EP 82: Holiday Trivia Showdown with the Handbid Team

Positioning review: No adjustments needed. This is a holiday special episode featuring trivia games with the Handbid team. No fundraising advice or positioning-sensitive content present.

Jeff: Welcome to Elevate Your Event, your favorite podcast for transforming fundraising events. Join us weekly for expert tips and creative ideas to make your next event a standout success. Welcome to Elevate Your Event. In this special holiday episode, we're trading fundraising for festive fun with a battle of wits, laughs, and plenty of holiday trivia. From Christmas movies to New Year's traditions and even a surprising dose of Bible knowledge, this episode has it all. So grab your cocoa, get cozy, and join us for a holly jolly showdown. Let the festive fun begin.

Jeff: Welcome back to the Elevate Your Event podcast. This is a special episode -- our holiday episode. And apparently, somebody missed the dress code and showed up in costume. Or didn't show up in costume.

Elise D: You mean the three of you? Hey, what is this?

Jeff: I know, I'm not even wearing a red or green shirt. If you're not viewing this podcast on YouTube, you're missing the fact that Elise Druckenmiller is dressed up like the Grinch. And if she misses a single Grinch question in our trivia, she's going to have to pay.

Jeff: What we like to do every year is just have a little bit of fun. It's been a rough fundraising year for some, stressful for some, and amazing for some. But either way, the fundraising season takes a break over the holidays and we put the fun back into fundraising. So we're going to do holiday trivia -- pop culture stuff -- and see how good the Handbid staff is. I've got four teams: Elise Neugebauer, Inga Weiss, the Grinch, and the production team. I can't participate because I wrote all the questions. No phones, no ChatGPT.

Jeff: First section -- Christmas movies. What is the exact amount of money that Clarence shows George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life to prove that he doesn't exist?

Elise N: A hundred dollars.

Jeff: The answer is $8,000. I want you all to go watch this movie.

Jeff: In the Polar Express, what word is punched into the main character's ticket by the conductor?

Elise N: Santa.

Jeff: The answer is "believe."

Jeff: In Elf, what is the name of the store where Buddy works?

Elise N: Macy's.

Michaela: Gimbels.

Jeff: Gimbels! The production team comes through.

Jeff: What is the name of the angelic choir the Grinch hears in Whoville in How the Grinch Stole Christmas?

Jeff: The Who Carillers. Moving on.

Jeff: In A Charlie Brown Christmas, what unusual thing does Linus do during his monologue quoting the book of Luke?

Michaela: He drops his blanket.

Jeff: That's right. When he recites "Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy" -- he drops his blanket with the words "fear not."

Jeff: What type of animal does Aunt Bethany bring wrapped up in a box in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation?

Elise N: A cat.

Jeff: Cat is correct.

Jeff: In Home Alone 2, what hotel does Kevin stay at?

Elise D: The Plaza Hotel.

Jeff: Correct. Bonus -- who does Kevin ask for directions?

Elise N: Donald Trump.

Jeff: Correct. He actually insisted they couldn't film in the Plaza unless he was in the movie.

Jeff: Christmas songs. What song does Jovie sing in Elf to inspire Christmas spirit at the end?

Jeff: Santa Claus Is Coming to Town. You should all go watch Elf tonight.

Jeff: Which Christmas carol was sung by soldiers during the World War I Christmas truce?

Elise N: Silent Night.

Inga: Silent Night.

Jeff: Tie -- both get a point. Silent Night is correct.

Jeff: In Winter Wonderland, what is the name of the snowman?

Elise D: Parson Brown.

Jeff: Parson Brown is correct.

Jeff: In I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, where does the kiss take place?

Inga: Under the mistletoe.

Jeff: Correct. The Catholic Church banned that song in 1962.

Jeff: What Christmas song holds the record as most streamed on Spotify in a single day?

Inga: All I Want for Christmas Is You.

Jeff: Correct. Last Christmas by Wham is number two.

Jeff: Oh, Come All Ye Faithful was originally written in what language?

Michaela: Latin.

Jeff: Latin is correct.

Jeff: In The 12 Days of Christmas, what was given on the 11th day?

Elise D: 11 pipers piping.

Jeff: Correct. Bonus -- how many total gifts are given in the song? 364. That's the whole point of the song.

Jeff: Holiday events. What fictional holiday was introduced in Seinfeld?

Elise D: Festivus.

Jeff: Festivus is correct. December 23rd. The elements: the Festivus dinner, the Festivus pole, the airing of grievances, the feats of strength, and to end it, you have to wrestle the host to the ground.

Jeff: What festive dessert is traditionally set on fire at UK holiday parties?

Michaela: Christmas pudding.

Jeff: Christmas pudding, set alight with brandy.

Jeff: How many Waterford Crystal triangles make the New Year's Eve ball in Times Square?

Jeff: The answer is 2,688.

Jeff: What famous New Year's Eve song means "times gone by"?

Elise N: Auld Lang Syne.

Jeff: Correct. It's a Scottish song. Bonus -- the University of Virginia shares the same melody as their alma mater, the Good Old Song.

Jeff: What Spanish New Year's Eve tradition involves eating something during the 12 chimes of midnight?

Jeff: 12 grapes -- las doce uvas de la suerte, the 12 grapes of luck. One grape per chime, each representing a month of the new year.

Jeff: Which country gives a Christmas tree to the UK each year as thanks for World War II support?

Jeff: Norway. Displayed in Trafalgar Square.

Jeff: What ancient civilization first celebrated New Year's Day on January 1st?

Elise N: Rome.

Jeff: Correct. Bonus -- which Roman leader reformed the calendar?

Michaela: Julius Caesar.

Jeff: Julius Caesar. Production team again.

Jeff: Bible trivia. What Old Testament figure known for interpreting dreams is thought to have influenced the magi's knowledge of the coming Messiah?

Elise N: Daniel.

Jeff: Daniel is correct.

Jeff: What were the names of the two elderly people who recognized Jesus as the Messiah at the temple?

Jeff: Simeon and Anna.

Jeff: In which book of the Bible is the prophecy of the virgin birth found?

Michaela: Isaiah.

Jeff: Isaiah is correct.

Jeff: Which Jewish matriarch died and was buried in Bethlehem?

Elise D: Rachel.

Jeff: Rachel is correct.

Jeff: Who was Caesar of Rome when the census decree went out?

Elise N: Augustus.

Jeff: Augustus is correct. And the governor of Syria was Quirinius. Luke 2, verses 1 and 2.

Jeff: What Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus fled to Egypt?

Jeff: Hosea. "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son." Hosea 11:1.

Jeff: What prophecy explains Herod's massacre of infants?

Michaela: Jeremiah.

Jeff: Jeremiah is correct. "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning."

Jeff: Tiebreaker -- aside from Mary, name the other women in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus.

Elise N: Rahab.

Inga: Ruth.

Jeff: Rahab and Ruth are correct. Plus Bathsheba and Tamar.

Jeff: Final scores: Elise Neugebauer -- 5, Inga -- 5, the Grinch -- 6, and Michaela -- 12. Getting seven Bible trivia questions correct. Take the youngest kid in the room and give her the oldest book in the world -- she got them all right.

Jeff: Some bonus round easy ones. In A Christmas Story, what's Ralphie's father's most prized possession?

Elise N: The leg lamp.

Jeff: Correct. In The Santa Clause, the head elf's name?

Elise D: Bernard.

Jeff: Bernard is correct. Best-selling Christmas single of all time?

Jeff: White Christmas by Bing Crosby.

Jeff: In Jingle Bells, what kind of sleigh?

Elise N: A one-horse open sleigh.

Jeff: Correct. What do carolers demand in We Wish You a Merry Christmas?

Elise D: Figgy pudding.

Jeff: Yes. Who originally sang Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?

Jeff: Gene Autry.

Jeff: What brings Frosty to life?

Elise N: A magic hat.

Jeff: Correct. Which song has "city sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style"?

Elise D: Silver Bells.

Jeff: Silver Bells is correct. First visitors to see baby Jesus according to Luke?

Michaela: The shepherds.

Jeff: The shepherds. Correct. What angel appeared to Mary?

Michaela: Gabriel.

Jeff: Gabriel. Correct. How many Gospels mention the birth of Jesus?

Elise N: Two.

Jeff: Two -- Matthew and Luke. Who tried to kill baby Jesus?

All: Herod.

Jeff: Herod is correct.

Jeff: All right, there's our holiday trivia. Stick to fundraising and not running Christmas pageants. That's the moral of the story. We're better at fundraising events than we are at trivia. If you need trivia questions, reach out to service@handbid.com. If you stump the Handbid team, maybe we'll give you a Christmas gift. Hope you had an amazing fundraising season. We look forward to seeing you next year. Until then, happy fundraising.

Jeff: If you enjoyed our show, please take a moment to leave us a review. You can find us on Apple, Google, and Spotify. Don't forget to subscribe for more great content. And if you're a fan of video, check us out on YouTube. Until next time, happy fundraising.