Check your Christmas Quotient

The big day’s here. The kids are knee-deep into treasures from Santa, the coffee pot’s on and the Santa rush is over.

It’s a perfect time to kick back and enjoy a little Christmas and holiday trivia. Here’s some questions to test your Christmas Quotient.

THE QUESTIONS

1 — The famous editorial “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” was published in 1897. What was 7-year-old Virginia’s last name?

2 — Which two books of the New Testament detail the birth of Jesus?

3 — Everybody remember’s Ebenezer Scrooge’s famous retort to wishes for a merry Christmas — “Bah! Humbug!” Just what is a humbug?

4 — Traditionally, the immediate British royal family spends Christmas at Sandringham. Except for the queen, what unusual accessory is worn by members of the royal family at dinner?

5 — If you gave each of the gifts mentioned in the Christmas carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas” the number of times they are mentioned in the song, how many gifts would you give in all?

6 — According to the tradition of kissing beneath the mistletoe, the plant is not meant to prompt an infinite amount of holiday smooching. How do you know when the “magic” is gone?

7 — In 1822, the American concept of Santa Claus was neatly wrapped up in the classic, “A Visit from St. Nicholas.” Who wrote it?

8 — At midnight Christmas Eve, a Polish tradition says, all animals are empowered to speak for an hour. Who has the ability to hear their words?

9 — What is the “Reindeer Rule”?

10 — What does white represent in traditional candy canes?

11 — In “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” the dastardly Grinch is said to have a heart condition that contributes to his generally mean disposition. What is it?

12 — While some see Xmas as an attempt to secularize Christmas, what does the X really stand for?

13 — When are the 12 days of Christmas?

14 — Which editorial cartoonist is credited with creating a standard image of Santa Claus in America?

15 — Another artist refined the American image of Santa in 1931 by working the jolly ol’ elf into a major corporation’s advertising campaign. Who was he and what was the product?

16 — Who was president of the United States when Christmas was declared a federal holiday?

17 — In which movie did the Christmas carol “Silver Bells” make its debut?

18 — In which movie did the Christmas carol “White Christmas” make its debut?

19 — In what year did the U.S. Postal Service issue its first Christmas stamp?

20 — If a single man finds a button in his plum pudding, what does that mean for his marriage prospects?

21 — What automobile manufacturer was born on Christmas Day in 1876?

22 — According to the Bible story, Mary and Joseph traveled about 70 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Why did they make the trip?

23 — Which state was the first one to make Christmas a legal holiday?

24 — What product did the National Biscuit Company introduce in 1902 as a Christmas ornament?

25 — Speaking of candy canes, they’ve been around since 1670. What were they used for initially?

26 — In the “Frosty the Snowman” cartoon, what are his first words?

27 — The horse in the song “Jingle Bells” has a name. What is it?

28 — A Saturday Evening Post artist was known for his whimsical pictures of Santa Claus. Who was the artist?

29 — A favorite toy of young boys at Christmas since his debut in 1964 has been GI Joe. What was distinct about the action figure’s face?

30 — In “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” what’s Charlie’s primary complaint about Christmas?

31 — In 1969, H. Ross Perot tried to airlift 28 tons of gifts and medical supplies to a location overseas. Who was he trying to send the shipment to and where were they?

32 — Where can you find America’s Official Christmas Tree?

33 — Georgia has some towns in yuletide names. Which of these town names can be found on a state map: Santa Claus, Bethlehem and/or Christmas?

34 — There are at least two Christmas Islands. One is in the Pacific. Where is the second?

35 — Which president was the first to decorate an official Christmas tree at the White House?

36 — Over the years, Santa has been used to pitch a number of products. One animated commercial had him riding a product like a sled, ironically one that Santa almost certainly never used. What was it?

37 — Founded in 1910, in what year did the Hallmark introduce its Christmas greeting cards?

38 — Taking into account time zones, how many hours does Santa have to complete his appointed rounds on Christmas Eve?

39 — During World War II, a popular toy was commissioned for military training use. What was it?

40 — How long did it take Charles Dickens to write “A Christmas Carol”?

THE ANSWERS

1 — O’Hanlon.

2 — Matthew and Luke.

3 — Deception or nonsense.

4 — They wear cardboard crowns.

5 — 364 (The partridge in the pear tree is given 12 times during the course of the song, two turtle doves 11 times and so on.)

6 — With each kiss, one of the white berries is removed from the sprig. Once the berries are gone, so is the compulsion to kiss.

7 — Clement Clark Moore. The poem also is known as “The Night Before Christmas.”

8 — Only people who are good of heart.

9 — In 1985 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a religious symbol displayed on public property or at a school would not violate the Constitution as long as secular symbols, such as reindeer or snowmen, also were included. The ruling tends to get challenged frequently by opponents.

10 — The purity of Christ.

11 — The Grinch’s heart was two sizes too small. Christmas cured his postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

12 — The X is actually the Greek letter Chi, the first letter in the Greek spelling of Christ (Χριστός). Historically, Xp (Chi Rho) together have been used for centuries to represent Christ. X has been used at least since the mid-1500s.

13 — Also known as Twelvetide, it runs Christmas through Jan. 5.

14 — Famed editorial cartoonist Thomas Nast was the first to show an elfish Santa in his sleigh pulled by reindeer. In his 1863 cartoon for Harper’s Weekly, Santa was delivering gifts to soldiers in a Civil war camp.

15 — Haddon Sunbloom, who produced the definitive image of Santa in advertisements for Coca-Cola.

16 — Ulysses S. Grant, 1870.

17 — “The Lemon Drop Kid” in 1951 starred Bob Hope singing the carol. The film was based on a short story by Damon Runyon.

18 — “Holiday Inn” in 1942 starring Hope’s movie partner Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. Crosby’s first public performance of the song, however, was in 1941 on his radio program. His version is the all-time best-selling single. Cosby also sang it in the “White Christmas” movie in 1954.

19 — 1962.

20 — They’re pretty gloomy. He can expect continued bachelorhood.

21 — Louis Joseph Chevrolet.

22 — To be taxed by the Roman government.

23 — Alabama.

24 — Barnum’s Animal Crackers — that’s why the box has a string.

25 — A church choirmaster used the candy sticks to keep children quiet.

26 — “Happy birthday!”

27 — Bob.

28 — Norman Rockwell.

29 — Each had a facial scar.

30 — Commercialization.

31 — Perot was trying to get the gifts and supplies to American troops held as prisoners of war in Vietnam. The mission was unsuccessful because North Vietnamese wouldn’t allow the two jets to land in Hanoi.

32 — The giant Sequoia, which is more than 300 feet tall, is located at King’s Canyon National Park in California. It got its designation in 1925.

33 — The two real Georgia towns are Santa Claus in Toombs County and Bethlehem in Barrow County.

34 — The Indian Ocean.

35 — Franklin Pierce in 1856.

36 — A Norelco Electric Shaver, something the bewhiskered Santa wouldn’t need.

37 — 1915.

38 — 31 hours.

39 — About 100,000 ViewMasters and 6 million disks were ordered by the military from 1942 until 1945.

40 — About six weeks.

Perfect score: See you next Christmas, Santa.

35-39: Chief Elf status.

30-34: Elf First Class.

25-29: Elf in good standing.

20-24: OK, elf, you’re on probation.

15-19: Mall elf.

10-14: Clearly non-elf.

1-9: That you, Grinch?

0: Nope, it’s Scrooge.