Every year, Christmas movies reemerge into pop culture during the holiday season; the characters from these are iconic year-round, but are most discussed during December. Of all the possible holiday heroes, five were selected for their various approaches to the holiday.
Based on these Christmas archetypes, The Wright State Guardian created the following quiz. Make sure to keep track of your answers as you go!
Question 1: The date is Dec. 1. How do you feel?
A) Ecstatic and eager! I cannot wait to get started on everything.
B) Annoyed. My neighbors already put up lights, and it is too cold out.
C) Ready— I have been preparing all year! Now, all I have to do is bake.
D) If snow fell, then happy! I feel curious about the future of this month.
E) Excited but stressed! I barely have any gifts; I still have so much to do.
Question 2: When do you put up your Christmas tree?
A) The Christmas room has one year-round; the rest go up after Thanksgiving!
B) I never put one up myself; if my family insists, I help when they tell me to.
C) We never take it down; we just change its ornaments to fit each season.
D) I put it up whenever it feels right; I let my heart decide.
E) When I wake up on Dec. 1, it is the first thing I do.
Question 3: How do you spend downtime near the holiday?
A) Singing, baking and caroling!
B) Pretending to be indifferent.
C) Cooking or baking for guests.
D) Sledding or building a snowman!
E) Running through my checklists.
Question 4: What gifts are you most proud to give?
A) Elaborate ones that show how much I care.
B) Gag gifts that make them laugh out loud.
C) Practical items they can use year-round.
D) Anything that matches their vibes or aura.
E) Sentimental items that elicit real emotion.
Question 5: How do you feel about traditions?
A) Love them and want to make more.
B) Pretend to hate them, but some are okay.
C) Near and dear to me, I keep the important ones.
D) Not attached to any; just keep Christmas annual.
E) They are essential to my survival.
Question 6: What is your approach to Christmas decorations?
A) Dominating every surface, more is more.
B) Minimal and ironic, or nonexistent.
C) Well-coordinated, tasteful and spirited.
D) Whatever feels fun at the time.
E) Meticulously arranged, planned to the inch.
Question 7: What do you love most about Christmas?
A) Everything!
B) All of it is fine, I cannot choose.
C) Spending time with my people.
D) Getting time off to have fun.
E) Seeing loved ones get to enjoy it.
Question 8: What is the most stressful part of Christmas?
A) Stress— Christmas? Nothing!
B) Other people’s overenthusiasm.
C) What if someone feels excluded? Or uncomfortable?
D) The idea of being stuck inside— or having no snow.
E) So many details, did I forget something important?
Question 9: At a holiday party, where can your loved ones find you?
A) The dance floor, hyping everyone up.
B) Sitting on a couch making sarcastic comments.
C) Cooking in the kitchen— I am hosting, after all!
D) Outside, building an igloo.
E) Checking on guests or helping the host.
Question 10: How do you wrap gifts?
A) With all the glitter and bows imaginable!
B) Bare minimum— the bag I brought it home in.
C) Neatly and thoughtfully, with a bow.
D) Creatively; the ideas come to me in the moment.
E) Align everything perfectly, including handwritten notes.
Question 11: Someone calls your holiday spirit “too much.” What do you say?
A) “Thank you! That was the point!”
B) “Mine? Are you sure?”
C) “It is finally in season!”
D) “Whatever, I find it fun.”
E) “I just want Christmas to be perfect!”
Question 12: How would you help Santa at Christmas?
A) Spreading Christmas cheer by singing for everyone!
B) I will not be helping. Thanks anyway.
C) Stay in the North Pole, ensuring everything is stable.
D) I guess I can play outside with the kids, so they get tired.
E) Join him to ensure every child gets their present.
Results:
If your answers were mostly A, your Christmas character is Buddy the Elf!
You are filled to the brim with Christmas cheer— and you want everyone to know it. Openly demonstrating your own joy is the best way you have found to spread the spirit. Your enthusiasm and optimistic attitude are contagious, especially this time of year.
The gifts you give tend to be slightly over the top but are always heartfelt and well-intended. Sometimes, you may struggle with social cues regarding what level of gift is appropriate, so you go all-in. Like your amount of Christmas spirit, this can be overwhelming to others at first, but they will settle in and get on board with it soon enough.
Your favorite holiday pastimes include baking, caroling and especially decorating— if there were a competition, you would win every time. Some call your cheer “excessive,” most of whom belong to the next category, but you tune it all out, knowing that you are doing what is best for you and the spirit of Christmas.
If you answered mostly B, your holiday hero is The Grinch!
Cheerfulness may not come naturally to you, but your heart is just as big— or even a few sizes larger— than anyone else’s. While everyone around you gets caught up in the frenzy of glitter and gingerbread, you remain level-headed, approaching the holidays with sarcastic realism.
Gag gifts are where you shine, showcasing your stellar sense of humor and sharp observational skills year-round. You manage to find something to make everyone laugh out loud, bringing your own form of love to the cheesy Christmas traditions that you love to hate.
Around the holidays, you like to spend time pretending to despise every tradition. In reality, you appreciate some of the tender, genuine moments that come around this time of year. When your loved ones insist, you partake in festivities— but you reserve the right to roll your eyes.
If you had mostly C, your holiday hero is Mrs. Claus!
Christmas is a year-round commitment, for you— the year is spent preparing for the holiday by stocking up on the best ingredients for all your recipes and making sure everything is taken care of. Your Christmas spirit is always high, but its steadiness makes it feel more like stable love and warmth.
You lean towards practical gifts, which are always deeply thoughtful. Your loved ones speculate that you take notes on them throughout the year— the gifts are always so meaningful. Better yet, they will use them, making their life easier— and thinking of you— each time.
There is nothing you would rather spend your time near Christmas doing than baking cookies and providing a cozy environment for others to enjoy their holiday. While they run around in search of last-minute gifts, you offer to help wrap, since you have everything done.
If you answered with mainly D, your character is Frosty the Snowman!
For you, this time is full of lots of fun and a little magic. This time of the year makes you come alive— the cold weather and ice get you excited to be outside and around others. For you, this season is about Christmas cheer and going with the flow, not sticking to traditions.
When buying gifts, you focus on vibes. If something makes you think of a loved one, that is their present. If it feels right in the moment, or matches their energy, you know that your genuine care will come through, which is what the spirit of Christmas is about.
While others prepare for the holiday, you pass the time by playing around in the snow. Whether you go sledding down a nearby hill or build a fort, the cold fills with joy— feeling like you are in your element. When there is no snow, you watch Christmas movies.
Finally, if your answers were mostly E, your Christmas character is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer!
While Christmas is your favorite time of year, it also fills you with anxiety. This makes sense, given that you have always carried the holiday on your back. Feeling pressure to make the season great, your Christmas spirit is a mix of excitement and adrenaline.
The gifts you give are usually sentimental, with lots of care put into them. You often worry your gifts are not good enough, so you include handwritten notes to explain— all of which adds to how emotionally moving these presents are for your loved ones.
Close to Christmas, you spend your time running around and making sure you have everything in perfect order. You want to make the holiday special for others, so you write dozens of checklists for everything— the more you organize, the more in check your anxiety feels.
