During the holidays, millions of families sit down to watch classic family holiday movies such as A Charlie Brown Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Frosty the Snowman and others that have become part of our popular culture. But what do you really know about these movies? Here is some fun trivia.

Remember the scene in How the Grinch Stole Christmas where the Whos hold hands in a circle and sing? The title of that song is “Fahoo Forays,” and if that doesn’t make any sense to you, it’s because the words are made up. Dr. Seuss invented some of the words of the song and tried to make them sound like classical Latin. Seuss was so successful that some people thought it was real Latin and wrote the studio to ask for a translation.

In A Year Without A Santa Claus, if you look closely when the little girl is writing the word Christmas with a crayon during the Blue Christmas song, you’ll notice that the letters seem to appear before she actually writes them.

The Grinch has blue eyes – but only after his heart grows while he’s standing on the top of Mt. Crumpet. Before that, his eyes are red.

June Foray, who was the voice of little Cindy Lou Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, was also the voice of the teacher in Frosty the Snowman and the drummer boy’s mother in The Little Drummer Boy.

In Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Hermey is the only elf who doesn’t have pointy ears.

- The only time Lucy ever calls Charlie Brown just “Charlie” in a Peanuts special is just before she discusses the commercialization of Christmas in A Charlie Brown Christmas. Thereafter, she always calls him Charlie Brown .

What would happen if Santa Claus had an evil twin who decided to kidnap his brother on Christmas Eve and bring items such as mud pies and cat poop to children all over the world rather than the toys and presents they were expecting? In Dean Koontz’s world, the imposter would quickly be foiled by two little girls and Christmas would be saved. It’s not the usual happy-go-lucky storyline of most Christmas books, but this story does have a happy ending. And kids who love yuck and muck will love it.

Though Dean Koontz is best known for his bestselling horror and suspense books, this Christmas tale is pure fun for both children and adults. It’s a ryhming, rollicking look at the awful night Santa was kidnapped by his twin brother, Bob Claus, and locked in “a dismal, deep, dark, dank hole” at the North Pole. The twin then proceeds to get into mischief, such as this:

“In the front room, at one of the trees
the bad twin of Santa is on his knees,
giggling as he stuffs another gift box
with a few pairs of smelly old socks.
He snorts and he chortles with evil glee
and mutters, ‘No one will know it was me.’”

But the evil twin’s plans are foiled – and Santa Claus is saved – by two sisters who survive a pie in the face, a ray gun that shoots snow and other challenges. The story is colorfully illustrated by Phil Parks.

And if you enjoy the story of Santa’s Twin, you can follow the adventures of Santa and Bob Claus in the sequel, Robot Santa.

If you’ve Elf Yourself-ed too many times to find it funny anymore, grab your digital photos and head over to FunPunch.com to check out their “You’re the Star” ecards for the holidays and Santa yourself. They’ve got some great free ecards for the holidays that let you add your own photo. Put on a Santa costume and dance with the rocking reindeer (shown here) or don an elf outfit to dance by the fireplace. You can also check out some of the racier options, such as the Xmas stripper cards. (Don’t worry – the animated characters don’t bare it all.)

You’ll need an account to send your cards or post them on Facebook, but it’s free, so have fun!
They’re all free, so go have some fun!

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is one of the great classic animated TV specials, and part of its charm is the music. Dr. Seuss himself wrote the Grinch theme song, “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” as well as the song the Whos sing on Christmas morning (Fahoo Forays). If you’ve always wanted to sing along as the Grinch is slithering through Whoville and throwing bags out the chimneys for poor Max to catch (well, try to catch), here are the lyrics.

The Grinch Theme Song: “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch”

You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch.
You really are a heel.
You’re as cuddly as a cactus,
You’re as charming as an eel.
Mr. Grinch.

You’re a bad banana
With a greasy black peel.

You’re a monster, Mr. Grinch.
Your heart’s an empty hole.
Your brain is full of spiders,
You’ve got garlic in your soul.
Mr. Grinch.

I wouldn’t touch you, with a
thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole.

You’re a vile one, Mr. Grinch.
You have termites in your smile.
You have all the tender sweetness
Of a seasick crocodile.
Mr. Grinch.

Given the choice between the two of you
I’d take the seasick crocodile.

You’re a foul one, Mr. Grinch.
You’re a nasty, wasty skunk.
Your heart is full of unwashed socks
Your soul is full of gunk.
Mr. Grinch.

The three words that best describe you,
are, and I quote: “Stink. Stank. Stunk.”

You’re a rotter, Mr. Grinch.
You’re the king of sinful sots.
Your heart’s a dead tomato splot
With moldy purple spots,
Mr. Grinch.

Your soul is an appalling dump heap overflowing
with the most disgraceful assortment of deplorable
rubbish imaginable,
Mangled up in tangled up knots.

You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch.
With a nauseous super-naus.
You’re a crooked jerky jockey
And you drive a crooked horse.
Mr. Grinch.

You’re a three-decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich
With arsenic sauce.

Copyright © 1957, Dr. Seuss

Kids love jokes, and the sillier, the better. Here are some clean Santa jokes you can share with your kids.

Where does Santa Claus stay when he’s on vacation?
At a ho, ho, ho-tel

Why did Santa take his tree to the dentist?
To get a root canal

Who delivers Christmas gifts to pets?
Santa Paws

What goes oh, oh, oh?
Santa walking backwards

What does Santa like to have for breakfast?
Mistle-toast

How does Santa take photos?
With his North Pole-aroid camera

What kind of motorcycle would Santa Claus ride?
A “Holly” Davidson

What does Santa Claus do in his garden?
Hoe, hoe, hoe

What’s red and white and falls down the chimney?
Santa Klutz

What would you call Santa if he became a detective?
Santa Clues

What do you call people who are afraid of Santa Claus?
Claus-trophobic

What did Santa Claus say to all the toys on Christmas Eve?
Ok, gang, time to hit the sack!

Here’s a fun Christmas cooking project you can do with kids to give to friends or family members for a laugh. It’s a simple “reindeer poop” recipe for chocolate cookies that you then deliver with the special “reindeer poop” poem. Here’s the simple recipe and poem.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons cocoa
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions:
Mix butter, sugar, cocoa and milk in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then boil for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Drop by teaspoon onto wax paper and let sit for 30 – 60 minutes to harden.

Then pack a few treats in a sandwich bag and attach this reindeer poop poem:

Santa’s got a special gift
He’s bringing just for you.
Just a little something extra,
And it comes from Rudolph, too!

He knows that you’ve been naughty
Instead of being nice.
Once again you’re on the bad list
And he’s checked it over twice.

Santa hopes this little poem
Doesn’t throw you for a loop.
All you’re getting this year
Is a bunch of reindeer poop!

There are other variations of the poem, too, such as this reindeer poop poem and recipe.

If you’re in a hurry and don’t want to bake, you can also make reindeer poop by simply filling the bags with malted milk balls, Milk Duds or some other type of chocolate candy that is small and round. Happy holidays and have fun!

Most people have heard the song, “All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth.” But “All I Want for Christmas is a HIPPOPOTAMUS?!?!”

The song is actually titled, “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” and was written by John Rox and recorded and released in 1953 by 10-year-old Gayla Peevey. It was an instant hit. It was so popular, in fact, that “a local promoter picked up on the popularity of the song and Peevey’s local roots, and launched a campaign to present her with an actual hippopotamus on Christmas,” according to Wikipedia. “The campaign succeeded, and she was presented with an actual hippopotamus,” which she donated to the local zoo.

“I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” inspired a book by the same title and it has been recorded by various artists, including the Captain and Tennille and Dr. Demento. You can even see the Jonas Brothers singing “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” on YouTube.

Here’s a cute video with the original recording of “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas,” with lyrics below.

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas Lyrics
I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
Don’t want a doll, no dinky Tinker Toy
I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
I don’t think Santa Claus will mind, do you?
He won’t have to use our dirty chimney flue
Just bring him through the front door, that’s the easy thing to do

I can see me now on Christmas morning, creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise when I open up my eyes
To see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles, no rhinoceroses
I only like hippopotamuses
And hippopotamuses like me too

Mom says the hippo would eat me up, but then
Teacher says a hippo is a vegetarian
There’s lots of room for him in our two-car garage
I’d feed him there and wash him there and give him his massage

I can see me now on Christmas morning, creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise when I open up my eyes
To see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles or rhinoceroseses
I only like hippopotamuseses
And hippopotamuses like me too!

Here’s something just for fun. We all know Clement C. Moore’s classic poem, commonly known as “The Night Before Christmas.” But what if Santa had to be politically correct? He might have to change his wardrobe, stop using the word “elf” and make sure Rudolph got credit for that bright red nose. Read on!

The Politically Correct Night Before Christmas
‘Twas the night before Christmas and Santa’s a wreck…
How to live in a world that’s politically correct?
His workers no longer would answer to “Elves,”
“Vertically Challenged” they were calling themselves.

And labor conditions at the North Pole
Were alleged by the union to stifle the soul.
Four reindeer had vanished, without much propriety,
Released to the wilds by the Humane Society.

And equal employment had made it quite clear
That Santa had better not use just reindeer.
So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid,
Were replaced with 4 pigs, and you know that looked stupid!

The runners had been removed from his sleigh;
The ruts were termed dangerous by the E.P.A.
And people had started to call for the cops
When they heard sled noises on their roof-tops.

Second-hand smoke from his pipe had his workers quite frightened.
His fur trimmed red suit was called “Unenlightened.”
And to show you the strangeness of life’s ebbs and flows,
Rudolf was suing over unauthorized use of his nose
And had gone on Geraldo, in front of the nation,
Demanding millions in over-due compensation.

So, half of the reindeer were gone; and his wife,
Who suddenly said she’d enough of this life,
Joined a self-help group, packed, and left in a whiz,
Demanding from now on her title was Ms.

And as for the gifts, why, he’d ne’er had a notion
That making a choice could cause so much commotion.
Nothing of leather, nothing of fur,
Which meant nothing for him. And nothing for her.

Nothing that might be construed to pollute.
Nothing to aim. Nothing to shoot.
Nothing that clamored or made lots of noise.
Nothing for just girls. Or just for the boys.

Nothing that claimed to be gender specific.
Nothing that’s warlike or non-pacific.
No candy or sweets…they were bad for the tooth.
Nothing that seemed to embellish a truth.

And fairy tales, while not yet forbidden,
Were like Ken and Barbie, better off hidden.
For they raised the hackles of those psychological
Who claimed the only good gift was one ecological.

No baseball, no football…someone could get hurt;
Besides, playing sports exposed kids to dirt.
Dolls were said to be sexist, and should be passe’;
And Nintendo would rot your entire brain away.

So Santa just stood there, disheveled, perplexed;
He just could not figure out what to do next.
He tried to be merry, tried to be gay,
But you’ve got to be careful with that word today.

His sack was quite empty, limp to the ground;
Nothing fully acceptable was to be found.
Something special was needed, a gift that he might
Give to all without angering the left or the right.

A gift that would satisfy, with no indecision,
Each group of people, every religion;
Every ethnicity, every hue,
Everyone, everywhere…even you.
So here is that gift, it’s price beyond worth…
“May you and your loved ones enjoy peace on earth.”

copyright Harvey Ehrlich, 1992

Notice: This poem is copyright 1992 by Harvey Ehrlich. It is free to distribute, without changes, as long as this notice remains intact. All follow-ups, requests, comments, questions, distribution rights, etc should be made to mduhan@husc.harvard.edu. Happy Holidays!

JibJab burst into Internet stardom with “This Land,” the 2004 political parody video featuring animated versions of John Kerry and George Bush singing and dancing while insulting one another, so it may not be the first place you’d think to look for funny Christmas videos. But JibJab now offers a wide selection of funny videos, including a few holiday-themed ones.

One silly Christmas video sure to please most kids, particularly elementary age ones, is the Farting Elves. This humorous video features Santa’s elves (along with Mrs. Claus and Santa Claus, too) farting to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas.  Who knew elves had such a strange musical talent? I thought they only knew how to build toys. But after watching this video, you may never see elves the same way.

Now I know you’re thinking that a farting Christmas song is childish bathroom humor that probably wouldn’t be entertaining for most civilized adults. And you could be right. But there are either a lot of children on YouTube or some adults have enjoyed this video, too, as more than 250,000 people have watched the JibJab Farting Elves on YouTube. So go on, check it out. Don’t worry – we won’t tell.