The Historians' Trivia to Christmas in America...You folks might like these..

[ Reply ] [ The Indyfan Forum ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by The Spatsman from spider-tj054.proxy.aol.com on December 13, 2000 at 02:45:16:

Happy Holidays, Gang,
May your fedoras keep their shape, may your leather distress in a truly traveled fashion and may your bullwhips always have quality falls. Since we just got the 1st decent snow of the season here, I thought I'd share these with you. They can be fun at Christmas parties, eggnog tastings, Yuletide orgies...whatever you may do in this festive season. I've included the answers...
1.) Santa Claus, or SinterKlaas, is based on what title?
A* Saint Nicholas.
2.) How many Wise men were there?
A* Unknown. Biblically speaking there were 3 gifts, but the wise men, or Magi, are not named or numbered. Later medieval legend, however, assumed one per gift, and named them.
3.) In Many European countries, St. Nicholas travels with a companion...who is it?
A* Black Peter, or Krampus.
4.) In the Animated Rankin/Bass Classic "Frosty the Snowman",what was the rabbit's name?
A* Hocus-Pocus
5.) How long had Jacob Marley been deceased before he appeared to Scrooge to offer him a final hope?
A* 10 years to the day
6.) Does Santa's sleigh and team actually fly?
A* Not in the strictest sense...only when they meet with an obstacle do they mount to the sky.
7.) What is older, trick-or-treating or caroling?
A* Trick-or-treating dates back to 1600's when the Irish, inspired by the tradition of dead, or dumb feasts, began harassing English landlords for food, though aspects of the custom go further back in history. Caroling is distinctly Victorian.
8.) The Carol "What Child is This?" takes it's melody from a medieval tune called Greensleeves. What was the subject matter of that original song?
A* A prostitute, one that Henry VIII longed for. Greensleeves was a term for prostitutes in late medieval England, due to the stains on their sleeves from rolling in the grass.
9.) In the carol "The Little Drummer Boy" the drummer says, "...I am a poor boy, too" Was Jesus born poor?
A* Doubtful. Jesus was born the son of a carpenter,a skill that was highly respected and in demand in Israel. Recent studies indicate that Joseph might have actually been a stonemason. This would also have been a lucrative trade. Jesus was born in a manger simply due to lack of lodging space in a town preparing for census.
10.)Finally, Scrooge gave Bob Cratchit Christmas Day off. How many people do you know who WILL work Dec.25th?

Have a safe and happy holiday gang, no matter what you celebrate this season.
~The Spatsman


Follow Ups:



Post a Followup:

Name:    
E-Mail:  
Subject: 
Comments:

Optional:

Link URL:   
Link Title: 
Image URL:  


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Indyfan Forum ] [ FAQ ]