Your Christmas-related Good Questions, answered
MINNEAPOLIS — With Christmas right around the corner, it's left many people wondering about the origins of some of the holiday's traditions.
What is the most popular Christmas song?
It depends on how you measure: Spotify's most-streamed song is Mariah Carey's classic "All I Want for Christmas is You," while the most recorded song by artists is "Silent Night."
The Guinness World Records lists Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" as the best-selling single for Christmas.
But at Minnesota's Christmas radio station — Kool 108 FM — no one request remains supreme.
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"A lot of it is in the eye of the beholder," said DJ Adam West. "In a lot of cases, it's the song that's on right now, because they mean so much to people."
Why is it called a "white elephant" gift?
The leading theory is that the king of Thailand would gift a white elephant to people he was not happy with, because they were not that useful and they cost a lot to upkeep. However they're also sacred, which means the receiver could not get rid of it.
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However, some historians say there's no evidence that the story is a reality.
How do you make fruitcake?
Fruitcake takes a long time to make, which is why so many people choose to buy it.
You first have to soak raisins, dates, canned pineapple and cocktail cherries in brandy and leave it be for 24 hours. Then add nuts and a simple batter before mixing it all together. The batter itself has no flavoring; it all comes from the soaked fruit.
After popping it in the oven, experts say the cake is better if you let it sit for a day before serving it. And though fruitcake has a reputation for never going stale, it should only really last three to four weeks, perhaps longer if you wrap it in cheesecloth.
