1. Who invented Christmas
Who invented Christmas? Santa Claus was invented by the Coca Cola corporation

2. Who invented Christmas
Who invented Christmas? Santa Claus was invented by the Coca Cola corporation
False - Santa Claus is based on the 4th Century bishop of Myra, Saint Nicholas, but is also linked to other mythological figures. Coca Cola used a picture of a jolly Santa Claus in a red suit to advertise their drink in the 1930s.

3. Mary and Joseph were from Bethlehem

4. Mary and Joseph were from Bethlehem
False - the Bible says that Mary and Joseph came from Nazareth, another town in Israel. They had to travel to Bethlehem to take part in a census of all the citizens of the Roman Empire.

5. There were three wise men who brought gold, silver and bronze

6. There were three wise men who brought gold, silver and bronze
False - the Bible doesn’t specify how many wise men visited Jesus, but it does say that they brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

7. The first people to hear about Jesus’
birth (other than Mary and Joseph!) were some shepherds

8. The first people to hear about Jesus’
birth (other than Mary and Joseph!) were some shepherds
True - this is unexpected because shepherds were not thought to be important in their society at the time.

9. In the United States, you’re not meant
to put your Christmas decorations up until after the John Lewis advert has been released

10. In the United States, you’re not meant
to put your Christmas decorations up until after the John Lewis advert has been released
False - there is no definite rule about when is the right time to put up your decorations, but in some parts of America, people wait until the day after Thanksgiving to decorate.

11. Christmas technically isn’t over until
6th January

12. Christmas technically isn’t over until
6th January
True - in the Christian tradition, the feast of Christmas finishes on 6th January (Epiphany or Twelfth Night), the day that marks the visit of the wise men to the baby Jesus.

13. Jesus was born on 25th December

14. Jesus was born on 25th December
False - we don’t know exactly when Jesus’ birthday is, but it’s most likely that the actual date is around harvest time (September or October when the shepherds would have been in the fields). The 25th December was chosen later as the day to celebrate his birth, and is connected to existing festivals of light.

15. Christmas trees are mentioned
in the Bible

16. Christmas trees are mentioned
in the Bible
False - Christmas trees were introduced to the UK by Queen Charlotte in around They became popular in the 1840s when Prince Albert married Queen Victoria.
Queen Charlotte

17. In ‘A Christmas Carol’, Ebenezer Scrooge,
is visited by three ghosts - the ghosts of Christmas Past Christmas Present and Christmas Future

18. In ‘A Christmas Carol’, Ebenezer Scrooge,
is visited by three ghosts - the ghosts of Christmas Past Christmas Present and Christmas Future
False - Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, and by three spirits - Past, Present and Yet To Come.

19. Dutch people wish each other
'Nice Christmas'

20. Dutch people wish each other
'Nice Christmas'
True - one of the Dutch phrases for 'Happy Christmas' (Prettig Kerstfeest) actually translates as 'Nice Christmas’.