About This Quiz
For many fans of “The Simpsons,” the first holiday episode worth noting is the first “Treehouse of Horror.” With its epic retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven,” narrated by James Earl Jones no less, many overlook their first foray into holiday episodes, “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire.” This is the first episode of the series that would redefine animation and add that special little something to Christmas for many years to come.
Did you know that “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” was the very first episode of “The Simpsons”? What a great gift to those of us who love animation and TV families! Even though the episode is a little Bart-heavy, it does focus on a tale that resonates with us even today; what to buy a family for Christmas on a shoestring budget. It was in that episode where we all grew to love this family, not because of their perfections for sure, but for their flaws and realism.
With all the Christmas episodes that have aired from “The Simpsons,” do you think you can guess the answers to these questions? Let’s see if you’re the brightest bulb on the tree by taking this Christmas quiz based on “The Simpsons” holiday specials.
Gary Coleman played a pivotal role in "Grift of the Magi." Not only was he responsible for the security of Kid First Industries, but after a philosophical conversation about the materialistic nature of Christmas, Coleman decided to spend Christmas dinner with the Simpsons.
After receiving the Gnome in Your Home, little Maggie finds a way to get rid of them indefinitely; she chops the dolls into pieces and places them in Homer & Marge's bed. And to make sure they don't get replaced, she runs over the rest of them with a lawnmower.
Even though the Lazy I Ranch has pretty much everything, those who want a little romance hit the barn dance. During the dance, The Rich Texan informs the guests that he is going to jail after the dance because a stray bullet of his hit a Texas Ranger.
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Poor Ned! Due to the Southpaw Superstore offering left-handed limos, the Leftorium got relegated to half a kiosk. He shares the kiosk with a makeup guru who tries to sell Lisa some lotion, which she politely declines.
The kids tried to get out of the snowed-in school in several different ways, including riding out into the storm and burrowing through the trash chute. However, it took a silo full of salt and Homer's irresponsibility to save the day.
Bart was on the right track when it came to the perfect gift for his mother, or so he thought. He wanted to show Marge how much he loved her, however, when she caught him doing it, all it said was MOTH. Unfortunately, the removal of the tattoo burned through the Christmas fund.
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Even though her hair is spiked, like all of the Simpson children, these points aren’t incorporated into the star shape that Maggie takes when bundled up. At first, she is an orange star, but as the series progresses, the shape takes on other colors.
Even though Homer meant it to be a sweet sentiment, when Maggie heard nibbling on fingers, she imagined that the gnome was going to eat her fingers! After being haunted by the creepy toy, Maggie swore revenge, not for just her, but all kids!
Bart thought he was a genius when it came to his plan. However, Lisa quickly corrected him by telling him that native Americans used the same method to prepare themselves for battle.
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After creating a hit in "Everybody Hates Ned Flanders," the Simpson family decides that it would be best to go out west to a ranch where there are no media outlets. While there, Lisa has her first crush.
When it comes to gifts, Bart knows how to give them. Although it took a little bit of courage, Bart pulled through giving Marge something super sweet; a framed picture of himself. Why? To place over his space on the family's portrait.
It was Skinner's resourcefulness that helped get the kids out of the jam that he placed them in; by placing Nibbles inside his running ball, the rodent was able to save the day by running to Ned and Homer, breaking through their windshield, reviving Flanders and Homer.
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One way a fan can tell what episode of "The Simpsons" they are going to watch is by the chalkboard gag that runs during the opening credits. All of the answers above are from Christmas episodes.
Giving the audience foreshadowing and inside gags is something that the writers of "The Simpsons" thrive upon. And with Kang or Kodos (one can never be sure), it gives the viewers a hint that the episode is happening in the future. Why? Because alien Santas haven't been found ... yet.
Upon finding out that Homer and the others in the Simpson clan lied to him about their plans, Mr. Burns insists that they sing the original version of "12 Days of Christmas," "The 39 Days of Christmas," only after Katy makes her appearance.
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Marge got extremely creative with her gingerbread creations in "I Won't Be Home for Christmas." In addition to making the Kwik-E-Mart and Simpson home, Sideshow Bob and his broom made an appearance and in a later scene, an early version of the family appears.
After running into a bit of money, Homer discovers what it is like to be selfless and one of the first things he does is make it up to Lenny; he gives him a photo cube filled with pictures of Homer, Lenny and Carl through the ages.
Outside Springfield, Gil is the man! After reconnecting with an old boss, he is given a job in Scottsdale, where he is one of the top real estate agents in the area. He is so good that he has billboards, benches and bus panels advertising his services.
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Holiday drinks weren't the only thing Marge winged in "White Christmas Blues"; when it came to romance under the mistletoe, her boarders were kissing under lettuce and cherries.
The Springfield Nuclear Power Plant is known for its lax security measures, so it shouldn't be a surprise that a small hook latch keeps the reactor safe. Another security measure includes a push-button destruction device.
Gil's generosity was what led to his long-term stay at the Simpson home: If he hadn't given Lisa the Malibu Stacy Pony Barbecue Set, he wouldn't have appealed to Marge's compassionate side.
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Cyrus only appears in this one episode, where he is living with his 15 wives off of the shores of Tahiti. Time has been extremely kind to him; unlike Abe who looks like he's been through things, Cyrus is a silver fox with a full head of hair.
If it weren't for the Cajun sausage, the townspeople wouldn't have discovered the melted Christmas tree until after the snow melted; Santa's Little Helper's nose led him to the meaty treat.
Throughout the entire Simpsons series, Marge is often found fighting against people's perception that she is a pushover. It is no different in "Kill Gil, Vol. 1 & 2." Just as Marge was about to evict Gil from home, she finds he has already left, giving her unfinished business.
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The toy execs who made fun of Milhouse for playing with a toy that he had aged out of could have used it as a lesson. Instead of studying the demographic, they could have looked into what made the toy so enjoyable.
Lisa had a jingle bell in every spike of her hair for the Christmas card; however, the other two Simpson kids didn't get off scot-free; Bart was wearing a knit scarf and Maggie was stuffed into a stocking.
In "Kill Gil, Vol. 1 & 2," we're introduced to the Grumple, who makes an enemy out of Homer, who demands that he give him back his holiday cheer and a fight ensues. Later, the Grumple is seen in the Simpsons' front yard, looking for a rematch.
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After finding out that he wasn't going to get a bonus, Homer resorted to getting a second job after hearing that the Christmas savings were spent on Bart's tattoo removal. However, after the suit rental fee was deducted, Homer was left with $13 to buy gifts.
When "I Won't Be Home for Christmas" aired in 2014, the couch gag featured the Simpson family dressed as characters from "Frozen." Little did we know that Disney would buy Fox, including the Fox TV network in 2019.
Did you know that "The Fight Before Christmas" isn't the first episode where Abe talks about serving in WWII with Monte Burns? The first episode that mentions their time together is "Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in "The Curse of the Flying Hellfish."
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In addition to its shiny gold exterior, the talking astrolabe informs its owner of celebrity birthdays and the chief exports of various countries. If that wasn't enough, it comes with a pad and paper that can function while upside down and a fire alarm.
In "White Christmas Blues," it was a radioactive snowfall that caused Springfield to become the only city in the country to receive a white Christmas. How? The emissions from the Nuclear Power Plant mixed with the Tire Fire, making faux snow.
Every cookie-munching kid knows that Santa is a crafty elf. However, in "The Fight Before Christmas," he takes it to a new level; instead of getting his bike, Santa tricked Bart into thinking that his business was going under and that he couldn't afford it.
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Even though Lisa gave Funzo its name, it wouldn't have existed if it weren't for Bart. After an injury bound him to a wheelchair, Bart was unable to get inside Springfield Elementary due to a lack of ramps. This caused the school to go bankrupt and become purchased by a toy company.
Even though Mr. Burns is a villain throughout most of the series, he actually does show a soft side through during some of the Christmas episodes. In "Tis the Fifteenth Season," Mr. Burns keeps Bart in mind by giving Homer a valuable baseball card for him.
After presenting the rookie Joe DiMaggio card to Comic Book Guy, Homer gets every penny in the Android's Dungeon. However, it is after he paid Homer that Comic Book Guy realizes that he got nacho cheese on the card and destroys the card by deftly licking it.
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Homer and Ned fashion a makeshift plow using part of Ned’s roof and his car. However, it isn’t the first time Homer has driven a plow; in the fourth season, Homer became Mr. Plow, that’s his name; that name again is Mr. Plow.
If you ever question whether Marge Simpson can give a cold shoulder, check this episode out. She leaves Bart out of several activities like decorating the Christmas tree and building snowmen as punishment for shoplifting.
Feeling guilty about setting fire to the Christmas tree, Bart claimed that a burglar stole their gifts and tree. The townspeople banded together and raised $15,000. However, when they found out about the lie, they decided to take the Simpsons' belongings, evening the score.
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After underperforming at the racetrack, Number 8 would have been left to fend for his own devices in the cold if Homer and Bart didn’t find him. Luckily, they identified with his inability to win regardless of how hard he tried and took him home.