Seasonal Trivia

[L Verge]

Assuming that most of us now have our Christmas tree(s) up and decorated, here's a little guessing game for you. Which President had the most decorated Christmas trees in the White House in just one year of his administration?

[AussieMick]

(12-20-2017 07:22 PM)L Verge Wrote:  Assuming that most of us now have our Christmas tree(s) up and decorated, here's a little guessing game for you. Which President had the most decorated Christmas trees in the White House in just one year of his administration?

I can only think of Mr Trump.

Am I the only one that thinks it odd that so many people associated with the Presidency have names that only Charles Dickens could invent ??? ...

Just a few examples ...
Coleman Smoot (lent $200 to Lincoln 1834)
Mr and Mrs Bowling Green
Thurlow Weed
Joshua Speed
Horace Greeley
Silas Cobb
Ward Hill Lamon
Franklin Pierce
Hannibal Hamlin
Jubal Early
...
Donald Trump
even Lincoln's step mother having the surnames of 3 presidents.

I guess none of us is perfect and I always think its wrong to comment on any oddity in a person's name. Even though I've just done exactly that.

[L Verge]

(12-21-2017 02:38 AM)AussieMick Wrote:  

(12-20-2017 07:22 PM)L Verge Wrote:  Assuming that most of us now have our Christmas tree(s) up and decorated, here's a little guessing game for you. Which President had the most decorated Christmas trees in the White House in just one year of his administration?

I can only think of Mr Trump.

Am I the only one that thinks it odd that so many people associated with the Presidency have names that only Charles Dickens could invent ??? ...

Just a few examples ...
Coleman Smoot (lent $200 to Lincoln 1834)
Mr and Mrs Bowling Green
Thurlow Weed
Joshua Speed
Horace Greeley
Silas Cobb
Ward Hill Lamon
Franklin Pierce
Hannibal Hamlin
Jubal Early
...
Donald Trump
even Lincoln's step mother having the surnames of 3 presidents.

I guess none of us is perfect and I always think its wrong to comment on any oddity in a person's name. Even though I've just done exactly that.

Well, you thought of the correct one! Until the last week of November this year, the answer as to which Presidency sported the most trees in the White House in one year would have been the administration of Bill Clinton with 36 trees the year the theme was Santa's Workshop.

However, the new administration has 53 trees throughout the mansion. Here's a description of what went into the decorating -- and it is really very similar to what has gone on over the past forty or so years:

White House staffers and more than 150 volunteers wrapped 180,000 feet of lights around 53 Christmas trees and hung more than 12,000 ornaments, first lady Melania Trump’s office said. They placed 71 wreaths on the doors and windows of the presidential mansion. Pastry chefs made and decorated 31,000 Christmas cookies and built a 350-pound gingerbread replica of the White House adorned with candy.

It used to be such a treat to visit the mansion at Christmas time. Our museum sponsored bus trips to the event for several years back in the 1980s. I would love to visit this year because the photos are really spectacular, especially some of the main halls with all-white and silver themes (really a winter wonderland to me).

However, several of our fault-finding media here called it "cold and creepy." Several even questioned whether or not President Trump was paying for it. I don't recall that ever being questioned before with his predecessors, and I suspect that those decorations are recycled from past years and anything new is budgeted in ahead of time.

As you can tell, I have very little respect for the average media reports. I recently saw a report from London discussing all the trees at Buckingham Palace. I wonder if the press in the UK questions who pays for the decorations.

---

I don't want to belabor the White House decorations, but go here to get a peek: https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/white-h...s-2017/33/ Watch carefully because you will see Mr. Lincoln in two of the photos. OOPS, the link opens at the last photo, so you will need to click backwards to see each one.

Seasonal Trivia Question #2 - who first recorded Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer?

[Dennis Urban]

I will go with Gene Autrey!!!!! The singing cowboy. Boy do I remember him.

[L Verge]

(12-21-2017 06:13 PM)Dennis Urban Wrote:  I will go with Gene Autrey!!!!! The singing cowboy. Boy do I remember him.

You went with the right one, Dennis. I remember Gene Autry very well also - part of my fond childhood memories. If you don't know the history behind Rudolph, you'll enjoy this: http://www.altogetherchristmas.com/tradi...dolph.html

[Dennis Urban]

(12-21-2017 07:19 PM)L Verge Wrote:  

(12-21-2017 06:13 PM)Dennis Urban Wrote:  I will go with Gene Autrey!!!!! The singing cowboy. Boy do I remember him.

You went with the right one, Dennis. I remember Gene Autry very well also - part of my fond childhood memories. If you don't know the history behind Rudolph, you'll enjoy this: http://www.altogetherchristmas.com/tradi...dolph.html

Laurie, thanks for posting the story. Don't believe I ever read that. Bet you didn't think anyone would get that right away. Now if only I had an original recording. Wonder if that was 45 rpm or 33-1/3. Have to stop showing my age.

[L Verge]

(12-22-2017 01:50 PM)Dennis Urban Wrote:  

(12-21-2017 07:19 PM)L Verge Wrote:  

(12-21-2017 06:13 PM)Dennis Urban Wrote:  I will go with Gene Autrey!!!!! The singing cowboy. Boy do I remember him.

You went with the right one, Dennis. I remember Gene Autry very well also - part of my fond childhood memories. If you don't know the history behind Rudolph, you'll enjoy this: http://www.altogetherchristmas.com/tradi...dolph.html

Laurie, thanks for posting the story. Don't believe I ever read that. Bet you didn't think anyone would get that right away. Now if only I had an original recording. Wonder if that was 45 rpm or 33-1/3. Have to stop showing my age.

We had the record when I was a child, and I think it was a 33-1/3. Wonder how many on the forum even know what vinyl records were, let alone their rpm...

---

Here's some more Seasonal Trivia: How many gifts would you receive if you got all the gifts in the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Hint - get out your calculator and find a quiet space.

[L Verge]

(12-22-2017 03:17 PM)L Verge Wrote:  

(12-22-2017 01:50 PM)Dennis Urban Wrote:  

(12-21-2017 07:19 PM)L Verge Wrote:  

(12-21-2017 06:13 PM)Dennis Urban Wrote:  I will go with Gene Autrey!!!!! The singing cowboy. Boy do I remember him.

You went with the right one, Dennis. I remember Gene Autry very well also - part of my fond childhood memories. If you don't know the history behind Rudolph, you'll enjoy this: http://www.altogetherchristmas.com/tradi...dolph.html

Laurie, thanks for posting the story. Don't believe I ever read that. Bet you didn't think anyone would get that right away. Now if only I had an original recording. Wonder if that was 45 rpm or 33-1/3. Have to stop showing my age.

We had the record when I was a child, and I think it was a 33-1/3. Wonder how many on the forum even know what vinyl records were, let alone their rpm...

---

Here's some more Seasonal Trivia: How many gifts would you receive if you got all the gifts in the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Hint - get out your calculator and find a quiet space.

I'm not going to let this one get buried two days before Christmas. I want at least a guess from some of our mathematicians...

[Gene C]

Zero

After the partridge in the pair tree died from over indulging on pears,
The two turtle doves were taken by the Fish and Wildlife department for almost being an endangered species,
The three French horns were accidently destroyed after the neighbors kids started playing them at 7 AM,
The four calling birds were called away
The five golden rings turned green and were returned to the jewelry store,
The six geese a laying were impounded by the Health Dept

The seven swans a swimming were accidently mistaken for ugly ducklings and shot by overzealous hunters
Eight maids a milking went on strike
Nine ladies dancing had a collision while performing and ended up in the emergency room
The tens lords a leaping had to leave for gymnastics practice
The eleven pipers piping were all arrested for smoking an illegal substance
The 12 drummers were arrested for unlawful assembly and drummed out of town.

Needless to say, my true love and I have split up.

[L Verge]

(12-23-2017 02:42 PM)Gene C Wrote:  After the partridge in the pair tree died from over indulging on pears,
The two turtle doves were taken by the Fish and Wildlife department for almost being an endangered species,
The three French horns were accidently destroyed after the neighbors kids started playing them at 7 AM,
The four calling birds were called away
The five golden rings turned green and were returned to the jewelry store,
The six geese a laying were impounded by the Health Dept

The seven swans were accidently mistaken for ugly ducklings and shot by overzealous hunters
Eight maids a milking went on strike
Nine ladies dancing had a collision while performing and ended up in the emergency room
The tens lords a leaping had to leave for gymnastics practice
The eleven pipers piping were all arrested for smoking an illegal substance
The 12 drummers were arrested for unlawful assembly and drummed out of town.

Needless to say, my true love and I have split up.

I love it! This one definitely gets passed along to my email friends.

Now, has anyone arrived at an answer for my challenge?

[RJNorton]

364

[L Verge]

(12-23-2017 03:13 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  364

According to Google, that is absolutely correct -- and I am not going to be the one to test Google's knowledge this time. All I can say is that's a lot of gifts to have to clean up after!

[Dennis Urban]

This isn't trivia but it is seasonal. I wish all the forum members and their families a very Merry Christmas and Greetings of the Season. It is a gift for me to participate in this wonderful endeavor. I have learned so much but contributed so little. I'll try to do better next year. Best wishes to all, and to all a "Good Night".