History of Christmas Trivia Trivia Quiz - Trivia Quiz

1 In what year do historians record the first known celebration of Christmas in Rome?

A. AD 276

B. AD 426

C. AD 336

2 Which ancient Roman festival is often cited as influencing the timing and character of early Christmas celebrations?

A. Floralia

B. Saturnalia

C. Lupercalia

3 Which royal figure popularized the Christmas tree in Britain during the 1840s?

A. William IV

B. Edward VII

C. Prince Albert (consort to Queen Victoria)

4 Who commissioned the first commercial Christmas card and in what year?

A. Queen Victoria, 1850

B. Sir Henry Cole, 1843

C. Charles Dickens, 1846

5 What does the 'X' in 'Xmas' historically represent?

A. It’s the Roman numeral for ten months before the holiday

B. It marks the exact spot in Bethlehem

C. The Greek letter Chi, an ancient abbreviation for 'Christ'

6 Which ancient people regarded mistletoe as sacred and used it in winter rites?

A. Phoenician sailors

B. Celtic Druids

C. Norse Vikings

7 The tradition of the Yule log traces back primarily to which region?

A. The Iberian Peninsula

B. Egypt

C. Scandinavia and other Norse lands

8 In which century did Saint Nicholas of Myra live?

A. 4th century

B. 2nd century

C. 7th century

9 The custom of going door-to-door singing at Christmas grew out of which older practice?

A. Courtly love serenades

B. Monastic silent processions

C. Wassailing and door-to-door goodwill songs

10 Traditionally, the Twelve Days of Christmas span which dates in Western Christianity?

A. December 25 to January 5, culminating in Epiphany on January 6

B. December 1 to December 12

C. December 14 to December 25

11 Historically, what did Boxing Day on December 26 refer to in Britain and parts of the Commonwealth?

A. Public boxing matches held after church

B. Packing away decorations for the new year

C. Giving boxed gifts or charity to servants and tradespeople

12 Which country’s Sinterklaas figure most directly influenced the American Santa Claus?

A. Spain

B. The Netherlands

C. Russia

13 Which company’s advertising in the 1930s helped popularize the modern red-and-white image of Santa Claus?

A. Coca-Cola

B. National Geographic

C. Ford Motor Company

14 In Alpine folklore, who is Krampus?

A. A benevolent elf who bakes bread

B. A Roman winter feast

C. A horned figure who punishes misbehaving children during the St. Nicholas season

15 Who is credited with popularizing the Nativity scene (crèche) with a live tableau, and when?

A. Martin Luther in 1517

B. Charlemagne in 800

C. St. Francis of Assisi in 1223