the toys mentioned in the second verse of the song is a little tin horn. Tin toys are among the most sought after toys by collectors. The earliest tin plate toys were manufactured in Germany in the late 1800s. After WWI Britain entered the tin toy market and after WWII Japan began manufacturing high quality tin plate toys. A few countries still make tin toys today, but the quality is inferior to those made by Germany, Britain and Japan during the 40s and 50s. Tin horns were some of the most popular toys. The sleek toy was often used as party favors as well.

Answer: Santa Claus is Coming to Town

"Santa Claus is Coming to Town" has been covered by entertainers of all genres. Singers as diverse as Bing Crosby, Lady Gaga, Dolly Parton, and The Temptations have recorded the song. One of the most popular covers is the 1970 version of the song recorded by the Jackson 5. The Platinum certified single was a hit in both the USA and the UK. The Jackson 5 version of the song is still popular. Fifty years later it charted number 33 on the Billboard Top 100 chart.

A toy drum is mentioned in the song. Drums are considered the world's oldest musical instrument, dating back to c. 5000 BC. The basic design has changed little over the centuries. Toy drums became popular in late 1850s when an American farmer, named Silas Noble, began making toy drums to give as Christmas presents. He later partnered with James Cooley to build snare drums for the Union Army during the US Civil War. Located in Massachusetts, the Noble and Cooley company was still making drums into the 21st century.

Answer: Santa Claus is Coming to Town

In 1970 an animated " Santa Claus is Coming to Town "was produced and aired by the American Broadcasting Corporation. The show starred Fred Astaire and Mickey Rooney.

The song mentions elephants as a gift. Stuffed toys, also called plush or cuddly toys, became popular in the late 1800s when German seamstress Margarete Steiff opened up her stuffed toy company. According to the book "Button in Ear: The Steiff Encyclopedia, The History of Teddy Bears and His Friends", written by Jordan and Marianne Cieslik (1989), Steiff, in 1879 found a pattern for a toy elephant and used felt and wool filling to make her first stuffed toy. This led to her making other toy animals. She is most famous for her bears.

Answer: Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Two other toys mentioned in the song but not included in this quiz are a curly head doll and a toy boat.

The last toy mentioned in the "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" is "kiddie Cars". While not specified, many assume the toy referred to are pedal cars that were popular in the 1920s and 30s. The first toy cars were manufactured in the 1890s as "adult" cars were becoming popular. They were primarily made of wood. However, the cost of manufacturing the toy cars made it too expensive for most people. In the 1910s sheet metal replaced wood as the material used in making the toy cars allowing them to mass produce the toys, making them less costly to manufacture. Between WWI and WWII, the popularity of pedal cars grew, and sales increased until production ceased during WWII. The toys reached their peak in the 50s and 60s, but sales began to fade with the development of electric powered toy cars.