Image: Orbon Alija/E+/Getty Images
About This Quiz
We all know Rudolph had a red, shiny nose and Jack Frost nips at your nose but can you name the songs those lyrics come from?Â
Christmas carols are an essential part of the holiday season and can easily become earworms, playing on a loop in your mind all day. From the classics like "Silent Night" to modern-day classics like Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You," you're bound to have heard these songs even if you don't have the same attachment to them as the rest of society.Â
While many Christmas carols have religious overtones including "Joy to the World," "Silent Night," and "The First Noel," other equally popular tracks like "Baby It's Cold Outside" and "12 Days of Christmas" are known for their playful lyrics.Â
So how many of these classics can you identify with just a single lyrics? If you see this line: "Hang your stockings and say your prayers cause Santa Claus comes tonight..â€Â can you correctly name the Christmas carol it came from?
It's time to put on your favorite holiday tunes cause here comes Santa Claus and he's gifting you this quiz so go ahead and get started!Â
“...Had a very shiny nose...â€
"Frosty the Snowman"
"Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer"
Just like “Frosty the Snow Man,†this song was based on a children's story. Rudolph, the ninth reindeer, was created by Robert L. May, an employee of Montgomery Ward department store in Chicago. The store gave out Christmas books each year to children and May was asked in 1939 to create a story that kids would enjoy.
"Santa Baby"
"Jingle Bell Rock"
“It's Christmas time in the city. Ring-a-ling, hear them ring, soon it will be Christmas day."
"Santa Baby"
"Jingle Bells"
"Silver Bells"
The original lyric for "Silver Bells" was actually "Tinkle Bells," inspired by a tiny bell on the desk of composers Livingston and Evans!
"Holy Night"
“So really I'd better scurry, well maybe just a half a drink more...â€
"Hurry Home"
"Silver Bells"
"Jack Frost"
"Baby, It's Cold Outside"
This famous duet has been covered by many famous artists but it was first released by Frank Loesser, who wrote it in 1944. He and his wife would sing it during parties to let people know it was time to leave. It was featured in the 1949 film "Neptune's Daughter" and won the Oscar for best original song.
Advertisement
“But the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be...â€
"We Three Kings"
"Frosty the Snowman"
"Starry Night"
"It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas"
The Grand Hotel from "It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas" is believed to be in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.
“I don't want a lot for Christmas, there's just one thing I need...â€
"All I Want for Christmas Is You"
Mariah Carey's '94 Christmas single "All I Want for Christmas Is You" is one of the most successful modern holiday tracks. It remains her biggest international hit and is the 10th best-selling single of all time, as we, as well as the best-selling Christmas single by a female singer.
"Santa Baby"
"Jingle Bell Rock"
"Let It Snow"
“Oh the weather outside is frightful, But the fire is so delightful, And since we've no place to go..."
"We Wish You A Merry Christmas"
"White Christmas"
"Santa's Coming"
"Let It Snow"
This song was recorded by Vaughn Monroe in 1945. “Let It Snow†is another summertime Christmas song, as creator Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne wrote the song while sweating away in Hollywood during one of the hottest days on record during July of 1945.
Advertisement
“...Mistletoe hung where you can see...â€
"Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree"
Kevin McCallister can be caught having an elaborate dance party to this classic song in "Home Alone." Singer Brenda Lee recorded the original version of “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree†when she was only 13 years old.
"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"
"Christmas Song"
"Baby, It's Cold Outside"
“...Giddy up jingle horse pick up your feet...â€
"Jingle Bell Rock"
This Christmas song was first released by Bobby Helms in 1957 and it has received frequent airplay in the United States during every Christmas season since then.
"Santa's Coming To Town"
"Silent Night"
"Let It Snow"
“...it's the best time of the year...â€
"Santa Baby"
"Jingle Bells"
"White Christmas"
"A Holly Jolly Christmas"
This endearing performance can be found in the old classic, "Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer." There’s Santa, Rudolph, elves square dancing, presents, a giant tree, mistletoe, tinsel, and the most classic Christmas icon – the abominable snowman.
Advertisement
“Christmas is here, bringing good cheer...â€
"Merry Christmas"
"Santa's Coming"
"Winter Hymn"
"Carol of the Bells"
The music of "Carol of the Bells" was written by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych in 1914 and the music remains in the public domain. The original lyrics were by Peter J. Wilhousky and the song is based on the Ukrainian folk chant "Shchedryk."
"Hang your stockings and say your prayers cause Santa Claus comes tonight...â€
"The First Noel"
"Here Comes Santa Claus"
In 1947, Gene Autry recorded this song after riding his horse in the 1946 Santa Claus Lane Parade and hearing people say "here comes Santa Claus."
"Joy to the World"
"We Wish You a Merry Christmas"
“_____, holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight.â€
"Silent Night"
In 1953 Bing Crosby had a huge hit with a song that is originally called “Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht†in German.
"Santa Baby"
"O Christmas Tree"
"We Three Kings"
Advertisement
“Oh what fun it is to ride and sing, a sleighing song tonight.â€
"Jingle Bells"
This carol, so popular with young children because of its infectious tune and its simplicity, was created in Boston in 1857 by a man coming up with songs for a Thanksgiving program at his church.
"Holy Night"
"The Christmas Song"
"Sleigh Ride"
“...You can plan on me. Please have snow and mistletoe, and presents on the tree.â€
"We Wish You a Merry Christmas"
"Santa Baby"
"I'll Be Home For Christmas"
Gemini 7 astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell asked to have "I'll Be Home For Christmas" played for them while they were in orbit in 1965.
"White Christmas"
“...Click, click, click. Down through the chimney with good Saint Nick.â€
"Santa Claus is Comin' to Town"
"Up on the House Top"
This is considered the first Christmas song to mention Santa. It is also recognized as the second-oldest secular Christmas song, after "Jingle Bells," which was written in 1857 while "Up on the House Top" was written in 1864.
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
"Winter Wonderland"
Advertisement
“You're as cuddly as a cactus, you're as charming as an eel...â€
"Jack Frost"
"Santa's Comin' To Town"
"You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch"
Thurl Ravenscroft, the singer responsible for this classic song from the 1966 cartoon "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas", also famously voiced Tony the Tiger, the mascot for Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes.
Father Christmas
“...and hurry down the chimney tonight...â€
"I'll Be Home For Christmas"
"Santa Baby"
The 1953 classic "Santa Baby," was originally performed by Eartha Kitt but other sultry celebs including Madonna, Kylie Minogue, and (unofficially) Marilyn Monroe have also performed their rendition of this song.
"White Christmas"
"The Christmas Song"
“Star of wonder, star of night...â€
"Starry Night"
"White Christmas"
"O Come, All Ye Faithful"
"We Three Kings"
Written by John Henry Hopkins Jr. in 1857. "We Three Kings" was originally conceived by Hopkins as a carol that would include three solos, each representing the three kings. Typically these solos are no longer a part of the song.
Advertisement
“Where the treetops glisten and children listen to hear sleigh bells in the snowâ€
"White Christmas"
Bing Crosby’s version of “White Christmas†is the song's best-selling single of all time. In April 1975, the American military played the original “White Christmas†over Armed Forces Radio as a covert signal instructing soldiers in Vietnam to evacuate Saigon.
"The Twelve Days of Christmas"
"It Came Upon the Midnight Clear"
"Deck the Halls"
“Holy infant so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace."
"Ding Dong Merrily On High"
"O Holy Night"
"Silent Night"
Joseph Mohr, a pastor, wrote "Silent Night" as a poem in 1816. The Austrian pastor continued his work at the church until two years later, when the organ in the church broke just before the Christmas Mass and Mohr turned his attention back to that poem. Today, there is reportedly no Christmas carol that has been performed and recorded more than Silent Night.
"Winter Wonderland"
“...Glory to the newborn king! Peace on earth, and mercy mild. God and sinners reconciledâ€
"Little Drummer Boy"
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
"O Little Town of Bethlehem "
"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"
Felix Mendelssohn composed the tune to "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" as a tribute to printer/inventor Johann Gutenberg in 1840.
Advertisement
“Gone away is the blue bird. Here to stay is a new bird. He sings a love song, as we go along...â€
"Winter Wonderland"
Dick Smith wrote the words for "Winter Wonderland" while recovering from tuberculosis in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
"White Christmas"
"Holly Jolly Christmas"
"Do You Hear What I Hear"
“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree.â€
"The Christmas Song"
"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"
"The Twelve Days of Christmas"
Australians have their own version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" where all of the animals are replaced by wildlife from down under.
"Little Drummer Boy"
"Said the night wind to the little lamb, 'Do you see what I see?' Way up in the sky, little lambâ€
"Blue Christmas"
"Angels We Have Heard on High"
"The First Noel"
"Do You Hear What I Hear"
This song was written partly as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 b Noël Regney with music by Gloria Shayne Baker.
Advertisement
“...Just like the ones I used to know. Where the treetops glisten and children listen to hear sleigh bells in the snowâ€
"Happy Holiday"
"White Christmas"
The 1942 master version of Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" was damaged due to frequent use. He re-recorded the track on March 19, 1947 which is the version most people know today.
"(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays"
"Happy Holiday"
“Jack Frost nipping at your nose. Yuletide carols being sung by a choir...â€
"The Christmas Song"
Mel Tormé’s “The Christmas Song†(more commonly known as “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fireâ€) was written during a summer heatwave in 1944.
"Carol of the Bells"
"Silver Bells"
"All I Want for Christmas Is You"
“Make the Yuletide gay. From now on, our troubles will be miles away.â€
"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"
"We Wish You a Merry Christmas"
"Ding Dong Merrily on High"
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
Written for the 1944 film "Meet Me in St. Louis," the original lyrics to “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas†were deemed too sad by both the film’s director Vincente Minelli and its star Judy Garland. They asked songwriter Vincente Minelli to rewrite sections of the song.
Advertisement
“There is just one thing I need, and I don't care about the presents, underneath the Christmas treeâ€
"Merry Xmas Everybody"
"Wonderful Christmastime"
"Do They Know It's Christmas?"
"All I Want For Christmas Is You"
Walter Afanasieff, Mariah Carey’s co-writer on “All I Want For Christmas Is You,â€Â also wrote Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On.â€
“Come and behold Him, born the King of angels...â€
"O Come, All Ye Faithful"
'O Come All Ye Faithful' was originally known as 'Adeste Fideles' because it was first written and sung in Latin before being translated into English. The Latin version remains popular and is sometimes still recorded today.
"Jingle Bells"
"Holly Jolly Christmas"
"Silent Night"
“You better watch out, you better not cry, better not pout...â€
"Santa Baby"
"Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town"
This was written in 1932 by Haven Gillespie and J. Fred Coots. They had trouble convincing anyone to produce it because it was seen as a kids' song so they thought it didn't necessarily have mass appeal.
"Deck the Halls"
"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"
Advertisement
“Glad tidings we bring, to you and your kin...â€
"We Wish You a Merry Christmas"
“We Wish You A Merry Christmas†is one of the oldest secular Christmas songs, originating in 16th century England.
"Holly Jolly Christmas"
"Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays"
"Carol of the Bells"
“With the kids jingle belling, and everyone telling you, 'Be of good cheer.'"
"Baby, It's Cold Outside"
"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"
It was written specifically for "The Andy Williams Christmas Album" and the crooner performed it on his popular variety show, "The Andy Williams Show."
"Jingle Bell Rock"
"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"
“Oh what fun it is to ride on a one horse open sleigh...â€
"Frosty the Snowman"
"It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas"
"Jingle Bells"
Originally it was to be named “One horse Open Sleigh.†This was the first song played in space. On December 16, 1965, astronauts Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford were aboard Gemini 6 when they played this on a harmonica and bells to Mission Control!
"Winter Wonderland"
Advertisement
“I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas, from the bottom of my heart...â€
"Jingle Bell Rock"
"Feliz Navidad"
This bilingual classic sung by the iconic Puerto Rican singer and songwriter José Feliciano was released in 1970 and quickly became a Christmas staple.
"O Holy Night"
"(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays"
"How loyal are your needles! You're green not only in the summertime...â€
"O Christmas Tree"
“O Christmas Tree†is also known as “O Tannenbaum", a Tannenbaum is a fir tree. Organist Ernst Anschütz set his German lyrics to the 16th century folk tune following a tradition of songs praising the trees for faithfully remaining green
"We Three Kings"
"Silent Night"
"Deck the Halls"
You Got:
/35
Orbon Alija/E+/Getty Images