Alien Agenda With Colonel Gene P. Abel
Exploring the Mysteries of Extraterrestrial Life and UFO Phenomena
Hosted by Colonel Gene P. Abel, a retired U.S. Army officer and best-selling science fiction author, Alien Agenda delves into the enigmatic world of UFOs, alien encounters, and unexplained phenomena. Drawing from his military background and extensive research, Colonel Abel offers listeners a compelling blend of historical accounts, personal anecdotes, and in-depth analyses of extraterrestrial theories.
About Gene P. Abel
Colonel Gene P. Abel served five years on active duty as a Regular Army Officer and 25 years as an Army Reserve Officer, retiring as a Colonel. He is a graduate of the Army War College and has been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal twice. Beyond his military career, Abel is a best-selling author known for his science fiction works, including the Defenders of Time series.
Alien Agenda Highlights
Historical UFO Incidents: The podcast examines notable events such as the 1947 Roswell incident, exploring lesser-known UFO crash reports from 1941 and 1953, and discussing their implications on government interest in extraterrestrial life.
Alien Abductions: Episodes delve into reported abduction cases, analyzing their authenticity and exploring potential reasons behind these experiences, including the possibility of crossbreeding between aliens and humans.
Technological Advancements: Colonel Abel discusses rapid technological progress over the past 80 years, suggesting potential extraterrestrial influences, particularly in developing quantum computers and other advanced technologies.
Unidentified Submersible Objects (USOs): The podcast explores sightings of mysterious underwater objects, considering the possibility of extraterrestrial origins and their implications for national security
December 30 in Pop Culture History
December 30th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts
December 30th History Highlights
- 1903 – A fire at the Iroquois Theater in Chicago, Illinois killed at least 605 people.
- 1916 – Russian mystic and advisor to the Tsar Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin was murdered by a group led by Prince Felix Yusupov. His frozen, partially-trussed body was found in a Moscow river three days later.
- If you were born on December 30th,
You were likely conceived the week of… April 7th (same year)
December 30th is…
Falling Needles Family Fest Day
Festival of Enormous Changes @ The Last Minute
National Bicarbonate of Soda Day
December 30th Birthday Quotes
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too…
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings- nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And- which is more- you’ll be a Man, my son!
– Rudyard Kipling
I thank you in advance for the great round of applause I’m about to get.
– Bo Diddley
I opened the door for a lot of people, and they just ran through and left me holding the knob.
– Bo Diddley
Don’t let your mouth write a check that your tail can’t cash.
– Bo Diddley
December 30th Birthdays
1876 – Simon Guggenheim, American businessman (died in 1941)
1914 – Bert Parks, American actor and beauty pageant host (died in 1992)
1928 – Bo Diddley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died in 2008)
1931 – Skeeter Davis, American singer-songwriter (died in 2004)
1934 – Joseph Bologna, American actor (died in 2017)
1934 – Del Shannon, American singer-songwriter(died in 1990)
1935 – Jack Riley, American actor (died in 2016)
1937 – Paul Stookey, American singer-songwriter
1942 – Michael Nesmith, American singer-songwriter, Monkee
1942 – Fred Ward, American character actor
1945 – Davy Jones, English singer-songwriter and actor, Monkee (died in 2012)
1946 – Patti Smith, American singer-songwriter and poet
1947 – Jeff Lynne, English singer-songwriter
1953 – Meredith Vieira, American journalist
1959 – Tracey Ullman, English-American actress
1961 – Sean Hannity, American radio and television host
1973 – Jason Behr, American actor
1975 – Tiger Woods, American golfer
1980 – Eliza Dushku, American actress
1982 – Kristin Kreuk, Canadian actress
1986 – Caity Lotz, American actress
1992 – Carson Wentz, American football player
December 30th History
1610 – Countess Elizabeth Bathory, who had tortured and killed possibly hundreds of young girls for over a dozen years, was captured. She believed eating flash and bathing in their blood would keep her youthful.
1816 – The Treaty of St. Louis between the United States and the united Ottawa, Ojibwa, and Potawatomi Indian tribes was proclaimed.
1825 – The Treaty of St. Louis between the United States and the Shawnee Nation was proclaimed.
1916 – Russian Mystic and political advisor Rasputin was murdered. He was a family friend and confidant of Russia’s Czar Nicholas II and Czarina Alexandra.
1922- Russia, Belorussia, Ukraine, and the Transcaucasian Federation formed the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics).
1948 – Broadway Show – Kiss Me, Kate (Musical) December 30, 1948. It was based on Shakespeare’s play The Taming of the Shrew.
1950 – #1 Hit December 30, 1950 – March 2, 1951: Patti Page – The Tennessee Waltz
1951 – The Roy Rogers TV Show debuted on NBC.
1953 – The Wild One, starring Marlon Brando was released.
1967 – #1 Hit December 30, 1967 – January 19, 1968: The Beatles – Hello, Goodbye
1968 – The Gonzaga ’68 bootleg was recorded at a western Washington State gym. The music was of the opening act, Vanilla Fudge, and was one of the earliest performances by Led Zeppelin. They were locally advertised as ‘Len Zefflin.’
1993 – Israel and Vatican City establish diplomatic relations.
1994 – Anti-abortionist John Salvi III killed two people and injured five more at an abortion clinic in Brookline, Massachusetts.
2011 -If you happened to be in Samoa at the end of 2011, you never experienced December 30, 2011. The country decided to change timezones, thus switching sides of the international date line and skipping December 30th altogether.
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
A group of Swans (at rest) is called a Bevy or Bank or Herd. A group of Swans (in flight) is called a Wedge or Flight.
In 2011, a copy of Action Comics No 1 (the first comic featuring Superman) was found in an abandoned storage unit, estimated to be worth over $1 million. The comic actually belonged to Nicholas Cage, who had it stolen from his house 11 years earlier, and was returned to him.
The names Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint sound more made-up than Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.
Robert Stack (original host of the popular Unsolved Mysteries television show) was extremely skeptical about the segments involving paranormal occurrences. While recording his famous narrations, he would often turn to his producer in between takes and exclaim: “Oh, come on, Raymond!”
A group of Tasks is an Agenda.
In 1910, a series of books were published featuring a fictional boy-inventor by the name of Tom Swift. One of these books was titled “Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle.” Many years later, this led to the naming of the TASER that police now carry: “Tom A. Swift Electric Rifle”
If you do something which you are sure will meet with everyone’s approval, somebody won’t like it.
In 458 BC Roman farmer Lucius Cincinnatus was named absolute dictator of Rome during a crisis. After achieving victory he resigned and returned power to the senate.
His resignation of absolute authority is often cited as an example of outstanding leadership, serving the greater good and civic virtue.
More Pop Culture History Resources
Mockumentary Film The Conspiracists Premieres January 8
Delaware Production The Conspiracists Premieres January 8 |
Directed by Michael Perrie Jr. and produced by Uncultured Swine and Delaware-based King Creative, the comedy mockumentary follows a pair of siblings (played by Terrie Lynne and Christopher Murray) as they attempt to organize the world’s first-ever all-inclusive conspiracy convention, ConCon. However, when Daisy and Eric Sureloc’s dreams of building the conspiracy convention begin to shatter, it’s up to one of them to put the pieces back together. At the same time, the other strives to uncover a bigger conspiracy at play. How did this ultra-low-budget indie film, shot in only 11 days and made for a fraction of a typical production budget, come to fruition… and in Delaware of all places? “It started with a hilarious script, years-long friendships that turned into creative partnerships, the desire to bring a unique story to life, and an ambitious timeline along with a giant leap of faith,” explained executive producers Beatriz Naranjo and Delaware native Edward Layfield, founders of the NYC-based production hub Uncultured Swine. The Conspiracists mark their feature film debut as producers, although they’ve previously produced other smaller-scale projects, including TV pilots and short films.
The original script was written by their talented close friends, husband-and-wife duo Michael Perrie Jr. and Lacy Reily. “As we wander into another time of emotional, political, and social insecurity, conspiracy runs rampant with every new post online,” said Perrie Jr. “You’ll find hours of conspiracy theories ripe for the picking. But there is one simple, beautiful thread tying it all together – people just want to be part of a community. We wanted to write something that makes people think a little, laugh a lot, and come together.” Naranjo and Layfield also partnered with Christopher Robert Bruce, the visionary behind Wilmington-based King Creative, bringing Bruce on as executive producer. The film’s entire production operation was based out of King Creative’s studio at 727 N. Market Street. “I understood their vision and realized this was a huge opportunity, and it meant so much to me to bring a film production on this level to my home state,” said Bruce. “12 of the film’s 13 locations were shot in the state of Delaware, and Chris was pivotal in providing the right connections and partnerships needed to make this happen,” said Naranjo. “From small business connections to location scouting and access to in-house production services and casting, Christopher was an incredibly vital asset that made the entire production seamless.” Most of the cast and production crew have Delaware ties, including lead actress Terrie Lynne, a Broadway star who plays the protagonist, Daisy. Delawareans will see notable local landmarks in the film, including the Hotel du Pont and the Grand Opera House, as well as small businesses like the Siegel JCC, Precious Paws, Delaware Tire Center and Captain Blue Hen Comics.While most feature films cost millions of dollars to produce, The Conspiracists is a SAG Ultra Low Budget (ULB) production with an ambitious eleven-consecutive-day shooting schedule and a $250,000 budget. They managed to make the numbers work thanks to a tax incentive by the Delaware Television & Motion Picture Commission, creative crowdfunding through a nonprofit platform, a few private investors, leveraging local relationships and equity kicked in by the producers. Given the nature of independent filmmaking, Layfield said they were able to cut costs by having everyone on the crew play multiple roles (including hilarious cameos throughout the film). Naranjo is also credited as Production and Wardrobe Designer (overseeing approximately 76 wardrobe needs and multiple set dressing components); Layfield handled hospitality, transportation and catering; producer Maren Lavelle served as the Assistant Director and the Certified Animal Trainer on set; Perrie Jr. stepped in as “The Documentarian” himself; and Christopher Bruce served as the central Location Scout point of contact, Key Grip during filming, Post Production Supervisor, as well as composing an original song for the film with Grammy Nominated Platinum Producer, Herb Middleton and Celebrated Vocalist, Jacci McGhee. The track, “Ooo Wee, /The Truth Will Set You Free”, is the driver for both the opening Title Sequence and End Credits. “What we accomplished in 11 days was truly a miracle,” exclaimed Bruce. “But it was also the result of incredible preparation, tenacious work ethic, and a deep desire to make this little movie a love letter to the State of Delaware! *Full disclosure: Pop Culture Madness helped in the production of the film. |
December 29 in Pop Culture History
December 29th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts
December 29th History Highlights
- 1851 – The first American YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) opened in Boston, Massachusetts.
- 1890 – The US Cavalry killed 146 Sioux at Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota.
- 1916 – James Joyce’s book Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man was published
- If you were born on December 29th,
You were likely conceived the week of… April 6th (same year)
December 29th is…
Still Need To Do Day
Texas Admission Day (28th state)
Tick Tock Day
December 29th Birthday Quotes
“If I am shot at, I want no man to be in the way of the bullet.”
– Andrew Johnson
“If you analyze the bad times you find that it’s because you wanted to have a bad time.”
– Marianne Faithfull
“Pain nourishes courage. You can’t be brave if you’ve only had wonderful things happen to you.”
– Mary Tyler Moore
“It’s funny that we think of libraries as quiet demure places where we are shushed by dusty, bun-balancing, bespectacled women. The truth is libraries are raucous clubhouses for free speech, controversy, and community. Librarians have stood up to the Patriot Act, sat down with noisy toddlers, and reached out to illiterate adults. Libraries can never be shushed.”
– Paula Poundstone
“Here is my first principle of foreign policy: good government at home.”
– William Ewart Gladstone
December 29th Birthdays
1808 – Andrew Johnson, American politician, 17th President of the United States (died in 1875)
1809 – William Ewart Gladstone, British politician
1934 – Ed Flanders, American actor (died in 1995)
1936 – Mary Tyler Moore, American actress (died in 2017)
1938 – Jon Voight, American actor
1946 – Marianne Faithfull, English actress and singer
1947 – Ted Danson, American actor
1951 – Yvonne Elliman, American singer-songwriter
1959 – Paula Poundstone, American comedian
1967 – Ashleigh Banfield, Canadian-American journalist
1972 – Jude Law, English actor
1976 – Danny McBride, American actor
1979 – Diego Luna, Mexican actor
1982 – Alison Brie, American actress
1985 – Alexa Ray Joel, American singer-songwriter
December 29th History
1170 – Archbishop Thomas Becket was assassinated in Canterbury Cathedral by four knights, under orders from King Henry II of England.
1896 – “Lava” soap was trademarked by William Waltke & Co. of St. Louis, Missouri.
1916 – James Joyce’s book Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man was published.
1927 – Krakatoa began a volcanic eruption on the seafloor. It had been quiet since its 1883 eruption.
1951 – #1 Hit December 29, 1951 – March 14, 1952: Johnnie Ray and The Four Lads – Cry
1952 – The first transistor hearing aid went on sale, the model 1010, manufactured by the Sonotone Corporation
1959 – Physicist Richard Feynman gave a speech entitled “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom,” which brought in the concept of nanotechnology.
1973 – #1 Hit December 29, 1973 – January 11, 1974: Jim Croce – Time in a Bottle
1982 – Surround Sound was introduced for home use by Dolby.
1995 – Mr. Holland’s Opus, Dead Man Walking, and 12 Monkeys were released in theaters.
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
Stayin Alive by the Bee Gees is the appropriate song for CPR. It has 104 beats per minute, and 100-120 chest compressions per minute are usually recommended. Other good songs CPR include Dancing Queen – ABBA, Cecilia – Simon & Garfunkel, Hard To Handle – The Black Crowes, Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rock Your Body – Justin Timberlake, I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor, MMMBop – Hanson. #stayinalive
“A gun rack… a gun rack. I don’t even own a gun, let alone many guns that would necessitate an entire rack.” – Wayne Campbell in Wayne’s World #moviequotes
While trying to publish his first novel Ernest Hemingway was meeting with an editor who wished to see more of his work. His wife packed all of his work she could find in a suitcase and went to meet him. While on the train she left the suitcase unattended, where it was lost and never seen again. #samethinghappenedtome
“The leading cause of death among fashion models is falling through street grates.” – Dave Barry
Pretty much any survivor of a paranormal horror movie is going to prison… “Ghosts killed all those people whose blood I was covered in, if I didn’t read the incantation to banish their spirits in time I would have been next” would never fly in court.
The protagonist in Wicked was based on Margaret Hamilton’s approach to the character, as explained to TV’s Mister Rogers.
Biggest film of 2009: Avatar (Action) earned ~ $760,000,000
“What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.” – Captain (Strother Martin) in Cool Hand Luke, 1967
Burl Ives – Real Name: Burl Ivanhoe
Before Elvis Presley became famous, he had a troubling past of getting bullied. Once in High School, three guys were going to cut his hair off. Then a man, named Red West intervened in the scene and stopped them. He would become Elvis’s bodyguard and friend and was with him from 1956 to 1975.
More Pop Culture History Resources
December 28 in Pop Culture History
December 28th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts
December 28th History Highlights
- 1895 – Louis and Auguste Lumiere screened a series of short movie scenes from everyday French life (and charged admission for the viewing) at the Grand Cafe in Paris.
- 1958 – Baltimore Colts defeated the New York Giants in the first (ever) National Football League sudden-death overtime game at New York’s Yankee Stadium. #thegreatestgameverplayed
- 1973 – The United States Endangered Species Act was signed into law by US President Richard Milhous Nixon.
- If you were born on December 28th,
You were likely conceived the week of… April 5th (same year)
In 1895, Louis and Auguste Lumiere filed a patent for their new invention: Cinematography. The brothers played a major role in the development of motion pictures. Louis and Auguste were responsible for many firsts, including the first commercial public movie screening on December 28, 1895, for around 40 paying visitors and invited relations. This event has traditionally been regarded as the birth of cinema.
December 28th is…
Holy Innocent’s Day
National Card Playing Day
National Chocolate Day
Pledge of Allegiance Day
December 28th Birthday Quotes
“No nation is fit to sit in judgment upon any other nation.”
– Woodrow Wilson
“I get a wave of pride in America when I look back at what we’ve accomplished in the field of music.”
– Johnny Otis
“We can’t escape the shadow, so the best thing we can do is notice the light and be open to it.”
– Maggie Smith
“Science is not a boy’s game, it’s not a girl’s game. It’s everyone’s game. It’s about where we are and where we’re going. Space travel benefits us here on Earth. And we ain’t stopped yet. There’s more exploration to come.”
– Nichelle Nichols
“Why do we close our eyes when we pray, cry, kiss, or dream? Because the most beautiful things in life are not seen but felt by the heart.”
– Denzel Washington
“I was never a celebrity – just a working actor.”
– Martin Milner
“If I am a cup maker, I’m interested in making the best cup I possibly can. My effort goes into that cup, not what people think about it.”
-Denzel Washington
December 28th Birthdays
1921 – Johnny Otis, American singer-songwriter (died in 2012)
1931 – Martin Milner, American actor (died in 2015)
1932 – Nichelle Nichols, American actress
1934 – Maggie Smith, English actress
1946 – Edgar Winter, American singer-songwriter
1953 – Martha Wash, American singer, America’s Most Famous Unknown Singer
1954 – Gayle King, American television journalist
1954 – Denzel Washington, American actor
1970 – Elaine Hendrix, American actress
1973 – Seth Meyers, American actor
1978 – John Legend, American singer-songwriter
1981 – Sienna Miller, American-born British actress
1990 – David Archuleta, American singer-songwriter
December 28th History
169 BC – The menorah was lit to rededicate the Holy Temple of Jerusalem after two centuries of foreign rule and religious oppression and a seven-year revolt. The menorah burned for eight days without the sufficient fuel needed to do so, birthing the holiday Hanukkah.
1065 – Westminster Abbey was consecrated.
1846 – Iowa was admitted as the 29th US state.
1869 – The Knights of Labor, a labor union of tailors in Philadelphia, PA, held the first Labor Day.
1895 – Wilhelm Röntgen publishes a paper detailing his discovery of a new type of radiation, which later will be known as x-rays.
1908 (Earthquake & Tsunami) Messina, Italy.
1916 – Portrait of The Artist as A Young Man, by James Joyce, was published.
1957 – #1 Hit December 28, 1957 – January 10, 1958: Pat Boone – April Love
1959 – #1 Hit December 28, 1959 – January 3, 1960: Frankie Avalon – Why
1973 – The Endangered Species Act was passed in the United States.
1974 – #1 Hit December 28, 1974 – January 3, 1975: Helen Reddy – Angie Baby
1974 – Tom Baker made his first full appearance as the Fourth Doctor on Doctor Who.
1991 – Nine people were killed in a mini-riot at a hip-hop event promoted by Dwight “Heavy D” Myers and Sean “P Diddy” Combs. Over 3000 tickets were sold for the event, which had space for less than 2800 people.
1996 – E! True Hollywood Story has its debut episode.
2000 – Founded in 1872, retailer Montgomery Ward announced it was going out of business.
2001 – Black Hawk Down debuted in theaters.
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
“Never assume …” – Felix Unger (The Odd Couple)
The original drummer of The Velvet Underground, Angus MacLise, once showed up for a show a half-hour after it started and played for a half-hour after the rest of the band ended.
He later quit the band after they took a paying gig because he considered that as selling out.
A group of Stories is an Anthology.
Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius (86 AD – 161 AD) had the most peaceful reign of any ruler in antiquity. There is no record of any major events or conflicts during his 23-year reign.
He was a skilled administrator and was praised by his contemporaries for his effective style of governance.
The Vatican broadcast its public approval of Pokémon in April 2001 after Christian groups argued that it promoted Satanic themes.
Somewhere in the universe, there is probably a space war going on. #whatisitgoodfor
Biggest film of 2010: Toy Story 3 (Action/Adventure) earned ~ $415,000,000
TV Quotes… “And that’s the way it is” (Walter Cronkite) on CBS Evening News.
Diet Coke was first marketed in 1982.
The Bee Gees song Stayin’ Alive was used in a study to train medical professionals to provide chest compressions per minute while performing CPR.
More Pop Culture History Resources
1974 Top Ten Music Charts
Top Events in January 1974 Pop Culture History
Dave Loggins, Bad Company, Rufus, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Billy Joel, Shirley Brown, Gino Vanelli, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Buffett, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Dolly Parton, Parliament, NRBQ, Kiss, Ashford and Simpson, Abba and Barry Manilow
Some notable music highlights from 1974 include:
- Stevie Wonders’ Fulfillingness’ First Finale won 3 Grammy Awards.
- The first annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony occurred in New York City, with Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley being inducted as the first group of honorees.
- The Who released their sixth studio album, Quadrophenia, which became one of their most successful and critically acclaimed releases.
- The Rolling Stones released their ninth studio album, It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll, which spawned the hit single It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like It).
- Elton John released his fifth studio album, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, which became one of his most successful and enduring releases.
- The Eagles released their fourth album, On the Border, which spawned the hit single Best of My Love.
- The Grateful Dead released their ninth studio album, From the Mars Hotel, which spawned the hit single Uncle John’s Band.
- Led Zeppelin released their sixth studio album, Physical Graffiti, which became one of their most successful releases and spawned the hit single Kashmir.
1974’s Retro Top 10 Hits
1974’s ‘One Hit Wonders’
1974’s R&B/Motown/Soul Top 10 Hit List
More R&B/Soul Hits:
1974’s Pop Dance Top 10 Hit List
1974’s Pop Rock Top 10 Hit List
1974’s Album FM Rock Top 10 Hit List
More 1974 FM Album Rock Hits:
1974’s Bubblegum Top 10 Hit List
PCM’s 1974 Top 10 Hit List
December 27 in Pop Culture History
December 27th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts
December 27th History Highlights
- 1927 – Kern and Hammerstein’s musical play Show Boat, considered to be the first true American musical play, opened at the Ziegfeld Theatre on Broadway.
- 1945 – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) was founded with an agreement by 29 nations.
- 1947 – The Howdy Doody TV show premiered on NBC. It was the first popular children’s television show.
- If you were born on December 27th,
You were likely conceived the week of… April 4th (same year)
December 27th is…
National Fruitcake Day
Visit The Zoo Day
How Fruitcake Became A Christmas Staple
What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Christmas? A lot of people say “fruitcake.” But how did fruitcake become a Christmas staple? It actually has roots in England, but it didn’t originate there. The Romans were making this cake called “satura” which was made up of pine nuts, barley mash, pomegranate seeds, raisins and honeyed wine. They shaped it into a cake and wrapped it with fig leaves. It was considered a very festive food and because it lasted for so long without going bad, the Roman soldiers would bring it to the battlefields as a snack.
After the Romans conquered England, they brought their love of fruitcake with them. The English started calling it “frumenty” and would make it during Advent. It consisted of beef broth, currants, and wine. It was easy to make because it didn’t require very many ingredients or tools, but people also enjoyed eating it on Christmas Eve as a snack that night.
Fruitcake had become popular by the time Queen Elizabeth I took over England in 1558. Still made with beef bouillon at first, her chef started adding dried fruits, nuts, and spices to the recipe. It became a big hit with the English and they started calling it “Christmas pie.”
The next major step in fruitcake’s history was when the Pilgrims came over to America in 1620. They brought their love of Christmas pies with them and adapted the recipe to include native ingredients like cranberries and pumpkins.
It wasn’t until the 1800s that fruitcake became popular in America. People would send them to each other as gifts during the Christmas season. And the rest, as they say, is history!
December 27th Birthday Quotes
“I am on the edge of mysteries and the veil is getting thinner and thinner.”
– Louis Pasteur
“Shall we make a new rule of life from tonight; always to try to be a little kinder than is necessary?”
J.M. Barrie
“I am utterly convinced that Science and Peace will triumph over Ignorance and War, that nations will eventually unite not to destroy but to edify, and that the future will belong to those who have done the most for the sake of suffering humanity.”
– Louis Pasteur
“There is a gigantic difference between earning a great deal of money and being rich.”
– Marlene Dietrich
“What motivates me is seeing people in the crowd and wondering what they’re going home to and what they’re dealing with, and knowing that for the time being, we’re their escape.”
– Hayley Williams
“It was an ongoing struggle to say no, I don’t want to be a part of the perpetuation of this stereotype.”
– John Amos
“Superstitions are habits rather than beliefs.”
– Marlene Dietrich
“Sometimes it takes a good fall to really know where you stand.”
– Hayley Williams
“At twenty you have many desires which hide the truth, but beyond forty there are only real and fragile truths – your abilities and your failings.”
-Gérard Depardieu
“I much prefer the sharpest criticism of a single intelligent man to the thoughtless approval of the masses.”
– Johannes Kepler
December 27th Birthdays
1822 – Louis Pasteur, French chemist, and microbiologist, invented Pasteurization (died in 1895)
1901 – Marlene Dietrich, German-American actress (died in 1992)
1926 – Lee Salk, American child psychologist (died in 1992)
1939 – John Amos, American actor
1943 – Cokie Roberts, American journalist
1944 – Mick Jones, English guitarist, and songwriter
1948 – Gérard Depardieu, French-Russian actor
1960 – Maryam d’Abo, English actress
1969 – Chyna, American professional wrestler, and actress (died in 2016)
1971 – Savannah Guthrie, American television journalist
1975 – Heather O’Rourke, American actress (died in 1988)
1987 – Lily Cole, English model
1988 – Hayley Williams, American singer-songwriter
1993 – Olivia Cooke, English actress
December 27th History
1831 – Charles Darwin set sail in the HMS Beagle, beginning his journey discovering evolution.
1895 – “Stag” Lee Sheldon killed his friend Billy Lyons over a drunken political argument. Various versions of the encounter have been sung about “Stagger Lee.”
1904 – Duke of York’s Theatre – Peter Pan the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up (Play), by J.M. Barrie, opened on December 27, 1904
1927 – Show Boat, considered to be the first American musical play, opened at the Ziegfeld Theatre on Broadway.
1932 – Built during the Great Depression, Radio City Music Hall, a modern Art Deco theater in New York City, opened.
1952 – #1 Hit December 27, 1952 – January 9, 1953: Jimmy Boyd – I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
1969 – #1 Hit December 27, 1969 – January 2, 1970: Diana Ross & the Supremes – Someday We’ll Be Together
1975 – #1 Hit December 27, 1975 – January 2, 1976: The Staple Singers – Let’s Do It Again
1979 – Knots Landing premiered on CBS
1983 – Pope John Paul II visited Mehmet Ali Agca in prison and personally forgave him for shooting him in 1981, in St. Peter’s Square.
1986 – Brighton Beach Memories debuted in theaters.
1991 – Fried Green Tomatoes and The Prince of Tides were released in theaters.
2002 – Chicago debuted in theaters.
2013 – August: Osage County was released in theaters.
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
Biggest film of 2012: The Avengers (Action) earned ~ $623,000,000 (in the USA)
“Oh, no, it wasn’t the airplanes. It was Beauty killed the Beast.” – Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) in King Kong, 1933
Boy George – Real Name: George O’Dowd
Watching the Big Bang would have been like seeing a clown car for the first time. “There’s NO WAY anything else is coming out of there!” #nerdhumor
The official nut of Alabama is the pecan.
The Hatfield-McCoy Feud was settled by the doctrine that possession is nine-tenths of the law, giving possession of the pig that the McCoys claimed was their property.
Notice the big letter on the face of the dollar bill? Each letter represents which Federal Reserve Bank printed it! “K” is for Dallas
Charles Darwin collected a Galápagos tortoise during his 1835 visit to the Galápagos Islands as part of his round-the-world survey expedition. It lived 175 years and died of heart failure at the Australia Zoo in 2006.
A group of Jellyfish is called a Smack or Brood.
The biggest film of 2011: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II (Action/Adventure) earned ~ $381,000,000
“Wake up late for school man, ya don’t wanna go…” #songlyrics
The Noid, Domino’s 80’s Pizza mascot, was retired after a paranoid schizophrenic named Kenneth Lamar Noid entered a Domino’s Pizza in Atlanta and held two employees hostage at gunpoint. He believed the commercials were making fun of him.
More Pop Culture History Resources
The Number One Hits of 2024
2024 Billboard Number One Hits:
January 7 – January 13, 2024: Lovin’ On Me – Jack Harlow
January 14 – January 20, 2024: Seven – Jung Kook featuring Latto
January 21 – January 27, 2024: Yes, And? – Ariana Grande
January 28 – February 10, 2024: Hiss – Megan Thee Stallion
February 11 – February 24, 2024: Texas Hold ‘Em – Beyoncé
February 25 – March 2, 2024: Carnival – Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign
March 3 – March 9, 2024: We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love) – Ariana Grande
March 10 – March 30, 2024: Like That – Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar
March 31 – April 6, 2024: Too Sweet – Hozier
April 7 – April 27, 2024: Fortnight – Taylor Swift & Post Malone
April 28 – May 4, 2024: Not Like Us – Kendrick Lamar
May 5 – June 8, 2024: I Had Some Help – Post Malone & Morgan Wallen
June 9 – October 26, 2024: A Bar Song (Tipsy) – Shaboozey
October 27 – November 2, 2024: Love Somebody – Morgan Wallen
November 3 – November 30, 2024: A Bar Song (Tipsy) – Shaboozey
December 1 – December 7, 2024: Squabble Up – Kendrick Lamar
December 8 – January 4, 2025: All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
2024: The Top 100 Pop Songs
Top 100 Popular Songs
2. Espresso – Sabrina Carpenter
3. A Bar Song (Tipsy) – Shaboozey
4. Good Luck, Babe! – Chappell Roan
5. Please Please Please – Sabrina Carpenter
6. Lose Control – Teddy Swims
7. Not Like Us – Kendrick Lamar
8. I Had Some Help – Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen
9. We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love) – Ariana Grande
10. Greedy – Tate McRae
11. Miles on It – Marshmello and Kane Brown
12. Million Dollar Baby – Tommy Richman
13. Fe!n – Travis Scott featuring Playboi Carti
14. I Can Do It with a Broken Heart – Taylor Swift
15. Saturn – SZA
16. Fortnight – Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone
17. APT – ROSE & Bruno Mars
18. Birds of a Feather – Billie Eilish
19. Rich Baby Daddy – Drake featuring Sexyy Red and SZA
20. Agora Hills – Doja Cat
21. Houdini – Dua Lipa
22. Double Life – Pharell Williams
23. Illusion – Dua Lipa
24. Too Sweet – Hozier
25. Beautiful Things – Benson Boone
26. Lovin on Me – Jack Harlow
27. I Remember Everything – Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves
28. Pink Pony Club- Chappell Roan
29. Apple – Charli xcx
30. Fast Car – Luke Combs
31. I Like the Way You Kiss Me – Artemas
32. Texas Hold ‘Em – Beyoncé
33. Stargazing – Myles Smith
34. Stick Season – Noah Kahan
35. Die with a Smile – Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars
36. Gata Only- -FloyyMenor X Cris Mj
37. Good Good – Usher, Summer Walker and 21 Savage
38. Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido – Karol G
39. Lil Boo Thang – Paul Russell
40. Feather – Sabrina Carpenter
41. Austin – Dasha
42. Popular – Ariana Grande (from Wicked)
43. Water – Tyla
44. Snooze – SZA
45. Everybody – Nicki Minaj featuring Lil Uzi Vert
46. Taste – Sabrina Carpenter
47. Need a Favor – Jelly Roll
48. Houdini – Eminem
49. Cruel Summer – Taylor Swift
50. Lunch – Billie Eilish
51. Defying Gravity – Cynthia Erivo Featuring Ariana Grande (from Wicked)
52. I Am Not Okay – Jelly Roll
53. Murder on the Dancefloor – Sophie Ellis-Baxter
54. Obsessed – Olivia Rodrigo
55. That’s So True – Graci Abrams
56. Paint the Town Red – Doja Cat
57. The Door – Teddy Swims
58. Yes, And? – Ariana Grande
59. Pink Skies – Zach Bryan
60. One Of The Girls – The Weeknd Jennie & Lily-Rose Depp
61. Last Night – Morgan Wallen
62. Dos Dias – Tito Double P & Peso Pluma
63. Dancing In The Flames – The Weeknd
64. Girl So Confusing – Charli XCX With Lorde
65. It’s Ok I’m Ok- Tate McRae
66. I’m Gonna Love You – Cody Johnson & Carrie Underwood
67. Bodyguard – Beyoncé
68. 360 – Charli XCX
69. Who – Jimin
70. Like That – Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar
71. Timeless – The Weeknd & Playboi Carti
72. Close To You- Gracie Abrams
73. Guy For That- Post Malone Featuring Luke Combs
74. Slow It Down – Benson Boone
75. Joyride – Kesha
76. Sailor Song – Gigi Perez
77. Think I’m In Love With You – Chris Stapleton
78. End of Beginning – Djo
79. Diet Pepsi – Addison Rae
80. La Diabla – Xavi
81. Cowgirls – Morgan Wallen featuring Ernest
82. I Love You, I’m Sorry- Gracie Abrams
83. Wind Up Missin’ You – Tucker Wetmore
84. 25 – Rod Wave
85. Selfish – Justin Timberlake
86. Jump – Tyla, Gunna & Skillebeng
87. Is It Over Now? – Taylor Swift
88. High Road – Koe Wetzel featuring Jessie Murph
89. Lies Lies Lies – Morgan Wallen
90. Bad Chem – Sabrina Carpenter
91. Thinkin’ Bout Me – Morgan Wallen
92. Liar – Jelly Roll
93. Whatever She Wants – Bryson Tiller
94. Iqual Que un Ángel – Kali Uchis feat. Peso Pluma
95. Heart Of A Woman – Summer Walker
96. Ariana Grande – The Boy Is Mine
97. Wild Ones – Jessie Murph and Jelly Roll
98. Squabble Up – Kendrick Lamar
99. Carnival – ¥$: Ye and Ty Dolla Sign featuring Rich the Kid and Playboi Carti
100. Pour Me a Drink – Post Malone featuring Blake Shelton
December 26 in Pop Culture History
December 26th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts
December 26th History Highlights
- 1898 – Marie and Pierre Curie announced the isolation of radium.
- 1908 – Jack Johnson became the first black heavyweight boxing champion, after defeating Tommy Burns in Australia.
- 1991 – The Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union formally dissolved the Soviet Union.
- If you were born on December 26th,
You were likely conceived the week of… April 3rd (same year)
December 26th is…
National Candy Cane Day
National Thank You Note Day
National Whiner’s Day
Kwanzaa is Celebrated from December 26 to January 1
Kwanzaa is a week-long secular holiday that celebrates African American heritage. Each year it is celebrated from December 26th to January 1st. Kwanzaa was founded by a black nationalist by the name of Ron Karenga in 1966. The name is derived from the Swahili phrase, “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits.”
The additional “a” was added to represent the seven children in the United Slaves Organization at the time. Karenga also wanted the seven letters to represent the “Seven Principles of Blackness.” Each one of the principles represents one day of the celebration, which are as follows: umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity), imani (faith).
Kwanzaa was established as a means to help African Americans reconnect with their African culture and heritage. It was originally created by Karenga to spread offensive views about the Christian Faith.
During Kwanzaa, people decorate their houses with colorful art and African cloth. Fresh fruits are put out on tables as centerpieces to represent African idealism. The colors of Kwanzaa are black, which represents the people, red, which represents struggle, and green which represents the future. During the celebration, observers must choose a central place in their homes for the symbols of Kwanzaa.
The celebration includes drumming and musical selections, libations, which are a reading of the “African Pledge” and the Principles of Blackness, a reflection of Pan-African colors, a candle lighting ritual, artistic performances, and a feast. Zawadi (gifts) such as books and heritage symbols are given to the children.
Each day, observers greet each other with, “Habri Gani” which means “What’s the news?”
The last day of Kwanzaa is the first day of the New Year; it is a day of self-reflection and reflection on life and future of people, and the recommitment of one’s highest cultural values.
Kwanzaa celebrates family, community and culture. The holiday is built on the five fundamental activities of the continental African “first fruit” celebration which are: ingathering, reverence, commemoration, recommitment, and celebration. Although it may seem like it, Kwanzaa is NOT a religious holiday; it is a celebration of heritage and culture.
December 26th Birthday Quotes
“All about us we see a world in revolt; but revolt is negative a mere finishing-off process. In the midst of destruction, we carry with us also our creation, our hopes, our strength, our urge to be fulfilled. The climate changes as the wheel turns, and what is true for the sidereal world is true for man. The last two thousand years have brought about a duality in man such as he never experienced before, and yet the man who dominates this whole period was one who stood for wholeness, one who proclaimed the Holy Ghost. No life in the whole history of man has been so misinterpreted, so woefully misunderstood as Christ’s.”
– Henry Miller
“Banks have a new image. Now you have ‘a friend,’ your friendly banker. If the banks are so friendly, how come they chain down the pens?”
– Alan King
“I felt obligated to change music to art, the same way that Galileo proved the Earth was round to the world and that the Sun did not stand still.”
– Phil Spector
“I used to like to break into other people’s houses and sit in their rooms. I found it very comforting to be in someone’s empty house.”
– Jared Leto
“I’ve always said I have an amazing team and network of friends and people that I work with that, you know, inspire me and enable me to do what I do.”
– Alexander Wang
“I dreamt I slept on a sidewalk, but you still laid with me. I dreamt I fell into a lion’s den, and you still came for me. I dreamt I lost all of my faith, and you still prayed for me.”
– Jon Bellion, in Conversations With My Wife
December 26th Birthdays
1891 – Henry Miller, American writer (died in 1980)
1893 – Mao Zedong, Chinese politician (died in 1976)
1907 – Albert Gore, Sr., American politician (died in 1998)
1914 – Richard Widmark, American actor (died in 2008)
1921 – John Severin, American comic book illustrator (died in 2012)
1927 – Alan King, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (died in 2004)
1939 – Phil Spector, American music producer, and murderer
1945 – John Walsh, American television host, and activist, creator of America’s Most Wanted
1948 – Candy Crowley, American journalist
1963 – Lars Ulrich, Danish-American drummer and songwriter
1971 – Jared Leto, American actor, and musician
1983 – Alexander Wang, American fashion designer
1985 – Beth Behrs, American actress
1986 – Kit Harington, English actor
1990 – Jon Bellion, American rapper
1991 – Eden Sher, American actress
December 26th History
1610
Countess Elizabeth Bathory had tortured and killed possibly hundreds of young girls for over a dozen years. She believed eating flash and bathing in their blood would keep her youthful.
1862
Four nuns serving as volunteers on board USS Red Rover were the first female nurses on a US Navy hospital ship.
1865
James H. Mason of Franklin, Mass., was issued a patent (# 51,741) for a coffee percolator.
1878
The first electric lighting in an American store was installed at John Wanamaker’s “Grand Depot” department store in Philadelphia, PA.
1906
The world’s first full-length feature film, Story of the Kelly Gang (about 70 minutes) was presented in the Town Hall at Melbourne, Australia.
1908
Jack Johnson became the first black Heavyweight Boxing Champion, defeating Tommy Burns in Australia.
1919
Babe Ruth of the Boston Red Sox was sold to the New York Yankees by owner Harry Frazee, beginning the ‘Curse of the Bambino,’ which lasted until 2004.
1935
Shenandoah National Park: Established on December 26, 1935, in Virginia, this park spans 311 square miles. Known for its beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, waterfalls, and part of the Appalachian Trail.
1941
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill establishing the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day in the United States.
1946
Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel opened The Pink Flamingo Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
1963
The Beatles’ I Want to Hold Your Hand, and I Saw Her Standing There were released as singles in the US.
1964
#1 Hit December 26, 1964 – January 22, 1965: The Beatles – I Feel Fine
1966
Maulana Karenga held the first Kwanzaa in California.
1967
A patent (# 3,359,678) was issued to Wham-O to improve the Frisbee, an “aerodynamic toy to be thrown through the air ? in throwing games.”
1970
#1 Hit December 26, 1970 – January 22, 1971: George Harrison – My Sweet Lord / Isn’t It a Pity
1973
Based on William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel, The Exorcist, starring Linda Blair, was released in theaters.
1982
The (object?) of the Year in Time magazine was the personal computer.
2004
(Earthquake & Tsunami) Northern Sumatra, Indonesia. A series of tsunamis killed over 225,000 people in eleven countries with waves up to 100 feet high. It was the deadliest natural disaster in modern history.
Tilly Smith, a 10-year-old British schoolgirl, saved her family and 100 other tourists from the 2004 Asian tsunami by recognizing signs of tsunamis she had learned in a geography lesson two weeks before.
2020
#1 Hit December 26, 2020, – January 1, 2021: Willow – Taylor Swift
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
My daughter-in-law asked my grandson if he had seen Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. Little Jimmy said, “No, but I heard what he said when he stubbed his toe on the sofa.”
The biggest film of 2013: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Action/Adventure) earned ~ $424,000,000
TV Quotes… “Live long and prosper” (Spock) on Star Trek.
“How do you like them apples?” – Will Hunting (Matt Damon) #moviequotes
President pro tempore of the Senate David Rice Atchison was President of the United States for one day (March 4, 1849) because Zachary Taylor did not want to be sworn in on a Sunday.
Minnie Mouse’s full name is Minerva Mouse.
On my Porsche I have a bumper sticker on it that says “See, I told you my other car was a Porsche.”
“I joined the army ’cause my father and my brother were in the army. I figured I better join before I got drafted.” – Cruiser, in Stripes #moviequotes
“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.” – Groucho Marx
After he finished school, Benedict Cumberbatch took a year off to volunteer as an English teacher in a Tibetan monastery in Darjeeling, India.
Walter Matthau – Real Name: Walter Matuschanskavasky
The word “dude” first appeared in the 19th century to describe young men who were way too engrossed in the task of being fashionable.
According to the creator, a bikini can only be considered genuine if “it can be pulled through a wedding ring.”
More Pop Culture History Resources
Fun On Purpose Podcast by the fun dept.
Fun On Purpose Podcast
Hosts Christopher Bruce and Nick Gianoulis, Godfather of Fun, lead thoughtful conversations with industry experts and thought leaders, helping us all become happier, healthier, and more connected.
Welcome to the fun dept. podcast, where workplace culture meets innovation, and fun becomes the driving force behind engagement, training, and development. Whether you’re a leader, manager, or team member, this podcast is your go-to resource for learning how to create a work environment where people are empowered, connected, and motivated to thrive.
Each episode dives deep into proven strategies, expert insights, and real-world success stories that show how fun can transform how we work and how we grow as teams and individuals. From actionable tips on building stronger communication to creative ways to keep training exciting, we’re here to help you spark energy and inspiration in your workplace.
Get ready to explore how engagement doesn’t have to be complicated—and why making development enjoyable is the secret to a happier, more productive team. Tune in and discover how to turn fun into a powerful tool for growth. Subscribe now and start your journey toward a workplace that’s not just functional but truly exceptional!
#FunOnPurpose #EmployeeEngagement #TrainingAndDevelopment #WorkplaceCulture
Fun is a choice…so let’s have FUN ON PURPOSE!
The Fun on Purpose Podcast, powered by the fun dept. explores the many facets of Fun, how to quantify it, and the countless ways listeners can use it to improve their quality of work and life. Nick and Chris engage in energetic discussion in each segment as they explore how their guests use fun, humor, play, and more in their lives and businesses.
About the fun dept. and Nick Gianoulis
Founded by Nick Gianoulis, the fun dept. is a leader in transforming workplace culture through the power of fun. With over 20 years of experience, Nick and his team have developed a proven methodology that uses fun as a strategic tool to enhance engagement, training, and development. Their interactive workshops and activities are designed to improve collaboration, communication, and employee satisfaction, fostering a happier, healthier, and more productive workplace. Nick’s passion for making work enjoyable has made him a sought-after speaker and expert on employee engagement and culture-building.
About King Creative and Christopher Bruce
Christopher Bruce, the creative force behind King Creative, brings a dynamic blend of innovation and storytelling to businesses and organizations. Specializing in video production, branding, and live event support, King Creative helps clients connect with their audiences in meaningful and memorable ways. Christopher’s commitment to collaboration and creativity ensures every project is visually stunning and strategically impactful. His ability to bring stories to life through multimedia makes King Creative a trusted partner for businesses looking to elevate their brand and engage their audiences.
Together, the fun dept. and King Creative represents the perfect partnership of fun and creativity, helping companies enhance their cultures and tell their stories in impactful ways.
Christmas in Pop Culture History
Christmas History, Trivia, and Fun Facts
Christmas History Highlights
- St. Nicholas lived in Turkey, where he served as a bishop in the town of Myra, during the fourth century. Sinter Klaas (St. Nicholas) brought gifts at Christmastime, according to legend, either through an open window or down a chimney. He was generous, often supplying dowries for young brides-to-be.
- The word Christmas originated as a compound word, meaning “Christ’s Mass”. It is derived from the Middle English Christemasse and Old English Cristes mæsse, a phrase first recorded in 1038. “Cristes” is from Greek Christos and “mæsse” is from Latin missa (the holy mass).
- While it marks the celebration of the birth of Jesus, experts are slightly fuzzy about His actual birth date. Record-keeping for regular people was virtually non-existent 20 centuries ago and, over the course of this time, two calendars were used – the older Julian calendar and the Gregorian calendar we use today. Basically, the Julian calendar was off by 11 minutes a year, which doesn’t sound like much, but after ten, one hundred or a thousand years it can really add up.
- In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII kicked his new and better version off, and even that took a few centuries to spread around the world. 170 years after most of the rest of the world changed, in England and its American colonies, the dates jumped from Wednesday 2 September 1752 to Thursday 14 September 1752 within 24 hours.
Christmas In America
Many came for religious freedom, either out of desperation and rebellion (the Puritans in New England), or generosity (The Quakers in Pennsylvania). It was a little easier surviving in the south, and there was more freedom in living and in playing.
Christmas is celebrated at about the same time as the Winter Solstice, a period of time when the days are shortest and the nights are longest. The shortest days occurring meant that longer days were just beginning, and this period had been celebrated in one form or another since man’s earliest days, which is why some Christians are leery of the ‘pagan’ roots of the holiday.
Gift-giving started in the late 1700s when less-Puritan beliefs filtered into the American culture. Credit for the gifts started out as spreading some goodwill and cheers and evolved into gifts ‘from’ instead of ‘in’ the Christmas Spirit. By the early 1800s the German/Dutch Sinterklaas (Saint Nicolas), wearing his red suit, was the person leaving the gifts.
Christmas became an official Federal holiday by President Ulysses S. Grant in an attempt to unite north and south after the Civil War in 1870. Prior to that, it was an event celebrated in churches and very localized.
The Nativity of Jesus
The couple arrived in Bethlehem at night, but there was nowhere with a vacancy for them to stay. One innkeeper directed Joseph and Mary towards a stable room in a cave where they could rest the night. The following night, Mary gave birth to baby Jesus in the stable room.
When the child was born, a bright star shone over Bethlehem, scaring the shepherds. When they tried to run, an angel appeared and told them to not fear and that a savior had been born.
Three kings in the east – Caspar, King of Tarsus; Melchoir, leader of Arabia; and Balthazar, King from Ethiopia – knew the star as a sign and traveled many days and many miles to reach the small stable room in Bethlehem. When the three kings reached Bethlehem, they bowed to the child and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense (used in perfumery and aromatherapy), and myrrh (highly valued in ancient times).
To make a very long story as short as possible, Jesus was probably born between 6 and 4 BC. The Gospels of Luke and Matthew are the most reliable sources of information, but they were not specific on dates.
The Guy In The Red Suit
Nicholas was sent to prison in the 4th century by the Roman Emperor Diocletian who persecuted the Christians while in reign. Nicholas was tortured in prison but then released when Constantine became the new emperor. After moving to the Netherlands, he adopted the native language and was renamed Sinterklauss (Saint Nickolaas).
He continued helping children and was revered by many faiths including Catholics, Lutherans, Orthodox Christians, and Anglicans, but some in the Protestant faith did not like the whole celebratory aspect regarding saints and outward celebrations like Christmas. Through this time, Nicholas apparently worked out of the mainstream until he later moved to the North Pole.
Santa Claus, according to historians, has been living in the North Pole since at least the 1820s.
Author Washington Irving gave the first detailed information about St. Nick in 1809. Then, in 1823, Saint Nick was fully Americanized in the poem by Clement Clarke Moore, “A Visit from Saint Nicholas” now known as “The Night Before Christmas”. The first image of our modern Santa Claus was illustrated by Thomas Nast who drew full-bellied Santa for Christmas issues of Harper’s magazine in the 1800s.
The Christmas Tree
The official National Christmas Tree has been set on the White House Grounds since 1923, and an inside tree has been in the White House every year since the mid-1800s.
The New York Rockefeller Tree is probably America’s Most Famous. Each year, over a million locals and visitors, plus millions more on television since 1951, come to see the official lighting, now with over 40,000 lights and miles of wire.
How did we get to the point where a million people will come to New York to see the official lighting of America’s most viewed Christmas Tree? It started about 570 years ago…
In the 1440’s the ‘Brotherhood of Blackheads’ erected what is probably the first official Christmas Tree. They were basically a single men’s club in Livonia (present-day Estonia and Latvia) who “went with a flock of maidens and women, first sang and danced there and then set the tree aflame,” according to Balthasar Russow, a well-known chronicler of the era later wrote. Simply put, it was a party.
Within one hundred years, the Christmas Tree tradition had spread to what we now call Germany where they decorated the trees with apples, nuts, dates, pretzels, paper flowers, and other festive items. The trees were considered a social event, being placed in public squares and other areas where the entire community could join in festivities. Some of the very wealthy (Protestants) included trees in their homes, in part as a snub to the Catholic tradition of keeping cribs (a basic Nativity scene) in their homes.
By the early 1800s, more homes began including their trees, starting in Germany, and in America, probably with German immigrants who came to Lancaster, Pennsylvania (who claim the first Christmas Tree in 1821) or the German settlers in Easton, PA reportedly setting up the first tree in 1816. Then again, it could have been the unnamed Hessian (German) captured soldier in 1776.
Christmas became an official Federal holiday by President Ulysses S. Grant, in an attempt to unite north and south after the Civil War, in 1870. Prior to that, it was an event celebrated in churches and very localized.
By this time, Christmas Trees were in many American Households and were very carefully lit up by small candles in the trees. Melted wax was used to keep the candles on the branches. In the early 1900s, special candleholders were used; and by 1914 small lanterns had replaced the candles, although still with a significant fire-risk.
Edward H. Johnson, an associate of inventor Thomas Edison, had Christmas tree light bulbs especially made for himself. He proudly displayed his Christmas tree, which was hand-wired with 80 red, white, and blue electric incandescent light bulbs, about the size of walnuts, on December 22, 1882, at his home on Fifth Avenue in New York City, making him the father of electric Christmas Tree lights.
In 1895, U.S. President Grover Cleveland sponsored the first electrically lit Christmas tree in the White House, which featured about 100 multi-colored lights. It took several decades (until about 1950) before most American homes had electricity and the lights were made inexpensive enough, enabling the widespread use of electrical lights like we have today.
Christmas Trivia
Mistletoe and Holly: 200 years before the birth of Christ, Druids used mistletoe to decorate their homes while celebrating the coming of winter. They believed the plant had special healing power. Scandinavians viewed the mistletoe as a plant of peace and harmony and associated it with their goddess of love, Frigga. It is believed that is why it is now a custom to kiss under the mistletoe. The church banned the use of mistletoe at Christmas because of its pagan origin and in its place used the holly plant.
Stockings: Back when Saint Nicholas was out doing good, there was a kind family whose mother got sick and died. The father lost all the family’s money and his three daughters had to move into a peasant’s cottage. After washing their clothes one night, the girls hung their stockings over the fireplace to dry. That night after everyone went to sleep Saint Nick climbed on their roof and dropped down the chimney small bags of gold that landed in the stockings. The next morning the girls discovered the gold in their stockings and were able to live happy lives afterward. This story also tells us where the story of Santa coming through the chimney originated from.
Reindeer: the names of the original eight reindeer were taken from Clement Clarke Moore’s “A Night Before Christmas”
Christmas cookies: In Medieval Germany, families would decorate their trees with cookies or wafers. Often they would find some of the treats missing, and fabricated the story that Santa took them (although it was probably mice).
Santa Names Around The World
St. Nicholas (Sinter Klaas) in Holland
Jultomten – Sweden
Father Christmas in England
Christkind in Germany
Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost) – Russia
Santa Kurohsu – Japan
Joulupukki (Old Man Christmas) – Finland
Sion Corn – Wales
Papai Noel Peru, Brazil
Gwiazdor (Star man) – Poland
Christmas is the only time of year where it is socially acceptable and encouraged to sit in front of a dead tree and eat candy out of old socks.
A lady lost her handbag in the bustle of Christmas shopping. It was found by an honest little boy and returned to her. Looking in her purse, she commented, “Hmmm… That’s funny. When I lost my bag there was a $20 bill in it. Now there are twenty $1 bills.” The boy quickly replied, “That’s right, lady. The last time I found a lady’s purse, she didn’t have any change for a reward.”
More Pop Culture History Resources
December 25 in Pop Culture History
December 25th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts
December 25th History Highlights
- 800 – The coronation of Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor, in Rome.
- 1066 – William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy was crowned king of England, at Westminster Abbey, London.
- 1758 – Halley’s Comet was sighted by Johann Georg Palitzsch, per Edmund Halley’s prediction.
- 1776 – George Washington crossed the Delaware River from Bucks County, PA, to surprise attack the Hessians in Trenton, New Jersey, winning the battle and changing the course of The Revolutionary War.
- The Eggnog Riot, sometimes known as the Grog Mutiny, was a drunken riot that took place at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, on December 24-25 1826. 70 cadets were implicated.
- 1950 – The Steve Allen Show premiered on CBS.
- If you were born on December 25th,
You were likely conceived the week of… April 2nd (same year)
Christmas Day
“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 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. And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.’ ”
– Luke, chapter two
December 25th is…
Christmas
National Pumpkin Pie Day
December 25th Birthday Quotes
“Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.”
– Yeshua (Jesus Christ)
“How many observe Christ’s Birth-day! how few his Precepts! O! ’tis easier to keep Holidays than Commandments.”
– Benjamin Franklin
“All you owe the public is a good performance.”
– Humphrey Bogart (Said to Frank Sinatra)
Christmas is the one time of year when people of all religions come together to worship Jesus Christ.
– Bart Simpson, The Simpsons, 1989
“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”
– Yeshua (Jesus Christ)
“The only real blind person at Christmas-time is he who has not Christmas in his heart.”
– Helen Keller
“If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.”
– Isaac Newton
December 25th Birthdays
1642 – Isaac Newton, English physicist, and mathematician (died in 1726/1727)
1757 – Benjamin Pierce, American politician (died in 1839)
1821 – Clara Barton, American nurse, founder of the American Red Cross (died in 1912)
1878 – Louis Chevrolet, Swiss auto driver, and engineer, co-founded Chrysler (died in 1941)
1884 – Evelyn Nesbit, American model (died in 1967)
1887 – Conrad Hilton, American hotel entrepreneur (died in 1979)
1889 – Lila Bell Wallace, American publisher, co-founder of Reader’s Digest (died in 1984)
1890 – Robert Ripley, American anthropologist, and publisher, Believe It Or Not! (died in 1949)
1899 – Humphrey Bogart, American actor (died in 1957)
1907 – Cab Calloway, American singer-songwriter and bandleader (died in 1994)
1913 – Tony Martin, American singer (died in 2012)
1918 – Anwar Sadat, Egyptian politician (died in 1981)
1924 – Rod Serling, American screenwriter, and producer, creator of The Twilight Zone (died in 1975)
1928 – Dick Miller, American character actor (died in 2019)
1932 – Mabel King, American actress (died in 1999)
1945 – Rick Berman, American screenwriter
1946 – Jimmy Buffett, American singer-songwriter
1948 – Barbara Mandrell, American singer-songwriter
1949 – Sissy Spacek, American actress
1950 – Karl Rove, American political strategist
1954 – Annie Lennox, Scottish singer-songwriter
1958 – Rickey Henderson, American baseball player
1958 – Alannah Myles, Canadian singer-songwriter
1971 – Dido, English singer-songwriter
1971 – Justin Trudeau, Canadian politician
December 25th History
December 25, 3018 T.A. (fiction) The Company of the Ring left Rivendell, The Lord of the Rings, Books
0 (possibly 4 or 6 BC) – Jesus was born.
350 – Pope Julius I, bishop of Rome, proclaimed December 25 the official celebration date for the birthday of Christ.
800 – Charlemagne was coronated as Holy Roman Emperor, in Rome.
1066 – William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy, was crowned king of England, at Westminster Abbey, London.
1643 – Christmas Island, in the Indian Ocean, was found and named by English Captain William Mynors.
1776 – George Washington led a successful raid on the Hessian/British troops in Trenton, NJ. There are reports that the usually stoic future president made a request of the big-boned General Harry Knox: “shift that fat ass Harry, but slowly, or you’ll swamp the damned boat.”
1809 – The first US ovariotomy (the surgical removal of an ovarian tumor) was performed by Dr. Ephraim McDowell, in Danville, KY.
1815 – The Handel and Haydn Society gave its first performance in Boston, MA.
1868 – US President Andrew Johnson granted an unconditional pardon to all Civil War Confederate soldiers and officers.
1914 – German and British soldiers stopped firing late Christmas Eve and started singing Christmas Carols. In the morning, they exited their trenches and walked towards the side of their enemies shouting ‘Merry Christmas.’ Both sides stopped fighting, played football (soccer), and even exchanged token gifts.
1941 – Bing Crosby premiered White Christmas on his weekly radio show.
1962 – To Kill a Mockingbird, a film based on the 1960 novel of the same name by Harper Lee, opened in theaters.
1965 – #1 Hit December 25, 1965 – December 31, 1966: The Dave Clark Five – Over and Over
1971 – #1 Hit December 25, 1971 – January 14, 1972: Melanie – Brand New Key
1987 – Good Morning, Vietnam debuted in theaters.
1989 – Nicolae Ceaucescu, the last dictator of Romania, together with his wife, was executed by firing squad after a two-hour trial.
1990 – The Godfather Part III was released in theaters.
1992 – Chaplin and Hoffa were released in theaters.
1993 – #1 Hit December 25, 1993 – January 21, 1994: Mariah Carey – Hero
1993 – Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and Grumpy Old Men were released in theaters.
1996 – JonBenet Ramsey was murdered in her home.
1998 – Mighty Joe Young was released in theaters.
1999 – Galaxy Quest and The Talented Mr. Ripley were released in theaters.
2001 – Kate and Leopold and Ali debuted in theaters.
2003 – Cheaper by the Dozen debuted in theaters.
2007 – Aliens Vs. Predator – Requiem and The Bucket List debuted in theaters.
2008 – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Marley & Me, Valkyrie, and Bedtime Stories debuted in theaters.
2009 – Sherlock Holmes and It’s Complicated were released in theaters.
2011 – War Horse was released in theaters.
2012 – Django Unchained, Les Miserables, and Parental Guidance were released in theaters.
2013 – Lone Survivor, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Grudge Match, and 47 Ronin were released in theaters.
2014 – The Interview, Selma, Unbroken, Into the Woods, and American Sniper were released in theaters.
#1 Hit December 25, 2021 – January 14, 2022: All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
ISAAC NEWTON’S THIRD LAW: Whenever one body exerts a force upon a second body, the second body exerts an equal and opposite force upon the first body.
PARKINSON’S LAW II: Expenditure rises to meet income.
SEGAL’S LAW: A man with a watch knows what time it is. A man with two watches is never sure.
The Terminator is the only cinematic character to appear on AFI’s list of Top 100 Villains and Heroes twice, once under each category.
Doc Brown needed 1.21 gigawatts of electricity to generate to power the Delorean in “Back to the Future”.
The Orcs in The Lord Of The Rings have fabrics right? So… Does that mean they have Orc textilers? Orc fashion models? Are they always Orc angry all the time?
Chisholm’s Second Law: When things are going well, something will go wrong.
Walt Disney refused to grant Alfred Hitchcock permission to shoot a movie inside Disneyland, “because he made that disgusting film Psycho.”
C.S. Lewis’ middle name is Staples.
Biggest film of 2014: American Sniper (Drama) earned ~ $350,000,000
Every time you get dressed, remember that, if you die, that’s your ghost outfit forever.
When co-inventing the CD, Sony and Phillips agreed the length should be 74 minutes as to fit Beethoven’s 9th Symphony.
Australia has three A’s, all pronounced differently.
The wife of the French Minister of Finance murdered the editor of Le Figaro in 1914. She was later acquitted due to her “uncontrollable female emotions”.
A group of Stockbrokers is called a Portfolio.
More Pop Culture History Resources
2023: The Top 100 Pop Songs
2023 Music Hits Chart
2. Anti-Hero – Taylor Swift
3. Dance the Night – Dua Lipa
4. Last Night – Morgan Wallen
5. Cruel Summer – Taylor Swift
6. Kill Bill – SZA
7. Fast Car – Luke Combs
8. I Like You (A Happier Song) – Post Malone featuring Doja Cat
9. Karma – Taylor Swift featuring Ice Spice
10. Calm Down – Rema and Selena Gomez
11. I’m Good (Blue) – David Guetta and Bebe Rexha
12. Snooze – SZA
13. Die for You – The Weeknd and Ariana Grande
14. Lavender Haze – Taylor Swift
15. All My Life – Lil Durk featuring J. Cole
16. Cuff It – Beyoncé
17. Barbie World – Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice with Aqua
18. Nonsense – Sabrina Carpenter
19. Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53 – Bizarrap and Shakira
20. FE!N – Travis Scott with Playboi Cardi
21. Water – Tyla
22. Red Wine Supernova – Chappelle Roan
23. Thinkin’ Bout Me – Morgan Wallen
24. Made You Look – Meghan Trainor
25. Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2 – PinkPantheress and Ice Spice
26. Just Wanna Rock – Lil Uzi Vert
27. Creepin’ – Metro Boomin, the Weeknd and 21 Savage
28. Need a Favor – Jelly Roll
29. Greedy – Tate McRae
30. Cupid – Fifty Fifty
31. Bad Idea Right? – Olivia Rodrigo
32. Vampire – Olivia Rodrigo
33. Bloody Mary – Lady Gaga
34. What It Is (Block Boy) – Doechii feat. Kodak Black
35. Paint the Town Red – Doja Cat
36. Get Him Back – Olivia Rodrigo
37. Bad Habit – Steve Lacy
38. Chemical – Post Malone
39. You Proof – Morgan Wallen
40. Lil Boo Thang – Paul Russell
41. Un x100to – Grupo Frontera and Bad Bunny
42. What Was I Made For? – Billie Eilish
43. Sure Thing – Miguel
44. Used To Be Young – Miley Cyrus
45. Golden Hour – Jvke
46. Try That In A Small Town – Jason Aldean
47. Ella Baila Sola – Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma
48. Dial Drunk – Noah Kahan and Post Malone
49. Seven – Jungkook featuring Latto
50. Super Freaky Girl – Nicki Minaj51.
52. 4EVA – KAYTRAMINÉ feat. Pharrell Williams
53. TQG – Karol G and Shakira
54. Something in the Orange – Zach Bryan
55. Players – Coi Leray
56. Favorite Song – Toosii
57. As It Was – Harry Styles
58. Super Shy – New Jeans
59. Area Codes – Kaliii
60. Princess Diana – Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj
61. Rock and a Hard Place – Bailey Zimmerman
62. Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift
63. Waffle House – Jonas Brothers
64. I Wrote the Book – Morgan Wallen
65. 2 die 4 – Addison Rae feat. Charli XCX
66. Heart Like a Truck – Lainey Wilson
67. I’m Just Ken – Ryan Gossling
68. Until I Found You – Stephen Sanchez
69. Tennessee Orange – Megan Moroney
70. Padam Padam – Kylie Minogue
71. She’s on My Mind – Romy
72. Thought You Should Know – Morgan Wallen
73. Not Strong Enough – boygenius
74. Me & U – Tems
75. Single Soon – Selena Gomez
76. Thank God – Kane Brown and Katelyn Brown
77. Daylight – David Kushner
78. Monaco – Bad Bunny
79. Victoria Monét – On My Mama
80. Like Crazy – Jimin
81. White Horse – Chris Stapleton
82. Lift Me Up – Rihanna
83. Wait in the Truck – Hardy featuring Lainey Wilson
84. LaLa – Myke Towers
85. RAYE, 070 Shake – Esacapism
86. From the Start – Laufey
87. Eyes Closed – Ed Sheeran
88. (It Goes Like) Nanana – Peggy Gou
89. I Remember Everything – Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves
90. Rush – Troye Sivan
91. Jaded – Miley Cyrus
92. Exes – Tate – McRae
93. Watermelon Moonshine – Lainey Wilson
84. Religiously – Bailey Zimmerman
95. Rumble – Skrillex, Fred Again.. & Flowdan
96. Next Thing You Know – Jordan Davis
97. That! Feels Good! – Jesse Ware
98. Under the Influence – Chris Brown
99. Now and Then – The Beatles
100. Shirt – SZA
December 24 in Pop Culture History
December 24th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts
December 24th History Highlights
- 1814 – Representatives of the United Kingdom and the United States signed the Treaty of Ghent, ending the War of 1812.
- 1818 – The first performance of Silent Night took place in the church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf, Austria
- 1851 – The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., burned, destroying 35,000 books, about 2/3 of the library’s collection.
- 1945 – Five of the nine Sodder children become missing after their home in Fayetteville, West Virginia, mysteriously burned down.
- If you were born on December 24th,
You were likely conceived the week of… April 1st (same year)
There Is A Santa Claus
Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world. You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
– Francis Pharcellus Church in “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” New York Sun newspaper, 1897.
December 24th Birthday Quotes
“A scientist ought to have a healthy disregard for coincidences.”
– Fritz Leiber
“Failure? Scared to death of it.”
– Ryan Seacrest
“I like the night. Without the dark, we’d never see the stars.”
– Stephenie Meyer
“Everyone knows Newton as a great scientist. Few remember that he spent half his life muddling with alchemy, looking for the philosopher’s stone. That was the pebble by the seashore he really wanted to find.”
– Fritz Leiber
December 24th is…
Last Minute Shopper’s Day
National Egg Nog Day
December 24th Birthday Quotes
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.
– from A Visit from St. Nicholas, by Clement Clarke Moore
December 24th Birthdays
1761 – Jean-Louis Pons, French astronomer, found 37 comets (died in 1831)
1809 – Christopher ‘Kit’ Carson, American general, and frontiersman (died in 1868)
1905 – Howard Hughes, American businessman, engineer, and pilot (died in 1976)
1910 – Fritz Leiber, American fantasy and science fiction author (died in 1992)
1922 – Ava Gardner, American actress (died in 1990)
1924 – Lee Dorsey, American singer-songwriter (died in 1986)
1944 – Mike Curb, American businessman, musician, and politician
1945 – Lemmy, English rock singer-songwriter and bass player (died in 2015)
1961 – Wade Williams, American character actor
1962 – Kate Spade, American fashion designer, co-founder of Kate Spade New York (died in 2018)
1969 – Mark Millar, Scottish comic book author, and creator
1971 – Ricky Martin, Puerto Rican-American singer-songwriter
1973 – Stephenie Meyer, American author
1974 – Ryan Seacrest, American radio host, and television personality
1977 – Michael Raymond-James, American actor
December 24th History
1777 – Kiritimati, also called Christmas Island, was discovered by James Cook.
1801 – Richard Trevithick publicly displayed his “Puffing Devil,” or “Puffer,” the first steam-powered passenger vehicle. The steam engine was a prototype of steam-powered trains.
1814 – The War of 1812 ended between the British Empire and the United States.
1818 – Silent Night (music: Franz Xaver Gruber, lyrics: Joseph Mohr) premiered in the church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf, Austria.
December 24, 1836 (fiction) RIP Jacob Marley, A Christmas Carol, Story
December 24, 1843 (fiction) The events of A Christmas Carol occurred, Story
1851 – A fire erupted at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., destroying about 35,000 books, including much of Thomas Jefferson’s collection.
1865 – In Pulaski, Tennessee, a group of Confederate veterans formed the “Ku Klux Klan.”
1889 – A bicycle with a back-pedal brake was patented (# 418,142) by Daniel Stover and William Hance of Freeport, Ill.
1914 – An unofficial ‘ceasefire’ on the Western Front, the “Christmas truce” began. Both sides stopped fighting, shared gifts, and celebrated Christmas together. An estimated 100,000 British and German troops were involved.
December 24, 1941 (fiction) Steve Rogers was rejected from US military service, classified 4F, Marvel Cinematic Universe
December 24, 1951 – Amahl and the Night Visitors was broadcast live on NBC
1955 – The Lennon Sisters debuted on the Lawrence Welk Show (ABC)
1955 – NORAD Tracks Santa for the first time in what will become an annual Christmas Eve tradition, thanks to a misprinted phone number in a Sear’s retail catalog. For the first several years, it was run by the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Center.
1968 – Apollo 8 broadcast to the Earth, and reported that there is a Santa Claus.
1972 – Entertainment Bob Hope gave his ninth (and final) Christmas show in Vietnam.
1973 – District of Columbia Home Rule Act was passed, giving residents of Washington DC the power to elect their own local government.
1988 – #1 Hit December 24, 1988 – January 13, 1989: Poison – Every Rose Has Its Thorn
1993 – Tombstone and Philadelphia were released in theaters.
1997- Woody Allen married Soon-Yi Previn, the adopted daughter of his former girlfriend Mia Farrow.
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
… a man who thinks he’s George Washington has been seeing a psychiatrist. He finishes up one session by telling him, “Tomorrow, we’ll cross the Delaware and surprise them when they least expect it.” As soon as he’s gone, the psychiatrist picks up the phone and says, “King George, this is Benedict Arnold. I have the plans!”
The largest man-made lake in the U.S. is Lake Mead, created by the Hoover Dam.
The village of Carol Stream, Illinois is not named after a local stream, but is in fact one of only a few municipalities in the US named after a person’s first and last name.
Jimmy Carter was the first president to admit to seeing a UFO.
Santa has to deliver presents to almost 22 million kids an hour, every hour, on the night before Christmas. That’s about 365,000 kids a minute; about 6,100 a second.
The biggest film of 2015: Star Wars Ep. VII: The Force Awakens (Action/Adventure) earned ~ $936,000,000
TV Quotes… “Jane, you ignorant slut” (Dan Aykroyd to Jane Curtin) on Saturday Night Live.
The drug term “trip” was first coined by U.S. Army scientists in the 1950’s when they were experimenting with LSD.
“Don’t empty my mind! Please, I beg you! My mind is all I have! I’ve spent my whole life trying to fill it!” – Dr. Hans Zarkov, Flash Gordon #moviequotes
The Queen’s full title is “Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of Her other Realms and Territories, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.”
A group of Cobras is called a Quiver.
Despite their reputation, it is actually very rare for an opossum to have rabies because their body temperature is too low for rabies to survive and replicate well.
Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School (established in 1937) is the longest continuously running Santa Claus School in the world.
More Pop Culture History Resources
The Number One Hits of 2023
2023 Billboard Number One Hits:
January 8 – March 11, 2023: Flowers – Miley Cyrus
March 12 – March 18, 2023: Die for You (Remix) – The Weeknd and Ariana Grande
March 19 – May 27, 2023: Last Night – Morgan Wallen
May 28 – June 3, 2023: All My Life – Lil Durk featuring J. Cole
June 4 – July 8, 2023: Last Night – Morgan Wallen
July 9 – July 15, 2023: Vampire – Olivia Rodrigo
July 16 – August 5, 2023: Seven – Jung Kook featuring Latto
August 6 – August 19, 2023: Rich Men North of Richmond – Oliver Anthony Music
August 20 – September 2, 2023: Paint the Town Red – Doja Cat
September 3 – September 9, 2023: I Remember Everything – Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves
September 10 – October 7, 2023: Paint the Town Red – Doja Cat
October 8 – October 14, 2023: First Person Shooter – Drake featuring J. Cole
October 15 – November 25, 2023: Cruel Summer – Taylor Swift
November 26 – December 9, 2023: Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift
December 10 – January 6, 2024: All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
December 23 in Pop Culture History
December 23rd History, Trivia, and Fun Facts
December 23rd History Highlights
- 1913 – The Federal Reserve Act was signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson, creating the Federal Reserve System.
- 1947 – The transistor was demonstrated at Bell Laboratories.
- 1970 – The North Tower of the World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York, New York topped out at 1,368 feet, making it the tallest building in the world.
- 1975 – The US Congress passed the Metric Conversion Act. It was authorized in 1866.
- If you were born on December 23rd,
You were likely conceived the week of… March 31st (same year)
Festivus is December 23
Cosmo Kramer: What happened to the doll?
Frank Costanza: It was destroyed. But out of that, a new holiday was born; a Festivus for the rest of us!
Cosmo Kramer: That must’ve been some kind of doll.
Traditional Festivus Information
Festivus was first debuted on “The Strike” episode of the hit sitcom Seinfeld, aired on December 17th, 1997. The actual holiday is celebrated every year on December 23rd and was created in despair of the commercialization of Christmas.
In place of an aromatic, flush evergreen as a Christmas tree, Festivus followers use an aluminum pole. A traditional Festivus celebration consists of the following: first, families and friends take part in the “Airing of Grievances,” where everyone vents their hostilities towards each other. After a nice meal of meatloaf or spaghetti in red sauce, it is time for the “Feats of Strength.” To take part in the “Feats of Strength,” one must be chosen by the head of the household. The chosen one must then fight the head until he/she is wrestled to the ground and admits defeat.
Seinfeld writer Daniel O’Keefe’s father found Festivus in a book that outlined observed holidays published in 1966.
Since the episode in 1997, Festivus has become a renowned holiday that is celebrated by many. Ben and Jerry had an ice cream flavor dubbed Festivus but renamed it “Gingerbread Cookie” in 2001 for reasons unknown. Festivus is the name of a red wine produced by Grape Ranch Vineyards in Oklahoma. Its holiday song, Oh Festivus, was first sung in Dallas, TX to the tune of O, Canada.
Festivus Trivia
In the 2000 NFL season, the Baltimore Ravens head coach Brian Billick didn’t allow the team to use the “P-Word” (Playoffs- for those who are football ignorant) until the team got there. In its place, they had to use the word Festivus. The Ravens referred to the Super Bowl as the “Festivus Maximus,” and actually went on to defeat the New York Giants 34-7 in Super Bowl XXXV.
The 2006 Baltimore City Department of Public Works calendar highlights Festivus Appreciation Day. Seems like those Baltimorians really enjoy the merriments of Festivus.
December 23rd is…
Festivus
Human Light
National Roots Day
National Pfeffernüsse Day
December 23rd Birthday Quotes
“Welcome, newcomers. The tradition of Festivus begins with the airing of grievances. I got a lot of problems with you people! And now you’re gonna hear about it! For some people, the revelation comes too late that life is best kept to the essentials. Some people are given their last rites and that person might say in their last breath, ‘I should have celebrated Festivus.’”
– Jerry Stiller, as Frank Costanza, on Seinfeld
“You know what my greatest personal stumbling block is? My shyness.”
– Susan Lucci
“The final frontier is perhaps the most difficult, but it’s also the most important – and that’s the frontier of the human spirit. For too long, people have allowed differences on the surface; differences of color, ethnicity, and gender – to tear apart the common bonds they share. And the human spirit suffers as a result. Imagine a world in which we saw beyond the lines that divide us, and celebrated our differences, instead of hiding from them. Imagine a world in which we finally recognized that, fundamentally, we are all the same. And imagine if we allowed that new understanding to build relations between people and between nations.”
– Wesley Clark
“Too many in your state [Pennsylvania], as in this [New York], love pure democracy dearly. They seem not to consider that pure democracy, like pure rum, easily produces intoxication, and with it a thousand mad pranks and fooleries.”
– John Jay
December 23rd Birthdays
1805 – Joseph Smith, American religious leader, founder of the Latter Day Saints (died in 1844)
1867 – C.J. Walker, first female American millionaire (died in 1919)
1929 – Chet Baker, American jazz trumpet and flugelhorn player (died in 1988)
1933 – Akihito, Emperor of Jpan
1943 – Harry Shearer, American actor,
1944 – Wesley Clark, American general
1946 – Susan Lucci, American actress
1952 – William Kristol, American journalist, publisher, and political pundit
1958 – Joan Severance, American actress
1963 – Jim Harbaugh, American NFL player
1964 – Eddie Vedder, American singer-songwriter
1967 – Carla Bruni, Italian-French singer-songwriter
1971 – Corey Haim, Canadian actor (died in 2010)
1988 – Mallory Hagan, Miss America 2013
December 23rd History
Every December 3rd, 23 Thousand luminaries are lit and placed at the site of the Civil War battle of Antietam, to remember the lives lost over the course of 8 hours of fighting.
1815 – The novel Emma by Jane Austen was published.
1823 – A Visit From St. Nicholas, also known as The Night Before Christmas, was published. Clement Clarke Moore acknowledged authorship in 1837.
1888 – Suffering from severe depression, Vincent Van Gogh cut off the lower part of his left ear with a razor in Arles, France.
1913 – The Federal Reserve Act was signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson, creating the Federal Reserve System.
December 23, 19** Birthday (fictional) Billy and Mary Batson were born, Fawcett/DC Comics.
December 23, 1944 (fiction) Hellboy (Anug Un Rama) was summoned by Rasputin, Hellboy, Comics
1947 – Walter H. Brattain and John Bardeen at Bell Laboratories first demonstrated the transistor.
1954 – Dr. John P. Merrill led the first successful kidney transplant between identical twins at Peter Bent Hospital, Boston, Mass. His identical twin, Ronald, donated the kidney to Richard Herrick, 23.
1959 – Early rocker Chuck Berry was arrested for bringing a 14-year-old girl from Mexico to Missouri.
1970 – The North Tower of the World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York, New York reached 1,368 feet, making it the tallest building in the world at that time.
1972 – NFL’s “Immaculate Reception” – Franco Harris of the Pittsburgh Steelers grabbed a deflected pass from quarterback Terry Bradshaw to score a touchdown, winning the game for the Steelers 13-7 over the Oakland Raiders.
December 23, 1979 Birthday (fictional) Peter Petrelli, Heroes, TV
1986 – Experimental aircraft Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California, completing the first nonstop flight, just over nine hours, around the globe on a single load of fuel.
1988 – Working Girl, Beaches, Dangerous Liaisons, The Accidental Tourist, and Hellbound: Hellraiser II were released in theaters.
1989 – #1 Hit December 23, 1989 – January 19, 1990: Phil Collins – Another Day in Paradise
1989 – To celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall, Leonard Bernstein and an international orchestra & chorus performed in Berlin a version of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, in which Freude (Joy) was changed to Freiheit (Freedom).
1992 – Scent of a Woman was released in theaters.
1994 – Legends of the Fall and Nobody’s Fool were released in theaters.
1997 – As Good As It Gets was released in theaters.
2009 – Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel was released in theaters.
2011 – We Bought A Zoo was released in theaters.
#1 Hit December 23, 2017 – January 26, 2018: Ed Sheeran solo or duet with Beyoncé – Perfect
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
Veni, Vedi, Visa. I Came. I Saw. I Did a Little Shopping.
Daughter: “Mommy, why did Mrs. Santa Claus drive by on a tractor?” Mommy: “Rain, dear”
Raw materials on earth haven’t changed much. Dinosaurs could have had iPhones if they had been smarter.
What if when pirates were sailing the ocean blue all that time looking for hidden treasure, the real treasure was in the friendships they were making?
The first movie to gross over $100 million was Jaws, 1975.
Since 1987 the fictional license plate # 2GAT123 has appeared in dozens of commercials and over 20 films
“Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” – Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart)
In a 1931 exhibition game between the New York Yankees and the Chattanooga Lookouts, a 17-year-old girl named Jackie Mitchell struck out baseball greats Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.
Creator Chuck Jones said he created the Coyote-Road Runner cartoons as a parody of traditional “cat and mouse” cartoons like Tom and Jerry.
The first nativity scene staged was by St Francis of Assissi in 1223. He got permission from Pope Honorious III to set up a manger with hay and two live animals—an ox and an ass – in Grecio, an Italian village. He invited villagers to view it while he preached.
Biggest film of 2016: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Action/Adventure) earned ~ $532,000,000
“Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now, about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a mirac… It’s in the hole! It’s in the hole! It’s in the hole!” – Carl Spackler (Bill Murray) in Caddyshack, 1980
People with higher incomes generally prefer their toilet paper to come over the roll, while those with lower incomes prefer it to go under.
Due to an error by one of the creators of the HTTP specification, every web page request made contains the misspelling ‘Referer’.
“Alright, alright, Mickey’s a mouse, Donald’s a duck, Pluto’s a dog. What’s Goofy?” – Gordie in Stand By Me #moviequotes
“Your desire is not up to your decision, your decision is not up to your determination, your determination is not up to your destiny.” – Oladosu Feyikogbon
More Pop Culture History Resources
December 19 in Pop Culture History
December 19th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts
December 19th History Highlights
- 1776 – Thomas Paine published one of a series of pamphlets in The Pennsylvania Journal entitled The American Crisis.
- 1998 – President Bill Clinton was impeached by the United States House of Representatives, becoming the second President of the United States to be impeached.
- 1917 – The first NHL Games took place. Montreal Canadians vs Ottawa Senators (7-4 final) and Montreal Wanders beat the Toronto Arenas (10 to 9 final).
- If you were born on December 19th,
You were likely conceived the week of… March 27th (same year)
Wise Men Gifts Checklist:
Gaspar – frankincense
Balthazar – myrrh
December 19th is…
National Hard Candy Day
National Hard Candy Day is the perfect excuse to indulge in your favorite sugary treat! The day is observed annually on December 19th.
Hard candies are made from sugar and sugar syrup, with flavorings and colors added. To make hard candy, confectioners boil a sugar syrup to 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the temperature is reached, hot pliable sugar is poured into molds or rolled and folded into shapes, and left to cool. Once cool, solid sugar becomes hardened and brittle.
There are many different types of hard candies, from classics like Jolly Ranchers and Lifesavers to more modern flavors like Sour Patch Kids and Warheads. Hard candy is a great choice for those looking for a sweet snack that is relatively low in calories – one piece of hard candy typically contains around 15-20 calories.
So, what are you waiting for? Indulge in a little bit of sweetness and celebrate National Hard Candy Day!
December 19th Birthday Quotes
“Business!” cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. “Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!”
– Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol, first published December 18, in 1843.
“When the mind, body, and spirit work together I believe anything is possible.”
– Criss Angel
“This is the President of the United States speaking. Through the marvels of scientific advance, my voice is coming to you from a satellite circling in outer space. Through this unique means I convey to you, and to all mankind, America’s wish for peace on Earth and goodwill toward men everywhere.”
– President Dwight Eisenhower, in the first voice radio message in space.
“The easiest and simplest thing that anyone can do to make their car safer, more gas efficient, whatever – check the tire pressure.”
– Richard Hammond
December 19th Birthdays
1906 – Leonid Brezhnev, Ukrainian-Russian marshal, engineer, and politician, 4th Head of State of the Soviet Union (died in 1982)
1915 – Édith Piaf, French singer-songwriter and actress (died in 1963)
1924 – Cicely Tyson, American actress
1932 – Lola Hendricks, American civil rights activist (died in 2013)
1941 – Maurice White, American singer-songwriter (died in 2016)
1942 – “Mean Gene” Okerlund, American sports announcer (died in 2019)
1944 – Tim Reid, American actor
1944 – Richard Leakey, Kenyan Anthropologist
1946 – Robert Urich, American actor (died in 2002)
1952 – Walter Murphy, American composer
1957 – Kevin McHale, American basketball player
1958 – Limahl, English singer
1963 – Jennifer Beals, American actress
1967 – Criss Angel, American magician
1969 – Richard Hammond, English journalist and TV presenter
1970 – Tyson Beckford, American model, and actor
1972 – Alyssa Milano, American actress
1980 – Jake Gyllenhaal, American actor
1987 – Ronan Farrow, American journalist
December 19th History
1606 – Three ships, Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery left England carrying settlers who founded, at Jamestown, Virginia, the first of the thirteen colonies that became the United States.
1732 – Benjamin Franklin published the first edition of Poor Richard’s Almanack, in Philadelphia.
1871 – Samuel Clemens received a patent (# 121,992) for “An Improvement in Adjustable and Detachable Garment Straps”, a type of cumberbund/belt.
1903 – The Williamsburg Bridge, was opened in New York City.
1907 – A coal mine explosion in Jacobs Creek, Pennsylvania, killed 239 workers; there was one survivor, Joseph Mapleton, in the Darr Mine Disaster.
1924 – The last Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, the first ‘Best Car in the World’, was sold in London, England.
1930 – The first autogyro pilot to carry a passenger was Amelia Earhart at Pitcairn Field, Willow Grove, PA.
1932 – BBC World Service began broadcasting as the BBC Empire Service.
1950 – Rose Marie Reid of Los Angeles, California, received a patent (#2,535,018) for a one-piece bathing suit “embodying a novel construction for causing it to snugly fit the body of a wearer in a flattering manner,” using elastic fabric.
1957 – Broadway Show – The Music Man (Musical) December 19, 1957
1964 – #1 Hit December 19, 1964 – December 25, 1964: The Supremes – Come See About Me
1974 -The Altair 8800 microcomputer was put on sale in the U.S. as a do-it-yourself computer kit, for $397.
1985 – Mary Lund of Minnesota became the first woman to receive a Jarvik VII artificial heart in Minneapolis.
1986 – Platoon and Little Shop of Horrors debuted in theaters.
1997 – Tomorrow Never Dies was released in theaters.
1997 – Titanic premiered in theaters.
1998 – President Bill Clinton was charged with lying under oath to a federal grand jury and obstructing justice. Clinton, the second president in American history to be impeached, vowed to finish his term. His lie was about an affair with 21-year-old intern, Monica Lewinsky.
2001 – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring debuted in theaters.
2005 – Deal Or No Deal premiered on NBC
2012 – Zero Dark Thirty, The Guilt Trip, and Monsters Inc (3D) were released in theaters.
2014 – Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb and Annie were released in theaters.
#1 Hit December 19, 2020 – December 25, 2020: All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
December 19, 2500 Birthday (fictional) River Tam, Firefly, TV
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
Santa Names Around The World:
Père Noël in France, St. Nicholas (Sinter Klaas) in Holland, Jultomten – Sweden, Father Christmas in England, Christkind in Germany, Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost) – Russia, Santa Kurohsu – Japan, Joulupukki (Old Man Christmas) – Finland, Sion Corn – Wales, Papai Noel Peru, Brazil, and Gwiazdor (Star man) – Poland
Calamity Jane – Real Name: Martha Jane Canary
If I owned a fast food restaurant I would have an extra button for the teller to push if the person said “Please” or was kind. That way the cooks could know to add extra fries or something small since the person was so nice.
Con Man “Count” Victor Lustig almost sold the Eiffel Tower. Twice.
Strangely nearly all superpowers whether mutant, alien, radiation, etc comes with incredible sewing and costume-making skills.
The third hand on the clock is called the second hand.
The biggest film of 1920: Over the Hill to the Poorhouse earned ~ $3,000,000
“I got my wedding pictures back so fast!”, said no one ever.
Whenever I can’t find something I left, past-me has successfully outsmarted present-me. If present-me continues to look for the item, present-me is forced into playing past-me’s sick twisted game.
“Bam!” – Emeril Lagasse (Emeril Live)
There is a type of food fraud where honey is cut with cheaper sugars and syrups and then sold as pure honey. This is called ‘Honey Laundering’.
Maine is the closest US state to Africa.
More Pop Culture History Resources
Traditional Christmas Quiz
Traditional Christmas Trivia Quiz
(answers)
1. What Christmas carol is based on the angelic announcement to the shepherds?
2. What animal is often depicted in nativity scenes but not mentioned in the Bible?
3. What is the most sung Christmas hymn?
4. In which two Gospels is the birth of Jesus described?
You get one point for each.
5. What prophet foretold that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem?
6. Why did Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem?
7. What is the meaning of Advent?
8. What was King Herod’s reaction to the news of Jesus’s birth?
9. What Christian saint inspired the modern image of Santa Claus?
10. What does the name Bethlehem mean?
11. Who was the mother of Jesus?
12. What does the name “Jesus” mean in Hebrew?
13. What angel appeared to Mary to announce she would give birth to Jesus?
14. What does the color purple signify during Advent?
15. What does “Christ” mean?
16. What gifts did the Magi bring to Jesus?
You get one point for each correct answer.
17. What does the gift of gold symbolize?
18. What does the gift of frankincense symbolize?
19. What does the gift of myrrh symbolize?
20. What were the shepherds doing when the angels appeared to them?
21. What is the symbolism of the star on top of a Christmas tree?
22. Where was Jesus laid after his birth?
23. What is a manger?
24. What does the Advent wreath symbolize?
25. What does the pink Advent candle represent?
26. What Old Testament figure is often compared to Jesus as a shepherd?
27. How many Magi are mentioned in the Bible?
28. Traditionally, who were the three wise men?
You get one point for each, which you can name.
29. What New Testament book contains a genealogy tracing Jesus to King David?
30. What day marks the end of the twelve days of Christmas?
31. What is the significance of the Feast of the Epiphany?
32. Who recognized Jesus as the Messiah when he was presented at the temple?
33. Who declared December 25 as the date to celebrate Jesus’s birth?
34. Who wrote the Gospel, which contains the most detailed account of Jesus’s birth?
35. What does the red ribbon on a Christingle represent?
36. What is the term for Mary’s visit to Elizabeth while both were pregnant?
37. What prayer contains Mary’s response to Elizabeth during the Visitation?
38. Who baptized Jesus later in life?
39. What does the dove symbolize in Christian Christmas imagery?
40. What is the purpose of the midnight Mass on Christmas Eve?
41. In what region was Bethlehem located?
42. What Old Testament city is Bethlehem associated with?
43. What Old Testament prophet foretold the virgin birth of Jesus?
44. What is the Christmas season called in the liturgical calendar?
45. How many candles are in a traditional Advent wreath?
46. What do the colors red and green traditionally symbolize at Christmas?
47. When do Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas instead of December 25?
48. What does the phrase “Word became flesh” refer to?
49. What fruit is commonly associated with Christingles?
50. What does “Emmanuel” mean?
Trivia Team Bonus Questions:
1. What year was December 25 celebrated as Christmas?
2. What year did Pope Julius I officially fix December 25 as Christmas Day?
3. What does the term “Nativity” mean?
4. What council solidified the belief in Jesus as fully human and fully divine?
5. What is the key verse in Isaiah predicting Jesus’s birth?
6. What angel appeared to Joseph in a dream?
7. Who was the Roman governor at the time of Jesus’s birth?
8. What is the name of the canticle Simeon sings upon seeing Jesus?
9. What does the word “Messiah” mean?
10. What song is known as the oldest surviving Christmas carol?
Traditional Christmas Trivia Answers
1. What Christmas carol is based on the angelic announcement to the shepherds?
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. It reflects the announcement in Luke 2:10–14.
2. What animal is often depicted in nativity scenes but not mentioned in the Bible?
Donkeys. The Bible does not explicitly mention donkeys at Jesus’s birth.
3. What is the most sung Christmas hymn?
Silent Night (Stille Nacht), composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber with lyrics by Joseph Mohr.
4. In which two Gospels is the birth of Jesus described?
You get one point for each.
Matthew and Luke. The nativity story is in Matthew 1:18–2:12 and Luke 2:1–20.
5. What prophet foretold that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem?
Micah (Micah 5:2). Micah 5:2 predicts the Messiah’s birthplace as Bethlehem.
6. Why did Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem?
To be counted in a census ordered by Caesar Augustus. This is noted in Luke 2:1–4.
7. What is the meaning of Advent?
“Coming” or “arrival.” It derives from the Latin “adventus”.
8. What was King Herod’s reaction to the news of Jesus’s birth?
He ordered the Massacre of the Innocents. Matthew 2:16 describes Herod’s response.
9. What Christian saint inspired the modern image of Santa Claus?
Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas of Myra was a 4th-century bishop known for his generosity.
10. What does the name Bethlehem mean?
“House of Bread.” In Hebrew, Beit Lechem translates to “House of Bread.”
11. Who was the mother of Jesus?
Mary. This is detailed in Luke 1:27–31.
12. What does the name “Jesus” mean in Hebrew?
“The Lord saves” or “Yahweh is salvation.” “Jesus” derives from the Hebrew name Yeshua.
13. What angel appeared to Mary to announce she would give birth to Jesus?
Gabriel. Luke 1:26–27 names the angel as Gabriel.
14. What does the color purple signify during Advent?
Penitence and preparation. Purple symbolizes both penitence (as in Lent) and the royalty of Christ.
15. What does “Christ” mean?
“The Anointed One,” the Greek translation of “Messiah.” “Christos” is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew “Messiah.”
16. What gifts did the Magi bring to Jesus?
You get one point for each correct answer.
Gold, frankincense, and myrrh. This is detailed in Matthew 2:11.
17. What does the gift of gold symbolize?
Jesus’s kingship.
18. What does the gift of frankincense symbolize?
Jesus’s divinity and role as a priest. Frankincense was used in religious rituals.
19. What does the gift of myrrh symbolize?
Jesus’s suffering and death. Myrrh was used in embalming, foreshadowing Jesus’s death.
20. What were the shepherds doing when the angels appeared to them?
Watching their flocks by night. This is described in Luke 2:8.
21. What is the symbolism of the star on top of a Christmas tree?
The Star of Bethlehem that guided the Magi. The star symbolizes the guiding light to Christ.
22. Where was Jesus laid after his birth?
In a manger. This is recorded in Luke 2:7.
23. What is a manger?
A feeding trough for animals. Historically, a manger was used to feed livestock.
24. What does the Advent wreath symbolize?
The eternal life brought by Jesus. The circular shape of the wreath symbolizes eternity.
25. What does the pink Advent candle represent?
Joy. The third Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday, a day of joy.
26. What Old Testament figure is often compared to Jesus as a shepherd?
King David. David, a shepherd before becoming king, is a Messianic figure in scripture.
27. How many Magi are mentioned in the Bible?
The exact number is not specified. Matthew 2:1 mentions “wise men,” but their number is not given.
28. Traditionally, who were the three wise men?
You get one point for each, which you can name.
Caspar (or Gaspar), Melchior, and Balthazar.
29. What New Testament book contains a genealogy tracing Jesus to King David?
Matthew. Matthew 1:1–17 traces Jesus’s lineage through David.
30. What day marks the end of the twelve days of Christmas?
Epiphany, January 6. The twelve days lead to Epiphany.
31. What is the significance of the Feast of the Epiphany?
It celebrates the visit of the Magi and the revelation of Jesus to the Gentiles.
32. Who recognized Jesus as the Messiah when he was presented at the temple?
Simeon and Anna. This is described in Luke 2:25–38.
33. Who declared December 25 as the date to celebrate Jesus’s birth?
Emperor Constantine, but Pope Julius I is often credited with formalizing it.
34. Who wrote the Gospel, which contains the most detailed account of Jesus’s birth?
Luke the Evangelist. Luke was Paul’s physician and companion.
35. What does the red ribbon on a Christingle represent?
The blood of Christ. The ribbon represents Christ’s sacrifice.
36. What is the term for Mary’s visit to Elizabeth while both were pregnant?
The Visitation. This is described in Luke 1:39–56.
37. What prayer contains Mary’s response to Elizabeth during the Visitation?
The Magnificat. The Magnificat is found in Luke 1:46–55.
38. Who baptized Jesus later in life?
John the Baptist. Matthew 3:13–17 records John baptizing Jesus.
39. What does the dove symbolize in Christian Christmas imagery?
Peace and the Holy Spirit.
40. What is the purpose of the midnight Mass on Christmas Eve?
To celebrate the birth of Christ as the new day begins. Midnight Mass commemorates the moment of Christ’s birth.
41. In what region was Bethlehem located?
Judea
42. What Old Testament city is Bethlehem associated with?
The city of King David. Bethlehem is called “The City of David” in Luke 2:4.
43. What Old Testament prophet foretold the virgin birth of Jesus?
Isaiah. This prophecy is found in Isaiah 7:14.
44. What is the Christmas season called in the liturgical calendar?
Christmastide. Christmastide begins on December 25 and ends on Epiphany (January 6).
45. How many candles are in a traditional Advent wreath?
Four, with an optional fifth for Christmas Day. Four candles (three purple and one pink) are traditional, with a white candle often added for Christmastide.
46. What do the colors red and green traditionally symbolize at Christmas?
Red represents Jesus’s sacrifice, and green represents eternal life.
47. When do Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas instead of December 25?
January 7, due to the Julian calendar.
48. What does the phrase “Word became flesh” refer to?
The Incarnation, as described in John 1:14. John 1:14 explains the Incarnation: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”
49. What fruit is commonly associated with Christingles?
An orange.
50. What does “Emmanuel” mean?
“God with us.” This comes from Isaiah 7:14 and is referenced in Matthew 1:23.
Trivia Team Bonus Answers:
1. What year was December 25 celebrated as Christmas?
336 AD. This is the earliest recorded celebration of Christmas.
2. What year did Pope Julius I officially fix December 25 as Christmas Day?
Around 350 AD. While December 25 was celebrated as early as 336 AD, Pope Julius I is traditionally credited with formalizing it in the mid-4th century.
3. What does the term “Nativity” mean?
Birth. “Nativity” derives from the Latin word nativitas, meaning “birth.”
4. What council solidified the belief in Jesus as fully human and fully divine?
The Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD. The Chalcedonian Creed affirmed this belief.
5. What is the key verse in Isaiah predicting Jesus’s birth?
Isaiah 7:14. It states, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
6. What angel appeared to Joseph in a dream?
The Bible does not specify an angel’s name for Joseph. While Gabriel is named in his appearances to Mary and Zechariah, the angel appearing to Joseph is unnamed (Matthew 1:20).
7. Who was the Roman governor at the time of Jesus’s birth?
Quirinius. Luke 2:2 mentions Quirinius’s census.
8. What is the name of the canticle Simeon sings upon seeing Jesus?
The Nunc Dimittis. This is found in Luke 2:29–32.
9. What does the word “Messiah” mean?
“Anointed One.” The Hebrew word Mashiach translates to “anointed one.”
10. What song is known as the oldest surviving Christmas carol?
Jesus Refulsit Omnium (Jesus, Light of All Nations). Jesus Refulsit Omnium is attributed to St. Hilary of Poitiers in the 4th century,
December 18 in Pop Culture History
December 18th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts
December 18th History Highlights
- 1958 – Project SCORE, the world’s first communications satellite, was launched.
- 1912 – Piltdown Man’s skull was found in a gravel pit in Sussex, England. At first, it was believed to be the ‘missing link’ between man and early primates but was later discovered to be a hoax
- 1936 – The first giant panda in the US, Su-Lin, arrived in San Francisco from China.
- December 18, 1969 Birthday (fictional) Bruce Banner, Hulk, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Film
- If you were born on December 18th,
You were likely conceived the week of… March 26th (same year)
December 18th is…
Bake Cookies Day
International Migrants Day
(snow) Flake Appreciation Day
Piltdown Man Hoax
In 1912, amateur archaeologist Charles Dawson found a human skull in Piltdown, England. It was the first fossil ever discovered that presented an intermediate form between apes and humans. The find created much excitement and was immediately accepted as genuine by most scientists of the time.
In 1953, Kenneth Oakley conducted chemical tests on the bones and uncovered evidence suggesting they were from two different sources: one modern human (Dawson) and one or more extinct apes (orangutan). In addition, fraudulent teeth had been added to the jawbone in an attempt to make it look more human. The Piltdown Man hoax was finally exposed and the remains were denounced as a fraud. However, the damage had already been done – this “missing link” between apes and humans helped to popularize the idea of evolution for many years.
Although the Piltdown Man was eventually exposed as a fraud, it’s an important example of how easy it is for people to be fooled by something that seems too good to be true. This hoax also highlights the importance of always checking the evidence before accepting any claim – especially when it comes to scientific discoveries. It’s also a reminder that science is constantly evolving and that new discoveries are always being made. We can never be too sure of what we know – even the most seemingly obvious facts may turn out to be wrong. So, while keeping an open mind – always question everything!
December 18th Birthday Quotes
“It is better to die for an idea that will live than to live for an idea that will die.”
– Steve Biko
“I regret to this day that I never went to college. I feel I should have been a doctor.”
– Ty Cobb
“Success is a beast. And it actually puts the emphasis on the wrong thing. You get away with more instead of looking within.”
– Brad Pitt
“I had to fight all my life to survive. They were all against me… but I beat the bastards and left them in the ditch.”
– Ty Cobb
“It’s great to be here. It’s great to be anywhere.”
– Keith Richards
“I phoned my grandparents and my grandfather said ‘We saw your movie.’ ‘Which one?’ I said. He shouted ‘Betty, what was the name of that movie I didn’t like?”
– Brad Pitt
“Art does not reproduce the visible; rather, it makes visible.”
– Paul Klee
“If you don’t know the blues… there’s no point in picking up the guitar and playing rock and roll or any other form of popular music.”
-Keith Richards
December 18th Birthdays
1778 – Joseph Grimaldi, English clown, known as “The Greatest Clown in History” (died in 1837)
1863 – Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria (died in 1914)
1878 – Joseph Stalin, Georgian-Russian politician, 4th Premier of the Soviet Union (died in 1953)
1879 – Paul Klee, German/Swiss painter (died in 1940)
1886 – Ty Cobb, American baseball player (died in 1961)
1913 – Willy Brandt, German politician (died in 1992)
1916 – Betty Grable, American actress (died in 1973)
1917 – Ossie Davis, American actor (died in 2005)
1924 – Cicely Tyson, America actress
1939 – Michael Moorcock, English author and songwriter
1943 – Keith Richards, English singer-songwriter
1946 – Steve Biko, South African activist, founder of the Black Consciousness Movement (died in 1977)
1946 – Steven Spielberg, American director, producer, and screenwriter,
1953 – Elliot Easton, American guitarist, and singer
1954 – Ray Liotta, American actor
1963 – Brad Pitt, American actor
1968 – Casper Van Dien, American actor
1970 – DMX (Earl Simmons), American rapper
1978 – Katie Holmes, American actress
1980 – Christina Aguilera, American singer-songwriter
2001 – Billie Eilish, American pop singer
December 18th History
1787 – New Jersey became the 3rd state.
1839 – John William Draper took a daguerreotype of the moon, the first celestial photograph made in the US.
1865 – The 13th Amendment went into effect, abolishing slavery in the US.
1878 – Joseph Swan demonstrated his carbon filament electric light, almost a year before Edison.
1892 – The premiere performance of The Nutcracker by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
1961 – Based on an African sing called Mbube – The Lion Sleeps Tonight was the # 1 song on the Billboard Charts. It is probably the most well-known doo-wop song of all time. (#1 December 18, 1961 – January 12, 1962)
1968 – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was released. It was based on Ian Fleming’s book of the same name.
1969 – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was released, starring George Lazenby as Agent 007, James Bond.
1977 – George and Kathleen Lutz purchased their new home at their home at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville New York. Their 28-day adventure in the home was dramatically portrayed in the 1977 book and 1979 film, The Amityville Horror.
1982 – #1 Hit December 18, 1982 – January 14, 1983: Daryl Hall and John Oates – Maneater
1985 – Brazil was released in theaters.
1987 – Moonstruck, Broadcast News, Eddie Murphy Raw, *batteries not included, Overboard, Ironweed, and Leonard Part 6 debuted in theaters.
1996 – The Oakland, California school board unanimously passed a resolution for the incorporating of Ebonics in the classroom.
1997 – Comedian Chris Farley died from a drug overdose, at the age of 33.
1997 – HTML 4.0 was published by the World Wide Web Consortium.
1998 – The Prince of Egypt and You’ve Got Mail were released in theaters.
2002 – The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers debuted in theaters.
2009 – Avatar and Nine were released in theaters.
2010 – #1 Hit December 18, 2010 – January 7, 2011: Katy Perry – Firework
2013 – A&E suspended Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson for comments he made regarding homosexuality and the civil rights era in an interview with GQ magazine. He was reinstated on December 27.
2013 – Her and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues were released in theaters.
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
Why was the Batphone in a glass casing? Was Commissioner Gordon a germ freak in the ’60s?
Due to the mild temperatures in 1949, the Rockefeller Christmas Tree was spray-painted with hundreds of gallons of silver paint in efforts to look more winter-like.
If Burger King and Dairy Queen got married, they would live in White Castle. Their first son would be named Jack. He’d live in a box.
Old Quaker Oats advertising identified the “Quaker man” as William Penn, but today he is referred to as “Larry”.
Malcolm’s last name in Malcolm in the Middle is Wilkerson. Although never spoken aloud in the series it can be seen on the name badge Francis is wearing in the pilot episode.
In Animaniacs, Dot’s full name is Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Banna Bo Besca, the Third.
Biggest film of 1916: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Action/Adventure) earned ~ $8,000,000
US President #40 Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) Reagan was the oldest president elected to office (aged 69). His favorite all-time job? As a teenage lifeguard!
We are about 100 million million million million million degrees away from the hottest temperature possible and only a few hundred degrees away from the coldest one.
The Capital of Andorra is Andorra la Vella
“Mother of mercy, is this the end of Rico?” – Cesare Enrico “Rico” Bandello (Edward G. Robinson) in Little Caesar, 1931
The dinner I was cooking for my family was going to be a surprise but the fire trucks ruined it.
More Pop Culture History Resources
1978 Top Ten Music Charts
1978’s Biggest Artists and Songs
Fleetwood Mac (Grammy for Album of the Year)
Hotel California – Eagles (Grammy for Record of the Year)
Sylvester. Odyssey, Foxy, Chic, Player, Journey, Prince, Chic, Gerry Rafferty, Randy Newman, Sammy Sagar, Eddie Money, Bonnie Tyler, Patti Smith, Teri DeSario, Tom Petty, Juice Newton and The Cars
1978’s Retro Top 10 Hits
Jennings and Willie Nelson
1978’s ‘One Hit Wonders’
1978’s Disco Top 10 Hit List
1978’s Dance/ Funk Top 10 Hit List
1978’s Pop Dance Top 10 Hit List
1978’s Pop Rock Top 10 Hit List
More of 1978’s Pop Rock Hits
1978’s Album Rock Top 10 Hit List
More of 1978’s Album Rock Songs
1978’s Bubblegum Pop Music Top Ten
Wonderful Wizard Of Oz) – Meco
PCM’s 1978 Top 10 Hit List
December 17 in Pop Culture History
December 17th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts
December 17th History Highlights
- 1843 – A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens was published.
- 1903 – The Wright brothers make the first controlled powered, heavier-than-air flight in the Wright Flyer at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
- 1969 – Project Blue Book: The United States Air Force closed its study of UFOs.
- 2101 – The Arab Spring began
- 2014 – The United States and Cuba re-established diplomatic relations after severing them in 1961.
- If you were born on December 17th,
You were likely conceived the week of… March 25th (same year)
The Lord of Misrule
Project Blue Book
Are UFOs a threat to national security? That is the question that many people ask themselves when they hear about unidentified flying objects.
The US Air Force studied this topic from 1952 to 1969 and found no evidence of any such thing. This project, headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, known as Project Blue Book, was terminated on December 17th, 1969. directed by Captain Edward J. Ruppelt and followed projects of a similar nature such as Project Sign established in 1947, and Project Grudge in 1948.
Project Blue Book had two goals, namely, to determine if UFOs were a threat to national security, and to scientifically analyze UFO-related data.
Scrooge was better than his word. …
His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him.
December 17 is…
Pan American Aviation Day
Wright Brothers Day
December 17th Birthday Quotes
“To even mention all the things the bird must constantly keep in mind in order to fly securely through the air would take a considerable part of the evening… The bird has learned this art of equilibrium and learned it so thoroughly that its skill is not apparent to our sight. We only learn to appreciate it when we try to imitate it.”
– Wilbur Wright
“I’ve always been taught to play the game hard. Baseball is such a tough game, it really humbles you at times, you just have to try not to get too high or too low.”
– Chase Utley
“Live music is where you get the inspiration and creativity. I just try to keep an open mind, and that’s the way a lot of good things happen.”
– Paul Rodgers
“When someone asks if you’re a god, you say YES!”
– Ernie Hudson
“He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Everyone!”
– Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol
December 17th Birthdays
1894 – Arthur Fiedler, American conductor (died in 1979)
1903 – Ray Noble, English bandleader (died in 1978)
1913 – Burt Baskin, American businessman, co-founded Baskin-Robbins (died in 1967)
1928 – Marilyn Beck, American journalist (died in 2014)
1936 – Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio), Argentinian priest, elected Pope on March 13, 2013
1939 – Eddie Kendricks, American R&B singer-songwriter (died in 1992)
1945 – Ernie Hudson, American actor, the ‘other’ Ghostbuster
1946 – Eugene Levy, Canadian actor
1949 – Paul Rodgers, English singer-songwriter
1975 – Milla Jovovich, Ukrainian-American actress
1978 – Chase Utley, American baseball player
1986 – Emma Bell, American actress
December 17th History
1538 – Pope Paul III excommunicated England’s Henry VIII.
1777 – American Revolution: France formally recognized the United States.
1790 – The Aztec Stone (‘Sun Stone’) was excavated in the Zócalo, the main square of Mexico City. It is about 12 feet across and weighs about 24 tons.
1835 – The Great Fire of New York took place in New York City in 1835, destroying hundreds of buildings and killing two people.
1843 – Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol novella was published by Chapman and Hall. It is one of the most well-known books and stories of all time.
1865 – First performance of the Unfinished Symphony by Franz Schubert.
1880 -The Edison Electric Illuminating Company was incorporated to provide electric light to New York City.
1892 – First issue of Vogue magazine was published.
1903 – Orville piloted the gasoline-powered, propeller-driven biplane he made with his brother Wilbur, which stayed aloft for 12 seconds and covered 120 feet on its inaugural flight near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
1933 – The Chicago Bears beat the New York Giants 23-21 in the first NFL Championship game.
1957 – The United States successfully launched the first (Atlas) InterContinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
1969 – Tiny Tim married Miss Vicky (Victoria May Budinger) on The Tonight Show.
1969 – The United States Air Force closed its study of UFOs, Project Blue Book.
1976 – Cable channel TBS premiered and eventually became known as “The Superstation”.
1979 – The first rocket automobile vehicle to break the sound barrier on land was driven by Stan Barrett who reached 739.7 mph (speed of sound: 761.2) on a 3-mile test-strip at Rogers Lake, Edwards Air Force Base, CA.
1980 – Broadway Show – Amadeus (Play) December 17, 1980
1982 – Tootsie and The Dark Crystal debuted in theaters.
1987 – Final Fantasy (I) was released in Japan.
(fictional) December 17, 1991, Maria and Tony Start were murdered, Iron Man, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Film
1989 – The Simpsons television series first premiered on television with the episode “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire”.
1991 – Gilbert O’Sullivan’s Alone Again (Naturally) was ‘sampled’ in Biz Markie’s Alone Again, and the United States Federal Court for the Southern District of New York agreed with the 70’s artist that Biz needed to get permission to use his music in a very landmark case. That permission typically involves direct payment or a portion of the net profits today.
1993 – What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, The Pelican Brief and Beethoven’s 2nd were released in theaters.
1994 – #1 Hit December 17, 1994 – January 27, 1995: Ini Kamoze – Here Comes The Hotstepper
1999 – Stuart Little was released in theaters.
2000 – In addition to a 17-0 victory by the San Francisco 49ers over the Chicago Bears, San Francisco’s wide receiver Terrell Owens set a new NFL record of 20 catches in a single game.
2003 – The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was released, and it went on to win 11 Oscars. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy was first published in 1954/1955.
2004 – Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events and The Aviator debuted in theaters.
2008 – The Wrestler debuted in theaters.
2011 – Yogi Bear was released in theaters.
2011 – Kim Jong Il, ‘Beloved, Brilliant, Perfect, Wise, Unique and Dear’ Leader and Father of the People of North Korea, Died. He was also referred to as the Superior Person, Sun of the Communist Future, and The Shining Star of Paektu Mountain. #RIP
2011 – The Adventures of Tintin was released in theaters.
2014 – The United States and Cuba re-established diplomatic relations.
2014 – The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies was released in US theaters
#1 Hit December 17, 2022 – January 13, 2023 – All I Want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
Now You Know: When you stop believing in Santa Claus you start getting clothes for Christmas!
TV Quotes… “Smile, you’re on ‘Candid Camera’ ” (Alan Funt) on Candid Camera.
We need to come up with new phrases to replace “you sound like a broken record” and “roll up the window” etc. #newwords
The biggest film of 1915: The Birth of a Nation (Drama) earned ~ $10,000,000
Shania Twain – Real Name: Eileen Regina Edwards
A Dutchman named Jan de Doot, in 1651, removed his own bladder stone with a kitchen knife. He pulled it out through an incision he made in his perineum. It was the size of an egg and weighed a quarter of a pound. He lived for years after and had the stone plated in gold.
Sammy Davis Jr was outlived by his mother (died 2000 at age 95) and his grandmother (died 1996 at age 112).
Today I solved a captcha, and as a result, the system confirmed to me that I am not a robot. I feel reassured knowing that I really am a human. Thank you, captcha people!
“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” – Zig Ziglar
<spoilers> In The Sixth Sense (1999), Bruce Willis is dead and doesn’t know it. In Unbreakable (2000), Bruce Willis is the only one still alive, and he doesn’t know why. </spoilers>
The reason the taste of artificial banana flavoring and artificial banana flavored products doesn’t taste like bananas is because it is based on a type of banana that was wiped out by a plague in the 1950s.
The Capital of Angola is Luanda
“Sorry folks, the park’s closed. Moose out front shoulda told ya.” #moviequotes
“I just want you to know that even though you tried to terminate me, revenge is not an idea we promote on my planet.” – Buzz Lightyear #moviequotes
More Pop Culture History Resources
Not Really Christmas Songs and Quiz
Almost Christmas Music
When we think of holiday music, visions of Santa, snow, and goodwill often come to mind. However, some of the season’s most beloved songs barely touch on Christmas—or have no connection to it. These almost Christmas songs are part of the cultural soundtrack for the holidays, sneaking their way into our celebrations thanks to tradition, nostalgia, or sheer beauty.
Take PCM’s “almost” Christmas Music Quiz!
Songs like Jingle Bells, Over the River, and Through the Woods have become holiday mainstays despite their original ties to Thanksgiving. Others, like Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, make their way into Christmas playlists for their haunting beauty rather than holiday spirit. Even classics like Winter Wonderland and Let It Snow celebrate the magic of winter without mentioning Christmas. Meanwhile, songs with deeper connections to history and tradition, such as Here We Come A-Caroling (The Wassail Song), focus on New Year’s festivities instead of Christmas.
Additionally, pop hits like Last Christmas by Wham! and Baby; It’s Cold Outside bring a modern flair to the season, blending romance and nostalgia while sometimes sparking debate. From the jazz-infused charm of What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve? to the soulful rhythms of My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music, the variety of these tunes showcases how holiday music transcends traditional boundaries.
Thanksgiving Tunes That Became Holiday Classics
Surprisingly, some of the most iconic songs we associate with Christmas were originally written for Thanksgiving. Take Over the River and Through the Woods, penned in 1844 by Lydia Maria Child. This classic was inspired by a nostalgic trip to her grandmother’s house, and it never mentions Christmas. Similarly, Jingle Bells, composed by James Lord Pierpont in 1857, was created as a cheerful tune for Thanksgiving gatherings, celebrating sleigh rides rather than holiday cheer. Despite their origins, these songs have become holiday staples, played and sung throughout December.
Wassailing and New Year’s Celebrations
Caroling is closely tied to Christmas traditions, but one of the oldest carols, Here We Come A-Caroling (also known as The Wassail Song), is more about New Year’s festivities. Written around 1850, this lively song celebrates wassailing, a tradition of visiting neighbors with songs and drinks for good luck. Though often grouped with Christmas music, its focus on New Year’s reflects the broader spirit of the season.
Holiday Duets and Controversial Lyrics
Few holiday duets capture the cozy charm of the season like Baby, It’s Cold Outside. Written by Frank Loessner in 1944 as a party duet for him and his wife, the song’s playful back-and-forth has made it a favorite for decades. However, its lyrics have sparked controversy recently, with some questioning the consent implied in the dialogue. Despite this, its original intent was far more innocent—a fun, flirtatious exchange designed for entertainment.
Hallelujah: A Surprising Holiday Hit
Hallelujah, written by Leonard Cohen in 1984, has become an unexpected addition to the holiday music playlist. Its haunting beauty and universal themes have made it a seasonal favorite, even though it has no ties to Christmas. The song gained widespread attention when Jason Castro performed it on American Idol in 2008, sparking renewed interest in Jeff Buckley’s iconic rendition. Pentatonix further cemented its place in holiday playlists with their acapella cover in 2016, which garnered over 760 million views on YouTube—half the views of Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Are You, arguably the most popular modern Christmas song.
The Great American Songbook of the Holidays
Many classic holiday tunes originated during the mid-20th century and became timeless additions to the Great American Songbook. Songs like Winter Wonderland, Sleigh Ride, Let It Snow, and Home for the Holidays capture the festive season without explicitly referencing Christmas. Their charm lies in their universal celebration of winter and togetherness, making them perfect for any seasonal gathering.
Ghost Stories and Christmas Eve Traditions
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, released by Andy Williams in 1963, famously mentions “scary ghost stories” as part of the holiday tradition. While this might seem odd today, ghost stories were a significant part of Victorian Christmas celebrations. Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol and The Goblin and the Sexton were popular tales read aloud during family gatherings. The Krampus legend from Central Europe, featuring an anti-Santa figure who punished misbehaving children, also contributed to the eerie side of Christmas. Families in the late 19th and early 20th centuries often listened to Christmas mysteries and ghost stories on the radio, particularly on Christmas Eve.
Fun fact: George Wyle, the composer of The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, also wrote the theme song for Gilligan’s Island.
December 16 in Pop Culture History
December 16th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts
December 16th History Highlights
- 1773 – The Boston Tea Party: Members of the Sons of Liberty, disguised as Mohawk Indians, dumped hundreds of crates of tea into Boston harbor as a protest against the Tea Act.
- 1944 – The Battle of the Bulge
- 1947 – William Shockley, John Bardeen, and Walter Brattain built the first practical point-contact transistor.
- 1950 -US President Harry S. Truman declares a state of emergency after Chinese troops enter the fight in support of communist North Korea.
- If you were born on December 16th,
You were likely conceived the week of… March 24th (same year)
The Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was an event that took place on December 16, 1773. It is now remembered as the culmination of a series of protests by the Sons of Liberty in response to British tax policies which were oppressive and without colonial representation. The protest involved dumping chests of tea into Boston Harbor, ruining huge amounts worth of East India Company’s expensive imported commodity. This led to Parliament passing punitive measures against Massachusetts Bay Colony, with many considering this act one cause for the American Revolution.
The Boston Tea Party was an act of protest against British policies, which they felt were oppressive and unfair, particularly regarding taxes on tea imports from China. The protests culminated with dumping chests of tea into Boston Harbor, ruining huge amounts worth of East India Company’s expensive product. This ultimately led Parliament to pass punitive measures against the Massachusetts Bay Colony and is considered one cause for the American Revolution.
The Boston Tea Party Museum now stands as a popular tourist destination in the city, commemorating this crucial moment in American history. It serves as a reminder of how colonists can stand up to unfair treatment from their government and fight for their rights. Visitors can learn about the events leading up to the tea party, as well as the aftermath and its significance in American history. This makes for an informative and interesting experience for all who visit.
Arthur C. Clarke’s Three Laws
Second law: The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.
Third law: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
National Green Chili Day
National Green Chili Day is celebrated each year on December 16th. The holiday was founded in 2014 as a day for green chili pepper lovers to gather and enjoy the many delicious dishes that are made with green chilis.
All About Green Chilis
Green chilis originated in Central and South America. Today they can be found worldwide and are especially popular in Indian cuisine. There are many varieties, each with its own look, taste, and level of spiciness. Green chilis are slightly less spicy than red chilis and have a unique flavor. They contain many vitamins and are a good source of potassium and calcium.
How to Celebrate National Green Chili Day
There is no playbook to follow for celebrating this day. You might host a gathering of chili pepper lovers and enjoy some unique green chili dishes together. You could try making a new recipe yourself for dinner. And if you’ve never cooked with green chilis before, December 16th is the day to start.
Green Chili Dishes
There are countless ways to cook with green chilis. Here are a few of the most popular dishes you may want to try when celebrating National Green Chili Day.
- Chili Verde: a stew made of crushed green chilis, slow-cooked meat (usually pork), garlic, onions, and spices
- Poha (or Pohe): an Indian breakfast dish made with flattened rice, onions, potatoes, green chilis, and spices and herbs
- Green Chili Corn Casserole: There are many varities of this dish that contains sweet or creamed corn, green chilis, cheeses, and other delicious ingredients.
December 16th is…
Stupid Toy Day
December 16th Birthday Quotes
“Fear… can make you do more wrong than hate or jealousy. If you’re afraid you don’t commit yourself to life completely; fear makes you always, always hold something back.”
– Philip K. Dick
“People are wrong when they say opera is not what it used to be. It is what it used to be. That is what’s wrong with it.”
– Noël Coward
“The one thing for an actor that is death, is if you’re bored. The boredom will show in your work. It’s an amazing blessing to do something you love.”
– Benjamin Bratt
“The higher the building the lower the morals.”
– Noël Coward
“Perhaps it is better to be un-sane and happy, than sane and un-happy. But it is the best of all to be sane and happy. Whether our descendants can achieve that goal will be the greatest challenge of the future. Indeed, it may well decide whether we have any future.”
– Arthur C. Clarke
“Law school teaches you one thing above all: how to speak while saying absolutely nothing.”
– Krysten Ritter
“Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.”
– Philip K. Dick
December 16th Birthdays
1770 – Ludwig van Beethoven, composer (died in 1827)
1899 – Noël Coward, English actor, playwright, and composer (died in 1973)
1901 – Margaret Mead, American anthropologist and author (died in 1978)
1917 – Arthur C. Clarke, British science fiction writer (died in 2008)
1928 – Philip K. Dick, American writer (died in 1982)
1941 – Lesley Stahl, American journalist
1946 – Benny Andersson, Swedish singer-songwriter, ABBA
1961 – Shane Black, American actor, director, and screenwriter
1961 – Bill Hicks, American comedian, and musician (died in 1994)
1963 – Benjamin Bratt, American actor
1981 – Krysten Ritter, American actress
1987 – Hallee Hirsh, American actress
1997 – Zara Larsson, Swedish singer, and songwriter
1999 – The Dolan Twins (Ethan and Grayson Dolan), American YouTubers
December 16th History
1777 – Virginia became the first state to ratify the Articles of Confederation.
1811 (Earthquake) An 8.6 magnitude earthquake hit the United States, the largest in our history. The area affected included: Missouri, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Arkansas. Amazingly, no people were killed.
1835 – Great Fire of New York City. Over 600 buildings were destroyed.
1884 – The first US patent (#309,219) was issued for an automatic liquid vending machine to William H. Fruen of Minneapolis, MN. People could get a measured amount of a liquid for coin payment.
1893 – Czech composer Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 in E Minor From the New World was performed at Carnegie Hall. The music had African roots, and the piece greatly influenced the American musical landscape for the next century.
1912 -The world’s first stamp to depict an airplane was issued in the US, available at Post Offices on January 1, 1912.
1920 (Earthquake) Haiyuan County, Ningxia, China
1944 – Attacking the Allies in northern France through northwestern Belgium, Hitler’s army started the Operation Mist (aka Ardennes Offensive or the Battle of the Bulge).
1951 – Dragnet debuted on NBC.
On December 16, 1965, The first music played in Space was on GEMINI SIX, to wake up Astronauts Wally Schirra and Thomas Stafford – it was the first Musical Astronaut WAKE UP CALL, that has become a tradition with NASA since then. Jack Jones sang a parody of the hit Broadway tune Hello Dolly – which was a big hit at the time.
In the early days, they went with classical music like Beethoven’s 6th Symphony, Hungarian Rhapsody #2 by Lizst, and Madame Butterfly by Puccini. Over Time they really mixed it up, Flinstones Theme, Theme From Friends, and Ride of the Valkyries by Wagner, which would be an excellent song to wake up to, with a sunrise over the Earth’s Horizon.
1968 -Second Vatican Council: Officially revoked of the 1492 Edict of Expulsion of Jews from Spain.
1972 – #1 Hit December 16, 1972 – January 5, 1973: Billy Paul – Me and Mrs. Jones
1983 – Silkwood and Uncommon Valor debuted in theaters.
1988 – Rain Man, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and Torch Song Trilogy were released in theaters.
1994 – Dumb and Dumber was released in theaters.
2006 – #1 Hit December 16, 2006 – February 23, 2007: Beyonce – Irreplaceable
2010- CNN’s Larry King Live aired the last original episode.
2011 – Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol were released in theaters.
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts
Make out your Chopin Liszt early before Debussy season, when you have time to check out Verdi good bargains are, can still get gifts Faure good price, not have to Handel large crowds and have time to give Bach things you decide you don’t want.
Every day, man is making beggir and better fool-proof things, and every day, nature is making beggir and better fools. So far, I think nature is winning.
Astronauts Wally Schirra and Thomas Stafford made Jingle Bells the first song performed in space. They played it on a harmonica with bells (and implied spotting Santa) while orbiting Earth on Gemini 6 on Dec. 16, 1965.
The Capital of Argentina is Buenos Aires
“Rosebud.” – Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles) in Citizen Kane, 1941
Three sports movies have won the Oscar for best picture: Rocky (1976), Chariots of Fire (1981), and Million Dollar Baby (2004)
They say you shouldn’t make mountains out of molehills, but somewhere out there there are actual moles making molehills out of mountains. Good on them.
The 1960 Italian film La Dolce Vita was the origin of the term ‘paparazzi’, named after a character in the film, Paparazzo.
The ‘talking mirror’ trope from fairy tales probably originated when a careless time-traveler was seen using a Smartphone or a tablet.
1986, London’s bakers apologized for the Great Fire of London, 320 years after it happened.
“It never rains in California… Matadors…” #misunderstoodlyrics
The Scary Statistic: Lightning Strike odds: 1-in-83,930
What to do: Stay indoors, be grounded, or live in your car.
Many people who win the lottery end up bankrupt. Few financially responsible people win the lottery, because buying lottery tickets is not a financially responsible thing to do.
The Capital of Antigua and Barbuda is Saint John’s
More Pop Culture History Resources
Top 100 Christmas Movies
| 15. | A Christmas Carol (1951, aka Scrooge, Alastair Sim as Ebenezer) |
Monkey Day December 14th Birthday Quotes“I had determined to go as far as declaring in abstruse and puzzling utterances the future causes of the “common advent”, even those truly cogent ones that I have foreseen. Yet lest whatever human changes may be to come should scandalize delicate ears, the whole thing is written in nebulous form, rather than as a clear prophecy of any kind.” “Those who study the stars have God for a teacher.” “If people don’t like me for whatever I do, for being me, then that’s too bad. I don’t want to change to be something that I’m not for other people to like me.” “The mouse is wise, but the cat is wiser.” “Human beings have speculated about the relationship between inspiration and insanity for centuries.” December 14th Birthdays1503 – Nostradamus French astrologer, seer, and physician (died in 1566) 1546 – Tycho Brahe, Danish astronomer (died in 1601) 1908 – Morey Amsterdam, American actor (died in 1996) 1911 – Spike Jones, American singer, and bandleader (died in 1965) 1922 – Don Hewitt, American journalist, and producer, creator of 60 Minutes (died in 2009) 1932 – Charlie Rich, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died in 1995) 1935 – Lee Remick, American actress (died in 1991) 1946 – Jane Birkin, English-French actress, and singer 1946 – Patty Duke, American actress (died in 2016) 1965 – Ted Raimi, American actor 1988 – Vanessa Hudgens, American actress 1991 – Offset, American rapper December 14th History1287 – St. Lucia’s Flood, Netherlands 1656 – Imitation pearls were first manufactured by a Frenchman, named Jacquin. 1819 – Alabama became the 22nd US State. 1852 – Cullen Whipple, of Providence, R.I., patented (# 9477) his “Mechanism for Pointing and Threading Screw-Blanks in the Same Machine.” Prior to that screws were generally made with a flat tip. His machine made them pointy. 1900 – Max Planck demonstrated that energy can exhibit characteristics of physical matter, in certain situations, introducing quantum mechanics. Previously, the energy was considered a form only in wavelengths. 1902 – The Commercial Pacific Cable Company laid the first Pacific telegraph cable from San Francisco to Honolulu. 1903 – The Wright brothers made their first attempt to fly with the Wright Flyer at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. They got it to work on December 17th. 1911 – Norwegian Roald Amundsen became the first explorer to reach the South Pole. 1940 – Plutonium (Pu-238) was first isolated at Berkeley, California. 1959 – #1 Hit December 14, 1959 – December 27, 1959: Guy Mitchell – Heartaches by the Number 1964 – In Heart of Atlanta Motel v. the United States: The Supreme Court ruled that Congress can use the Constitution’s Commerce Clause to fight discrimination. 1968 – #1 Hit December 14, 1968 – January 31, 1969: Marvin Gaye – I Heard It Through the Grapevine December 14, 1977, is the date that the Movie Soundtrack became a thing– Saturday Night Fever opened in theaters. It had 11 bonified hits on the album and introduced the 110-128 BPM Dance Music we call Disco to a broader audience. It made John Travolta a star and changed the way soundtracks were tied to films. 1984 – Dune, Starman, 1984, A Passage to India, and the Cotton Club debuted in theaters. 1986 – Voyager, the experimental aircraft piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, took off from Edwards Air Force Base in California on the first non-stop, non-refueled flight around the world, in nine days. 1990 – Mermaids was released in theaters. 2001 – Vanilla Sky debuted in theaters. 2006 – King Kong debuted in theaters. 2007 – I Am Legend & Alvin and the Chipmunks debuted in theaters. 2012 – Adam Lanza entered the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut, and shot 26 people, and then himself. 20 children were killed in the attack. 2012 – The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was released in theaters. #1 Hit December 14, 2019 – December 20, 2019: The Weeknd – Heartless Today’s Random Trivia and Shower ThoughtsDid you know that Santa Claus has his own army? He keeps it in his sleevie. “He’s not the Messiah. He’s a very naughty boy!” – Brian’s mother #moviequotes The city of Bangkok’s full name is in fact: ‘Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit’ The Capital of Australia is Canberra “Oh, Jerry, don’t let’s ask for the moon. We have the stars.” – Charlotte Vale (Bette Davis) in Now, Voyager, 1942 “Everything is funny as long as it is happening to somebody else.” – Will Rogers The Church of Satan won’t give membership to convicted felons. Pronoia, the opposite of paranoia, is the delusion that everyone is secretly plotting your success. The 1928 classic The Passion of Joan of Arc was panned by the French government that commissioned it and a fire destroyed the negative, the original cut of the movie was thought to be lost forever, but a copy was found in a closet in an Oslo mental institution in 1981 The dot over a “j” or an “i” is called a “tittle.” What if Beaker from the Muppets didn’t really speak in beeps, but was just so vulgar that every word he said was censored? Just like R2-D2. Everyone knows the story of 789, but did you also hear that 3892? More Pop Culture History Resources
25 Christmas Movie Trivia Questions
Christmas Movie TriviaChristmas Movie Trivia Questions(answers) 2. Which song does Judy Garland sing in Meet Me in St. Louis, now considered a Christmas classic? 3. In The Polar Express, what is the first gift of Christmas? 4. In A Christmas Story, what gift does Ralphie want so desperately? 5. Which classic Christmas movie stars Bing Crosby singing White Christmas? 6. Although this film, a comedy, was released in June 1983, it took place over the holiday season. Name that film. 7. What is the real name of the character Santa Claus in Miracle on 34th Street? 8. Who plays Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol? 9. What is the name of the young boy left behind in Home Alone? 10. In Die Hard, what building is taken over by terrorists? 11. In It’s a Wonderful Life, what’s the name of George Bailey’s guardian angel? 12. Who played the Grinch in the 2000 live-action adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas? 13. What is the name of the Grinch’s dog in How the Grinch Stole Christmas? 14. What 1947 holiday movie was remade in 1994, starring Richard Attenborough? 15. What department store features in Miracle on 34th Street? 16. In The Santa Clause, what causes Scott Calvin to become Santa? 17. Name the actor who played six roles in The Polar Express. 18. Which classic Christmas movie stars Bing Crosby singing White Christmas? 19. In The Nightmare Before Christmas, what is Jack Skellington’s title in Halloween Town? 20. In A Christmas Carol, what is the name of Scrooge’s underpaid clerk? 21. What does Clark Griswold hope to buy with his Christmas bonus in Christmas Vacation? 22. In National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, what animal causes chaos by hiding in the Christmas tree? 23. What Christmas comedy features Arnold Schwarzenegger searching for a Turbo-Man action figure? 24. What famous actor voices the Conductor in The Polar Express? 25. In Elf, what song does Jovie sing to spread Christmas cheer? Trivia Team Bonus Questions: 1. In the movie Elf, what toy does Buddy not like because it “makes noise”? 2. What is the name of Ralphie’s younger brother in A Christmas Story? 3. In Elf, what are the four main food groups according to Buddy the Elf? 4. Which actor plays the lead in The Christmas Chronicles? 5. In Home Alone 2, what is the name of the hotel where Kevin stays in New York? Christmas Movie Trivia Questions and Answers1. In Home Alone, where is the McCallister family traveling when they leave Kevin behind? 2. Which song does Judy Garland sing in Meet Me in St. Louis, now considered a Christmas classic? 3. In The Polar Express, what is the first gift of Christmas? 4. In A Christmas Story, what gift does Ralphie want so desperately? 5. Which classic Christmas movie stars Bing Crosby singing White Christmas? 6. Although this film, a comedy, was released in June 1983, it took place over the holiday season. Name that film. 7. What is the real name of the character Santa Claus in Miracle on 34th Street? 8. Who plays Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol? 9. What is the name of the young boy left behind in Home Alone? 10. In Die Hard, what building is taken over by terrorists? 11. In It’s a Wonderful Life, what’s the name of George Bailey’s guardian angel? 12. Who played the Grinch in the 2000 live-action adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas? 13. What is the name of the Grinch’s dog in How the Grinch Stole Christmas? 14. What 1947 holiday movie was remade in 1994, starring Richard Attenborough? 15. What department store features in Miracle on 34th Street? 16. In The Santa Clause, what causes Scott Calvin to become Santa? 17. Name the actor who played six roles in The Polar Express. 18. Which classic Christmas movie stars Bing Crosby singing White Christmas? 19. In The Nightmare Before Christmas, what is Jack Skellington’s title in Halloween Town? 20. In A Christmas Carol, what is the name of Scrooge’s underpaid clerk? 21. What does Clark Griswold hope to buy with his Christmas bonus in Christmas Vacation? 22. In National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, what animal causes chaos by hiding in the Christmas tree? 23. What Christmas comedy features Arnold Schwarzenegger searching for a Turbo-Man action figure? 24. What famous actor voices the Conductor in The Polar Express? 25. In Elf, what song does Jovie sing to spread Christmas cheer? Trivia Team Bonus Answers: 1. In the movie Elf, what toy does Buddy not like because it “makes noise”? 2. What is the name of Ralphie’s younger brother in A Christmas Story? 3. In Elf, what are the four main food groups according to Buddy the Elf? 4. Which actor plays the lead in The Christmas Chronicles? 5. In Home Alone 2, what is the name of the hotel where Kevin stays in New York?
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