Crazy But Maybe True--Holiday Edition Quiz

Answer: True

Nineteenth century Germany is thought to be the first to create artificial Christmas trees, dyeing goose feathers shades of green and affixing them to wires and then a wooden dowel. The feather branches could be arranged strategically as to not torch the tree with the burning candles used for decorations.

Answer: True

The parasitic evergreen we know as mistletoe is actually deposited into a variety of different deciduous trees via bird crap. The birds are attracted to the mistletoe's berries, which they eat and then carry to other trees. Once the bird does its business onto the branches of a tree, the seed germinates (with that little dab of fertilizer) and begins taking water and nutrients from its host.

The parasites are most apparent in the winter when the host tree has lost its leaves and the parasites can be harvested for kissing purposes.

Answer: True

Both male and female reindeer have antlers. However, male reindeer lose their antlers after rut, usually by early December. Female reindeer, on the other hand, keep their antlers throughout the winter. The female antler is a bit thinner than the males.

Answer: False

My true love is a busy fellow entertaining all of the guests included in my list of Christmas gifts, to wit...

1-Partridge
2-Turtle Doves
3-French Hens
4-Calling Birds
5-Gold Rings
6-Geese
7-Swans
8-Maids
9-Ladies
10-Lords
11-Pipers
12-Drummers

equals, at the least, 78 gifts and at the most 364 given by my true love, my true love, my true love gave to me. What a party!

Answer: False

It was indeed the 1870s, but not 1876. Christmas became an official federal holiday as initiated by President Ulysses S. Grant (and finalized by an Act of Congress) on June 26, 1870, in an effort to unite the country after the horrors of the American Civil War. This decision came at a time Christmas was growing in popularity after a long period of rejecting the celebration as being pagan and worldly.

After all, a large chunk of Americans at the time were of a variety of Protestant faiths and "Christ mass" was rooted in Catholicism.

Answer: True

The date was 350 A.D. The location was Rome. The declaration of December 25th being THE date is found referenced in correspondence between Pope Julius I and Cyril of Jerusalem. It is also worth noting that the Roman Saturnalia, a Roman holiday celebrating the glory of Rome, also concluded on December 25th. Perhaps Julius was thinking of rolling it all together, something for everyone.

Answer: True

The Christmas carol was sung by poor street urchins begging for beer (or food if that makes you feel better). The "won't go until we get some" was actually a threat to stay and bug the wealthy households until they were served. The song was inspired by a poem from the early 1800s:

"We wish you a merry Christmas
And a happy new year;
A pocket full of money,
And a cellar full of beer."

Answer: False

The Aztecs called the plant Cuetlaxochitl which meant "flower which wilts" (please don't ask me to try and say Cuetlaxochitl).

In the Aztec culture, it was not victory in battle, but the attribute of purity, that the plant symbolized. The tribe cultivated the plant and used it medicinally in a variety of ways.

Answer: True

Santa Claus, aka, Nikolaos the Wonderworker, was born in Patara, Turkey in March 270 A.D. He is the patron saint of pirates, thieves, prostitutes, banking and New York City, among other things.

He indeed gave gifts of sweets or coins to children, a practice he popularized during his long 73 years on earth before passing away in December of 343 A.D.

Answer: False

Christmas paradise trees were most often decorated with apples, the fruit often referenced in the story of the fall of Adam and Eve (yes, I know Adam and Eve didn't have any issue with an actual apple). Medieval mummers would put on plays during the Christmas season depicting various Bible stories and the set/theater would be decorated with apple-laden fir trees.