Page 22 � Union County GA Magazine � Holiday 2022 Winter 2023
Christmas Trivia
The Vacuum Store 92 Pruitt Circle , Blairsville , GA
Questions
1 . Electric Christmas tree lights started when ? A ) 1910 B ) 1895 C ) 1865 2 . How many reindeer in the poem " The Night Before Christmas "? A ) 5 B ) 8 C ) 9 3 . Which were not at the manger ? A ) Shepherds B ) Joseph C ) Wise Men 4 . The real St . Nicholas lived where ? A ) North Pole B ) Turkey C ) Bethlehem 5 . Good King Wenceslas was king of what ? A ) England B ) Sweden C ) Bohemia 6 . Medieval English Christmas pantomimes did not include which character ?
A ) St . Nicholas B ) Turkish Knight C ) The Bold Slasher 7 . Which is not one of Santa ’ s reindeer ? A ) Comet B ) Ajax C ) Blitzen 8 . The first instrument to play “ Silent Night ” was : A ) Dulcimer B ) Pipe organ C ) A guitar 9 . Book in the Bible does not have Christmas story ? A ) Matthew B ) Luke C ) Mark 10 . Christmas is celebrated in Guatemala : A ) Jan . 6 B ) Dec . 25 C ) Oct . 31 11 . The name of Scourge ’ s deceased business partner in Charles Dickens ’ A Christmas
Carol was : A ) Bob Cratchit B ) Jerry Cornelius C ) Jacob Marley 12 . Which of the following was one of the Three Kings ? A ) Casper B ) Herod C ) Joseph 13 . In The Nutcracker , the nutcracker ’ s main enemy is : A ) Clara B ) The King of the
Mice C ) A Turkish Knight 14 . In North America , children put stockings out at Christmas time . Their Dutch counterparts use : A ) Stockings B ) Hats C ) Shoes 15 . The poinsettia , a traditional Christmas flower , originally grew in which country ?
A ) America B ) Mexico C ) Canada 16 . In Syria , Christmas gifts are distributed by : A ) Camels B ) Wise Men C ) Santa 17 . When visiting Finland , Santa does not have a sleigh . What does he ride on ?
A ) Reindeer B ) Goat C ) Horse 18 . Boar ’ s head , a Christmas dish in the Middle Ages was killed by :
A ) A hunter ' s arrow B ) Choking on a book C ) A mythical bear 19 . Christmas kisses is beneath a sprig of what ? A ) Ivy B ) Garland C ) Mistletoe 20 . Joseph find out Mary ' s child was Christ Child how ? A ) Doctor B ) Angel C ) Mary 21 . Which of the following states does not have a town named Santa Claus ?
A ) Indiana B ) Arizona C ) Georgia 22 . Which popular Christmas song was actually written for Thanksgiving ?
A ) Silent Night B ) Jingle Bells C ) Let it Snow 23 . The poem commonly known as The Night Before Christmas was originally titled : A ) Santa Is In Town B ) Up On The Roof Top B ) A Visit From Saint Nicholas
24 . Why were Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem at the time of Jesus ' birth ? A ) Where they lived B ) Register for the census C ) Nearest midwife
Answers
www . blairsvillevacuums . com 706.781.1050
By Norm C
1 . The idea for using electric Christmas lights came from an American , Ralph E . Morris in 1895 . 2 . 8 . Rudolph was not in the poem . 3 . The Wise Men did not appear until later . 4 . St . Nicholas was bishop of the Turkish town of Myra in the early 4th century . The Dutch made him into a Christmas gift-giver and Dutch settlers brought him to America . 5 . The historical Wenceslas was only Duke of Bohemia , not a king . 6 . In Medieval England , Nicholas was just another saint 7 . Ajax 8 . The carol was first sung as part of a church service in Oberndorf , Austria , choice of guitar was simply a matter of preference on the part of the author , Joseph Mohr . 9 . Mark 10 . In Guatemala , celebrated on December 25 with gifts from Christ Child for children . Adults exchange gifts New Year ’ s Day . 11 . Jacob Marley . 12 . Balthazar & Melchior were joined by Casper on the journey . 13 . Clara 14 . Dutch children set out shoes to receive gifts . 15 . In Mexico , the poinsettia is known as the ‘ Flower of the Holy Night ’. It was first brought to America by Joel Poinsett in 1829 . 16 . Gift-giving camel . 17 . Finnish folklore has it that Ukko the goat is made of straw , but is strong enough to carry Santa Claus anyway . 18 . The story tells us that a university student saved himself from a charging boar by ramming a book of Aristotle ’ s writings down its throat . He then cut off the boar ’ s head and brought it back to his college . 19 . Mistletoe was associated with peace and friendship in ancient Scandinavian , which may account for the practice of kissing beneath it . 20 . Joseph , who was engaged to be married to Mary , was going to call off the marriage . However , an angel told Joseph about the child . 21 . With 204 people , Santa Claus , Georgia , is the 549th most populated city in the state of Georgia out of 666 cities . A town called Santa Claus , Indiana was on the map even before the invention of the car and paid vacations . Santa Claus , Arizona , is a ghost town abandoned 1995 . 22 . Jingle Bells was composed in 1857 by James Pierpont , and was originally called One Horse Open Sleigh . 23 . A Visit From Saint Nicholas was written by Clement Moore for his children and some guests , one of whom anonymously sent the poem to a New York newspaper for publication . 24 . A decree that all the world should be taxed sent Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem because they were descendants of King David .
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Christmas became a legal holiday in Georgia in the 1850s . Residents would have used evergreen branches to decorate mirrors , mantles , doorways and tables . Evergreens were thought to represent everlasting life . Christmas trees were decorated and were decked with fruit , candles and unwrapped toys .
Christmas is an observance that appeals to most people in a civilized society . It is a cultural celebration and has a religious significance .
That was not the case in some parts of Colonial America a few centuries ago .
Most Americans are unaware that Christmas was banned in Boston from 1659 to 1681 . All Christmas activities as dancing , plays , games , singing carols and cheerful celebration were banned by the Puritan-dominated Parliament of England in 1644 .
Puritans of New England followed suit . Christmas was outlawed and the Plymouth colony made celebrating Christmas a criminal offense . Christmas trees and decorations were considered to be unholy pagan rituals , and the Puritans also banned traditional Christmas foods such as mince pies and pudding .
Puritan laws required that stores and businesses remain open all day on Christmas , and town criers walked through the streets on Christmas Eve calling out " No Christmas , no Christmas !"
Christmas began to have a significant impact in America during the 1850s .
Immigrants from Germany brought the custom of a “ Christmas Tree ” to America . German families in Pennsylvania decorated trees as early as 1820 , an unusual custom in this country in the 19th century . The first use of the words Christmas tree rose in the 1830s for those whose language was English .
Those in the northern part of America observed Thanksgiving and thought Christmas as a celebration to be avoided .
Christmas was an important part of the social season in the southern states .
Christmas became a legal holiday in the South in Alabama ( 1836 ), Louisiana and Arkansas ( 1838 ).
England ’ s Queen Victoria adopted the custom of a Christmas tree with most in the country being a tabletop tree and Americans soon adopted the custom as their own in the 1840s and 1850s .
In the 1850s many decorations were edible . Sugar lumps and candy were
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Christmas forbidden in Colonial America
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The Celebration of Christmas having been deemed a Sacrilege , the exchanging of gifts and greetings , dressing in fine clothing , feasting and simliar satanical practices are hereby forbidden .
By Norm Cooper Editor , Union County GA Magazine
fastened to the tree with ribbons . Eating the delicacies from the tree was part of the celebration .
Christmas tree tradition transformed from table top to a tall decorated tree . Many Christmas trees stood floor to ceiling with lavish decorations .
A magazine article in 1860 noted that the best trees were decorated with strings of red holly berries , candles , flowers made of paper , strings of beads , ribbons , stars , gilt paper and colored candies .
Neighborhood tree trimming parties had become fashionable in the 1860s .
Churches and civic organizations would set up trees . Communities would get together for a party and the exchanging of presents grew .
Thomas Nast drew Santa Claus wearing stars and stripes and giving gifts to the Union soldiers in the 1860s .
After the American Revolution , English customs fell out of favor , including Christmas . In fact , Congress was in session on December 25 , 1789 , the first Christmas under America ' s new constitution . Christmas wasn ' t declared a federal holiday until June 26 , 1870 . America began importing large quantities of tree ornaments from Europe .
While artificial trees were around in the 1800s , made mostly of goose feathers , they weren ’ t very popular . In 1876 , the first patented metal Christmas tree stand was made in the United States .
Before electric Christmas lights , families would use candles to light up their Christmas trees .
The very first string of electric Christmas tree lights appeared in 1882 , hand-wired 80 red , white and blue light bulbs and wound around a Christmas tree illuminated with electricity .