In Frank Capra's film 'It's a Wonderful Life' (1946), the guardian angel sent to help George Bailey is named Clarence.
True False
True: Clarence Odbody is the second-class angel who shows George what life would have been like without him. Clarence is trying to earn his wings, and does so by the end of the film when a bell rings on the Bailey family's Christmas tree.
In the Richard Curtis film 'Love Actually' (2003), Hugh Grant plays a newly-elected British Prime Minister.
True False
True: Hugh Grant plays PM David, who famously falls for Natalie, a member of his household staff at Number 10. The film is an ensemble romantic comedy set across London in the run-up to Christmas, with nine interlocking storylines.
'Last Christmas' by Wham! was the UK Christmas Number One single in 1984.
True False
False: 'Last Christmas' was famously kept off the top spot that year, spending five weeks at Number Two. Band Aid's 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' blocked it. 'Last Christmas' finally reached UK Number One in January 2021, nearly 37 years after its release.
Traditional mince pies originally contained real meat, such as mutton or beef, as well as fruit and spices.
True False
True: Medieval mince pies were savoury meat pies, combining minced meat with dried fruit and warming spices. By the Victorian era they had become predominantly sweet, though suet (beef fat) is still used in many traditional recipes today.
The three Wise Men are named in the Bible as Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar.
True False
False: The Bible does not name the Wise Men, nor does it actually specify that there were three of them. The Gospel of Matthew simply refers to 'magi from the east'. The names Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar come from later Christian tradition, dating to around the 6th century.
The 1984 film 'Gremlins' is set at Christmas.
True False
True: The film takes place in the fictional town of Kingston Falls over the Christmas period, with carols, snow and festive decorations throughout. It includes one of cinema's darkest Christmas monologues, delivered by Phoebe Cates's character Kate, explaining why she hates Christmas.
In Sweden, St Lucia's Day, marked with candle-crowned processions, falls on 13th December.
True False
True: St Lucia's Day is one of Sweden's major festive traditions, opening the run-up to Christmas. A girl chosen to be Lucia wears a white gown and a crown of candles, leading a procession of singers and serving saffron buns known as lussekatter.
The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas on 6th January.
True False
False: The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas on 7th January. The Orthodox Church still uses the older Julian calendar for religious feasts. The Julian 25th December currently falls on 7th January in the Gregorian calendar we use day-to-day.
In Alpine folklore, Krampus is a horned figure who punishes naughty children around Christmas.
True False
True: Krampus is a goat-like demon from the folklore of Austria, Bavaria and other Alpine regions. He traditionally accompanies Saint Nicholas on 5th December (Krampusnacht), scaring ill-behaved children while Nicholas rewards good ones.
In the film 'Miracle on 34th Street', the department store Santa claims his real name is Kris Kringle.
True False
True: The plot hinges on whether Kris Kringle, played by Edmund Gwenn in the 1947 original, really is Santa Claus. Gwenn won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the role, and the film remains one of the most beloved Christmas classics.
Turkeys are native to Britain and have always been the traditional Christmas bird.
True False
False: Turkeys are native to the Americas and only reached Britain in the 16th century. Before turkey became popular, medieval English Christmas feasts were more likely to feature goose, boar or even peacock. Turkey only became the dominant Christmas bird in the 20th century.
'Fairytale of New York' by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl reached UK Christmas Number One in 1987.
True False
False: Despite being hugely popular, it was kept off the top spot by the Pet Shop Boys. Pet Shop Boys' cover of 'Always on My Mind' was the 1987 UK Christmas Number One. 'Fairytale of New York' peaked at Number Two.
In Catalonia, Spain, families traditionally beat a hollow decorated log called 'Caga Tió' to make it 'produce' sweets and small gifts.
True False
True: The 'Tió de Nadal' (Christmas Log), nicknamed 'Caga Tió', is a cherished Catalan tradition. Children cover the log with a blanket and feed it scraps in the lead-up to Christmas, then beat it with sticks on Christmas Eve while singing a traditional song, after which it 'excretes' presents hidden underneath.
The poinsettia plant is highly poisonous to humans.
True False
False: The idea that poinsettias are dangerously poisonous is a long-standing myth. The milky sap can cause mild skin or stomach irritation, but studies have found no evidence of serious poisoning. A child would need to eat hundreds of leaves to experience any significant effect.
'Good King Wenceslas' is based on the life of a real English king from the 12th century.
True False
False: Wenceslas was a 10th-century Duke (later King) of Bohemia, not England. Wenceslaus I, who ruled from around 921 to 935, was renowned for his piety and charity. He was posthumously declared a saint and king, and is now the patron saint of the Czech Republic.
Leaving out a glass of sherry and a mince pie for Father Christmas is a distinctly British tradition.
True False
True: British children typically leave sherry (or another tipple) and a mince pie, often along with a carrot for the reindeer. In the United States the equivalent tradition is milk and cookies, while in other countries the offerings vary, from rice porridge in Scandinavia to glasses of beer in Ireland.
In French tradition, the Christmas gift-bringer is known as Père Fouettard.
True False
False: The French gift-bringer is Père Noël. Père Fouettard is a different, darker figure entirely. Père Fouettard ('Father Whipper') is a sinister companion in some regional traditions, dispensing floggings or coal to badly-behaved children while Père Noël delivers the presents.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Christmas song 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)' was first released in 1965.
True False
False: 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)' was first released in 1971, not 1965. The single was released in the US in December 1971 and in the UK in November 1972, four years after The Beatles had split up. It was originally an anti-Vietnam War protest song.
The Philippines is known for having the longest Christmas season in the world, with festivities beginning as early as September.
True False
True: Filipino Christmas celebrations stretch from September all the way through to the Feast of the Three Kings in early January. The 'ber' months (September, October, November, December) mark the start of the season, with radio stations playing carols and homes decorated well before Western countries begin.
The word 'Yule' is thought to come from a Latin word meaning 'December'.
True False
False: 'Yule' comes from an Old Norse and Old English word for a midwinter festival, not from Latin. The word derives from Old Norse 'jól' and Old English 'geol', which referred to a pre-Christian midwinter feast. Early Christian missionaries absorbed the term into the festivities of Christmas.
