Holidays are a big deal at the White House, and they’re full of all the regular trappings of a family celebration. There are traditions, festivities, complicated social dynamics, and then a healthy helping of global politics.
On this edition Civics 101, we put our hosts’ White House holiday knowledge to the test. Who will be the victor of the first ever Holiday Civics Trivia Challenge? Plus...we find out, what are the the worse holiday songs ever?
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:00:03] Hey, guys. I'm Rebecca Lavoie. I'm executive producer of Civics 101. This week we've got a special edition of the show for you. We decided to put hosts Nick and Hannah to the test with a holiday edition of civics trivia, in part to give them a break from hosting the show for a week. And also because we thought it would be fun to see what they know because they're always teaching us stuff. But before we get to the show, just a quick pitch, this team Hannah NicK, producers Christina Phillips and Jacqui Fulton. They put their all into making the show for you each and every week, and they couldn't do it without listener support. So if you make a donation to Civics 101 right now in any amount, we'll send you a really cool sticker that says the constitution is my copilot, so you can show off your love for civics and your support for the podcast. You can put the sticker on your coffee mug, on your car, on your notebook, anywhere you like, just head over to Civics101podcast.org or you can make that donation and get that sticker by clicking the link I'm putting right there in the show notes. Thanks so much for your support and for listening all year long. I hope you enjoy this special show that we've put together for you. It's a little bit format breaking, but it's really fun. So let's get to it.
Christina Phillips: [00:01:39] Holidays are a big deal at the White House, and they're full of all the regular trappings of a family celebration. You've got the tradition, the festivities, the complicated social dynamics and then a healthy helping of global politics. Today on Civics 101, we're going to put our hosts White House holiday knowledge to the test. Welcome to Civics Trivia Holiday Edition. I've got the whole team here and we decided it would be fun if we got to put Nick and Hanna head to head Hanna and Nick. We're going to test out, well, you know, holidays at the White House. Oh God, it's going to be me great.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:02:20] It's going to be amazing.
Nick Capodice: [00:02:23] And you know, we did an episode on the holidays the way you did.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:02:26] Well, you should be prepared.
Christina Phillips: [00:02:27] Then I am Christina Phillips. I am the senior producer of Civics 101 and.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:02:31] I'm Rebecca Lavoie.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:02:32] I run the podcast unit at Nhpr.org and I am the executive producer of 101. And we also have with us, Jacqui Fulton. Jacqui, please introduce yourself. Who are you?
Jacqui Fulton: [00:02:42] Yeah, as stated, I'm Jacqui Fulton and I'm a producer with Civics 101.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:02:47] And of course, the main event our contestants Nick Capodice and Hannah McCarthy. Hello, Nick and Hannah. Thank you for joining the program.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:02:55] Hello. Thank you for having us, Rebecca.
Nick Capodice: [00:02:57] It's a pleasure to be here. My pleasure. Thanks for having us on Civics 101.
Christina Phillips: [00:03:01] Ok, OK, OK. So also, I would like to know everybody. What is your least favorite holiday song? I want to know because I feel like there are so many bad holiday songs. There's so many good holiday songs, so I will go first. My least favorite holiday song is Christmas shoes. Are you guys familiar?
Nick Capodice: [00:03:21] It's the one about one about a kid who needs some Christian, some shoes for Christmas.
Christina Phillips: [00:03:25] It's yes, but even more. So, It's a kid whose mother is dying, who needs shoes for her because she's dying.
Music: [00:03:34] Daddy says there's no time. You see, She's been sad for quite, and he wants.
Christina Phillips: [00:03:41] I believe the line is my mother will look beautiful if she meets Jesus tonight,
Music: [00:03:46] I want her to look beautiful if Momma meets Jesus tonight.
Christina Phillips: [00:03:56] That is that is the whole point, and apparently I've been told by Rebecca that SNL spoofed it this week, so I need to go watch that, but it is so stupid, it is obnoxious. Oh, I hate it so much
Hannah McCarthy: [00:04:08] Christina, that reminds me my mother had a collection of Christmas books, one of which was the Little Match Girl, which is a charming Christmas story about a little girl who freezes to death.
Christina Phillips: [00:04:18] I loved that book because I was the kind of child who liked to pretend that I was always in danger of dying. I loved that.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:04:25] Grim, grim.
Christina Phillips: [00:04:26] Ok, OK, so Hannah, do you have a least favorite holiday song?
Hannah McCarthy: [00:04:31] I'm going to preface this by saying I bowed down at the feet of this individual. They have one of the greatest vocal ranges in human history. You'll always be. My baby is one of my karaoke songs. I cannot stand. All I want for Christmas is you.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:04:47] Oh my god.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:04:48] I can't stand it.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:04:49] We're done. You and me.
Nick Capodice: [00:04:49] There is a lot going on in that song in that song.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:04:53] Mariah Carey I love. I, you know, I'm saying this as though she's going to listen to it.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:04:59] It is an American standard. How dare you?
Christina Phillips: [00:05:02] Why do you not like it? I need to know why.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:05:04] All I can tell you is that when that song comes on, I have this like. Dread dry feeling in my stomach like this, like horrible, just sick, I'm suppose, is so horrible. Mariah Carey, I'm sorry, you're an American treasure,
Nick Capodice: [00:05:21] But I respect your opinion. But I mean, I have to just disagree and say, that's one of the greatest songs ever. It's like wall of sound great. Like you're like, Whoa, what is going on here? Christmas song.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:05:32] We're going to lose half our listeners because I'm the the demon.
Christina Phillips: [00:05:41] OK, Nick? What is your least favorite holiday song?
Nick Capodice: [00:05:47] It's a song that I have to leave stores when it comes on, and it's performed by Andy Williams, and it starts off with like, Happy holidays, a hickory do, a hickory dock. Don't forget to hang up your sock and then he's got he'll be coming down the chimney down. Yeah. What the heck is coming down the chimney? Down down.
Music: [00:06:13] He'll be coming down the chimney, down down the chimney.
Nick Capodice: [00:06:20] The reason I hate this song, Rebecca, is that it rhymes toys with girls and boys.
Music: [00:06:25] It's got a toy for every good girl and good little boy.
Nick Capodice: [00:06:30] How much time did you have to come up with that one?
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:06:32] It has a rousing call and response section that I enjoy.
Christina Phillips: [00:06:53] Jacqui, what is your least favorite holiday song?
Jacqui Fulton: [00:06:56] So I used to work at a restaurant and they would they had like holiday playlist that they would do all the time and this one they played, it felt like every 30 minutes and it was Santa baby. It's so weird!
Jacqui Fulton: [00:07:12] It's like this person obviously has a big thing for saying which, you know, no shaming people for what they like.
Jacqui Fulton: [00:07:20] And like little kids sing this song!
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:07:40] And on that note, and I have a feeling that only one other person on this call may be familiar with this because they mentioned retail is Dominic the Donkey?
Hannah McCarthy: [00:07:50] The Italian Christmas Donkey?
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:07:53] The weirdest song that's strangely pandering to Italian-Americans in a way that is completely unnecessary. We didn't ask for it. We don't need it. And it's weird.
Nick Capodice: [00:08:14] My favorite Christmas story is about this song. I make it really fast. Ok? In Little Italy, in Manhattan, there's these storefronts that are clearly owned by organizations that don't actually sell anything. And one store was just, I don't know. I just don't want to get in trouble on our podcast. And one storefront window was completely dark and it just had one thing in it and it was a T-shirt and it said, Dominick, the Christmas donkey. And then in the bottom, it said, as featured in the movie Riding in Cars with Boys, starring Drew Barrymore.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:08:49] Ever since you told me that story, I'm just going to I'll give this away to you. Like, I have been searching for that T-shirt. So they want to gift it to you. I thought that was the greatest thing I'd ever heard.
Christina Phillips: [00:09:16] So here's how the trivia will work, we'll have three rounds of questions about different aspects of the holiday season at the White House. There will be bonus points in each round. The winner gets nothing but glory. That's right.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:09:31] Nothing but glory, nothing, but glory is not going to be anything but glory,
Christina Phillips: [00:09:37] No, nothing.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:09:38] But glory is this because our budget is so small because this is public radio. It's like nothing but glory.
Christina Phillips: [00:09:43] Also, I don't want to shop for Christmas anyway. I didn't want to get anyone anything. Sorry guys.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:09:45] And this is a great time to remind listeners, by the way, they can donate to the show because we can't afford to give anything but glory. You get a sticker if you do go to Civics101podcast.org, make a donation. Maybe next year we'll have more than glory to give away. Yes. Yes. All right. Continue. Continue.
Christina Phillips: [00:09:59] All right. It's a great stocking stuffer. Probably. I don't know. Do people on stickers anyway?
Christina Phillips: [00:10:04] Rebecca, I'm going to hand this round off to you.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:10:07] Ok, so in this round, Nick and Hannah questions are worth one point. I believe they're worth one point in every room. And of course, these points are extremely important because glory, yes, nothing but glory is at stake. The stakes are zero, except if you care about glory, which I believe you to do. So almost nothing else matters. Christmas toasts is the category the holiday season has served as a symbol of unity and peace throughout American history. I'm going to read you quotes of holiday messages delivered at the White House and a couple of questions related to each quote. Our first question is for Hannah McCarthy. This quote is from a world leader who ditched his own country's holiday celebration to meet with a U.S. president won't let the children have their night of fun and laughter. Let the gifts of Father Christmas delight their play. Let us ups share to the full in their unstinted pleasures before we turn again to the stern tasks and formidable year that lies before us.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:11:08] I'm supposed to guess the person.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:11:09] Yes, which world leader ditched his own country's celebrations and delivered that speech
Hannah McCarthy: [00:11:16] At the White House? Churchill?
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:11:23] Yes. Very good.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:11:28] Because of the writing!
Nick Capodice: [00:11:30] Oh, I'm done for.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:11:30] Winston Churchill spoke on Christmas Eve, 1941 in a shared Christmas address with President Franklin Roosevelt during World War Two. Nick, follow up question for you What event took place on American soil earlier that same December?
Nick Capodice: [00:11:45] Oh, can you say the date one more time?
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:11:49] Sigh.
Nick Capodice: [00:11:49] I wasn't listening, can I say the can I say the bombing of Pearl Harbor?
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:11:56] You can.
Nick Capodice: [00:11:57] I wanted to just double check the date.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:11:59] Of course, the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941 in December marked the United States official declaration of war in Japan and full entry into World War Two. Shortly thereafter, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States and the U.S. reciprocated. Churchill was in Washington, D.C., around Christmas to strategize with Roosevelt. Ok, quick tally. Where are we right now?
Christina Phillips: [00:12:20] Hannah has one, Nick has one. I feel like Hannah had the harder question.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:12:25] All right. Hannah McCarthy Yes. Roosevelt was known for holiday related executive orders during his presidency, including declaring an emergency federal bank holiday during the Great Depression. In a similar vein in 1939, Roosevelt moved which holiday a week earlier in an effort to stimulate the economy.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:12:49] Oh, I read About this when I was making the Federal Holidays Episode,
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:12:55] I Would think you'd be prepared then For this question.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:12:57] You'd think I would be prepared, Rebecca, You'd think.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:13:01] I mean, I would say Thanksgiving.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:13:12] Really? You would, that is the correct answer.
Nick Capodice: [00:13:15] And it was just that one time, right?
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:13:17] Was it just that one time?
Christina Phillips: [00:13:18] Yes, it was. He actually became known for moving holidays around, and people would call this Franksgiving.
Nick Capodice: [00:13:25] Yeah, that's right.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:13:27] Ok, now we are on to our second Christmas toast. Nick, you are getting the starting question for this one. Ok. The holiday season is a good time for people to flex their muscles, to brag a bit. In 1958, President Eisenhower stuck it to the Russians by broadcasting his holiday message to the American public from where?
Nick Capodice: [00:13:47] Wow, so Eisenhower stuck it to the Russians. Yes, by broadcasting.
Nick Capodice: [00:13:53] Oh oh, but no, it can't be.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:13:57] My guess is ridiculous.
Nick Capodice: [00:13:58] I was going to guess from space.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:14:00] Wow, what a guess that is correct, Nick.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:14:06] Shortly after the successful launch of Sputnik Russia's satellite into orbit, the Eisenhower administration faced pressure to keep up in the space race. So when a secret mission, the U.S. launched its first communications satellite into orbit in December with a recorded message from Eisenhower to broadcast on the radio. The audio quality is about what you'd expect from a satellite in space made in the 1950s.
Eisenhower from space: [00:14:33] The United States. All of the scientific advance, my voice is coming my satellite.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:14:45] Unsurprisingly, the weak signal meant that only the biggest radio hobbyists nerds actually heard that first transmission, but most of the American public heard it rebroadcast on the news. Hannah. Follow up for you for a point to government agencies were created because of pressure from the public and Congress after the launch of Sputnik one was NASA. Can you name the other one? I will give you a hint if you need it.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:15:16] Oh, I'll take the hint, but I'm afraid it's going to make it worse. Give me the hint.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:15:20] The hint is this agency is known for its creepy, creepy robots.
Christina Phillips: [00:15:29] Well, this is a hard one,
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:15:31] Is it? I thought my hint is pretty telling.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:15:34] Is there like a national science administration?
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:15:38] No. But there is a little organization called DARPA, which is pretty well known for its creepy, creepy robots. Sorry. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency was also created at the same time as NASA. Sorry, didn't get that one. Hannah, so we are now on our third toast question to this. This anchor question goes to you. Presidents have used their holiday addresses as a way to endear themselves to the people, instilling patriotism and put aside political division, sometimes with mixed success. In 1954, following the end of the Korean War, President Eisenhower's administration rebranded the lighting of the National Christmas tree as quote The Christmas pageant of Peace. This made it a little awkward for presidents in wartime, which Presidents Christmas pageant of peace was interrupted by protesters.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:16:30] Ooooh was it Kennedy?
Christina Phillips: [00:16:33] Think about presidents who a lot of people were really mad at them.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:16:36] Imagine a president that might have gotten protesters at other events besides just the lighting of the Christmas tree. I mean, you want to take a second guess?
Hannah McCarthy: [00:16:45] Nixon?
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:16:46] Yeah, I think she made a half a point.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:16:52] Give her half.
Christina Phillips: [00:16:54] Ok, half a point.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:16:55] Maybe you'll have an opportunity for half a point later. So, Nick, a follow up question for you. Nixon did not attend his pageant of peace in 71 and 72. I wonder why? Who gave speeches on his behalf instead?
Nick Capodice: [00:17:11] Oh wow.
Nick Capodice: [00:17:12] On speeches, on Nixon's behalf.
Nick Capodice: [00:17:14] So, uh, was it Ford?
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:17:21] No, no. Take a second guess for half a point.
Nick Capodice: [00:17:24] Yeah, yeah. Give me a second. Let's see. It Wasn't Spiro Agnew.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:17:30] It wasn't?
Nick Capodice: [00:17:31] OK, Spiro Agnew.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:17:34] Yay!
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:17:35] It was Vice President Spiro Agnew at the 1970 Pageant of Peace. By the way, Nixon did say we can look forward with assurance to the end of that war. The U.S., of course, would not leave Vietnam until 1975, so there was the storied history of the quote pageant of peace during the Nixon administration.
Christina Phillips: [00:17:54] I believe Nixon also one time I I try to find pictures of this, but I couldn't. He put a peace sign on top of the tree instead of a star, and a lot of people got really mad about that. But also, I like to imagine that if Ford had lit the Christmas tree, he would start it with. Our national nightmare has ended. Christmas has arrived.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:18:24] So, Nick, this one is for you. Yeah. In nineteen seventy nine, during the quote pageant of peace, President Jimmy Carter made a symbolic statement when he chose to only light the star at the top of the national Christmas tree. Carter said the tree would remain dark until what happened. Oh oh my goodness, this was 1979 near the end of his administration, right?
Nick Capodice: [00:18:49] Ok, so let me just just talk out loud for a second, right?
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:18:52] Yes, you can talk.
Nick Capodice: [00:18:53] Carter cares about, you know, he cares deeply about world hunger. You near
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:18:57] The end of his administration.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:19:02] Yeah. And he and there was. What is he waiting to have happen near the end of his administration, like the trees remaining dark until this Whole this thing happens?
Nick Capodice: [00:19:10] Yes. Hold on, I've almost got I've almost got it.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:19:15] If you need a hint, I'm happy to give you one.
Nick Capodice: [00:19:17] Give me just 30 more seven more seconds. Sure. Think about what the thing is that he wants to have happen.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:19:22] I know you can get this one.
Nick Capodice: [00:19:23] Is it the freeing of hostages from Iran?
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:19:25] It is the freeing of U.S. hostages at the embassy in Tehran, Iran. He was waiting for them to be released. The hostages were captured on November 4th, 1979, during a period of intense conflict between the U.S. and Iran. So Hannah McCarthy bonus question for you Approximately how long were the hostages held at the embassy?
Hannah McCarthy: [00:19:50] I will just I'm going to be completely honest, I have absolutely no idea zero inkling,
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:19:56] One of the easiest numbers to remember in political history. I believe, Nick, do you know the answer to this question?
Nick Capodice: [00:20:03] I don't know the number.
Christina Phillips: [00:20:05] Can we get a guess, I just I'm curious how long you think that they were held because I was surprised. I did not know that. I did not know I was.
Nick Capodice: [00:20:15] It was the year I was born.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:20:16] Hmm. I guess I am really old. 80 days.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:20:19] Or seventy nine days?
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:20:20] Four hundred and forty four days.
Nick Capodice: [00:20:24] Yes, it's way longer than I thought.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:20:25] Yes, yes. And of course, if you want a telling of the story or a part of the story, I would highly recommend the Oscar winning movie Argo, directed by my favorite boyfriend of Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck. Ok, where are we score wise host Christina Phillips?
Christina Phillips: [00:20:42] Nick, you have three and a half, Hannah. You have two and a half.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:20:55] When we get back from the break, we'll find out if Hannah can redeem herself as we turn to the next round of civics trivia revolving around holiday time. But one quick note you can get all kinds of trivia and ephemera and civics facts in our Civics 101 newsletter called Extra Credit. It's free, it's fun, it's biweekly, and everyone loves it. Sign up for it at civics101podcast.org or just click the link in our show notes to get on the list. Welcome back to our special holiday break edition of Civics 101, where we're putting hosts Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice to the test, pitting them against each other with a series of trivia questions about civics and the holidays before we return to the show. Might I remind you if you love the podcast, support it, make a donation in any amount and we'll send you a snazzy sticker that says the constitution is my copilot. You can make that gift at civics101podcast.org or just click the link in the show notes. All right, let's get back to the trivia.
Christina Phillips: [00:22:17] Our next round will be about the celebration of Hanukkah at the White House. This is a multiple choice round, so buzz in after we've read all the options and so I've asked you to select a buzzer noise. Nick, what is your buzzer noise?
Nick Capodice: [00:22:30] My buzzer noise is this.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:22:34] Very good. I hate you know what that is. So I do, you know, Rebecca?
Hannah McCarthy: [00:22:38] Yeah, it's the horse sound at the end of what the Christmas song that I don't.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:22:46] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's sleigh ride.
Nick Capodice: [00:22:49] I want to tell you it's sleigh ride, sleigh ride, sleigh ride.
Nick Capodice: [00:22:52] Oh, it's the horse whinny. And I got to be the horse whinny when we played it in high school.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:22:56] Yeah, the greatest high school concert band number ever. Because some percussionist gets to play the whip, which is, yeah, two blocks on a stick that go, which I got to do it four times a night, but
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:23:10] All right, go ahead. What is your buzzer, Hannah?
Hannah McCarthy: [00:23:13] I don't know. Nick selected it for me. Why are you?
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:23:16] Oh, really?
Nick Capodice: [00:23:19] Well, you could try this one instead. You got this one.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:23:25] I want that one. Yeah.
Nick Capodice: [00:23:26] Ok, so this is You Mario going down the pipe? Press it one more time to make sure
Hannah McCarthy: [00:23:30] It gives me childhood anxiety. Yeah, because I tried really hard at that game and I never did well.
Christina Phillips: [00:23:33] All right. We are headed into our next round. It is all about the celebration of Hanukkah at the White House. This is multiple choice buzz in after we've read all the options, Jacqui. You are going to be leading us through this round. Take it away.
Jacqui Fulton: [00:23:50] Ok, question one. Presidents only began honoring Hanukkah in the 20th century, when this president was the first to light a menorah during the holiday season alongside the lighting of the national Christmas tree. Was it a Franklin Roosevelt? B John F Kennedy, C Jimmy Carter or D George H.W. Bush?
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:24:16] We get the same exact time,
Hannah McCarthy: [00:24:19] Same time, except yours is
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:24:20] Louder.
Nick Capodice: [00:24:21] No, you hit it twice, so it turned off, you did that.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:24:24] Oh, we have a dispute, we have a dispute. I don't know what..
Nick Capodice: [00:24:29] We could both say it at the same time. Yep.
Nick Capodice: [00:24:31] Ok. All right. Three. Jimmy Carter,
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:24:35] Do you think happens? They both get the point.
Christina Phillips: [00:24:36] I'm going to give them both the point. All right.
Jacqui Fulton: [00:24:39] So initially, Carter Secretary of the Interior Cecil Andrus, denied the permit for a menorah on government property, saying it violated the First Amendment. Carter's adviser, Stu Eizenstat, told Andrus that if he denied the permit for the menorah, he would also have to deny the permit for the Christmas tree, and he backed down.
Nick Capodice: [00:24:58] Wow, that's a good story. You know where you can read about that, that whole crazy story, Rebecca, where an extra credit, biweekly newsletter? It was like two years ago. I don't remember who wrote it if it was an
Hannah McCarthy: [00:25:10] I think it was You,
Nick Capodice: [00:25:12] But it was all about that. That was such a good story, Jacqui, when he was like, Well, then we'll just, you know, the Christmas tree Christmas.
Christina Phillips: [00:25:22] I love the idea that Eisenstadt was like, Oh, do I just maybe we don't have to do any of it this year. I don't have to worry about any of it.
Jacqui Fulton: [00:25:29] All right. Question to you guys ready? Yeah, OK. During a menorah lighting ceremony in the Oval Office in 1993, President Clinton acted quickly when Watt accidentally caught fire a stack of papers on the Resolute Desk B a young girl's ponytail, c a Secret Service member sleeve, or D the Oval Office carpet.
Christina Phillips: [00:25:56] That was definitely Hannah.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:25:58] That was me, a little girl's hair caught fire! A ponytail!
Jacqui Fulton: [00:26:04] You seem really excited about her hair catching on fire.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:26:10] Actually, if you watch the video, it happens in a flash.
Jacqui Fulton: [00:26:13] Yeah, a young girl's ponytail. The menorah was sitting on the desk behind her, and Clinton noticed the flame and put it out with his hands.
Christina Phillips: [00:26:30] He was very, very subtle about it, like it was just like, yeah,
Hannah McCarthy: [00:26:33] It was very,
Christina Phillips: [00:26:34] Yeah, you can't even tell what happened.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:26:36] That little girl was inside of us all along.
Nick Capodice: [00:26:39] And that little girl grew up to be...
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:26:40] The little match girl.
Nick Capodice: [00:26:43] The little match girl.
Jacqui Fulton: [00:26:53] All right, question number three. In 2013, the first day of Hanukkah fell on Thanksgiving Day. President Obama presented a monarchy during an event at the end of the holiday. What is the monarchy? Was it a turkey carved in the shape of a menorah? Be a menorah carved in the shape of a turkey? See the live turkey. Obama had pardoned on Thanksgiving, wearing a sweater with menorahs on it, or d an aide wearing a turkey costume carrying a menorah.
Christina Phillips: [00:27:25] Hannah, what is it?
Hannah McCarthy: [00:27:26] Be a menorah carved to look like a turkey.
Christina Phillips: [00:27:30] Yes. Yes, we have the audio of that.
Barack Obama: [00:27:32] We've got 10 year old Asher Weintraub from New York City. Where's Ashley? Asher came up with what we believe is the world's first ever menorah shaped like a turkey. It is called the monarchy. Where is the monarchy? I had it just a second ago.
Jacqui Fulton: [00:27:51] Obama was also the first president to hold a ceremonial seder during Passover.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:27:56] Oh, amazing. I didn't know that.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:27:58] Yeah. You know, I've never been to a Seder. I've always wish my friends in high school would invite me, and they never did.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:28:06] So where are we score wise for this round?
Christina Phillips: [00:28:08] Nick, you have four and a half points and you have five and a half points.
Nick Capodice: [00:28:13] Wow. Ok. How quickly the wheels of time.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:28:39] So we are headed into our final round, Christina and I am going to hand it off to you. I'm going to be doing the scoring and you are going to be doing the question reading because this round you came up with and you deserve to do it. So take it away.
Christina Phillips: [00:28:56] In 1961, Jacqueline Kennedy was the first first lady to give the White House holidays a theme which would help determine how the White House was going to be decorated that year. The theme was The Nutcracker Suite, so our next round is this or that you have to guess whether I'm naming a White House holiday theme or a scented product from Bath and Body Works.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:29:26] Well, I grew up in the 90s and I went to the mall a lot.
Christina Phillips: [00:29:30] This is going to be interesting. You'll get a bonus point if you can either name the first lady or describe the scent. If you come even a little bit close to how bath and body works, describes that scent will give you the bonus points.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:29:47] Stream of consciousness. Any word, any fruit, any nut, any spice.
Christina Phillips: [00:29:54] Plus, there will be four first ladies that you can choose from, and we will read them out for you. After you guess, we'll remind you of who those first ladies are, but they are Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama or Pat Nixon. And there may be more than one theme from the same first lady.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:30:13] Hmm. Ok, so White House themes four first ladies. One store that sells a lot of stinky stuff. Ok, take it away, Christina.
Christina Phillips: [00:30:23] Ok, Hannah, first question is for you. Is this a White House holiday theme or a scent from Bath and body works? Winter Wonderland?
Hannah McCarthy: [00:30:38] It's so broad, I'm going to say it's a theme.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:30:41] You are correct.
Christina Phillips: [00:30:43] So here's a little more about this. The Knitting Guild of America and the Society of Decorative Painters work together with fabric artists from each state on these ornaments, so every state had different ornaments that were themed winter wonderland. Ok. All right, bonus question for you, Hannah. Yeah. Was this Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama or Pat Nixon?
Hannah McCarthy: [00:31:09] Just because of the how basic it is, I'm going to guess Pat Nixon.
Nick Capodice: [00:31:13] Sorry that she was the first first lady to get a college degree.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:31:18] No, I'm just saying the era. Just the era.
Christina Phillips: [00:31:20] Yeah, no. It was like Clinton in 1998.
Nick Capodice: [00:31:26] Woa, you just called Hillary Clinton basic.
Christina Phillips: [00:31:29] I love it.
Nick Capodice: [00:31:30] Somebody is not with her. Saw her drinking a white claw the other day.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:31:41] She was cutting those sugar cookies from that roll.
Nick Capodice: [00:31:46] Listening to All I want for Christmas is you.
Christina Phillips: [00:31:51] All right.
Christina Phillips: [00:31:52] Question number two. This is for you, Nick. Is this a White House holiday theme or is sent from Bath and body works? Fresh, sparkling snow.
Nick Capodice: [00:32:05] I mean, that you'd have to be a first lady going through some stuff. The theme, Oh, I'm going to go with Bed Bath and body works.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:32:16] Oh, shoot.
Nick Capodice: [00:32:17] I always do that. I'm going to do scent. Sorry.
Christina Phillips: [00:32:21] Can you Imagine? Bed Bath and body works.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:32:25] The ultimate collab, I would go there every day.
Christina Phillips: [00:32:30] I cannot imagine them combined.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:32:32] The towels would be scented forever.
Nick Capodice: [00:32:33] Forever scented. Oh God.
Christina Phillips: [00:32:36] Oh, you are correct, Nick. Oh, the scent from bath and body works. Ok, here's your bonus question. Yeah. Name three things.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:32:44] Anything I think anything.
Christina Phillips: [00:32:47] You can name three things What do you think? Fresh, sparkling snow smells like
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:32:53] Stream of consciousness, Nick. If you name Anything.
Nick Capodice: [00:32:57] Well. Can you say it's fresh? What kind of snow?
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:33:01] Fresh, sparkling.
Nick Capodice: [00:33:02] Fresh, sparkling snow?
Nick Capodice: [00:33:04] I mean, I feel like it's going to have some sort of like wintergreen, vanilla, a pine.
Christina Phillips: [00:33:13] All right. Do you want to hear the description? Here we go. Here we go. Fresh, sparkling snow, cool and crisp, just like the first snowfall of the season. Icy melon. Winter pine,
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:33:25] Yes.
Christina Phillips: [00:33:26] And fresh citrus.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:33:28] You got it with the pine. Yeah, yeah. With the pine melon pine.
Nick Capodice: [00:33:32] Nothing says Christmas. Like the scent of melon.
Christina Phillips: [00:33:35] I have a question. Is icy melon a melon? Or is that just melon that's frozen
Hannah McCarthy: [00:33:40] There's no such thing. It's not like a type of melon.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:33:43] I think that's just bath and body works saying this melon is actually just chemicals.
Nick Capodice: [00:33:50] It's an in case of emergency melon.
Christina Phillips: [00:33:53] All right, Hannah. Question three Is this a White House holiday theme or are you sent from Bath and body works a thousand Christmas wishes?
Hannah McCarthy: [00:34:05] Um, a theme.
Christina Phillips: [00:34:06] No,
Hannah McCarthy: [00:34:07] No. How is that a scent, for the love of God?
Christina Phillips: [00:34:13] Ok. A thousand Christmas wishes I sent from Bath Body Works. Can you give me three tasting? Scenting notes that you think is a thousand Christmas wishes?
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:34:23] You had a chance to redeem yourself or just name some stuff.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:34:26] I do think vanilla is a good guess. Maybe peppermint
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:34:34] And. A thousand Christmas wishes?
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:34:42] I'm going to give you a hint. Obscure Christmas fruits.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:34:50] Obscure Christmas fruits, so not citrus, then. Uh.. Cranberry. All right.
Christina Phillips: [00:34:58] Ok, I'm going to read the description. But what did she say again? We got vanilla
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:35:01] She didn't get it.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:35:02] Rebecca is so disappointed.
Christina Phillips: [00:35:02] A celebratory blend of pomegranate prosecco, sweet elderberries star jasmine and sugared Woods.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:35:13] Sugared wood.
Nick Capodice: [00:35:14] Oh my gosh, that's where the winter melon grows.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:35:17] The icy melon.
Nick Capodice: [00:35:19] Icy melon grows in the sugar Woods.
Christina Phillips: [00:35:22] I'm just picturing a piece of bark that somebody sucking.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:35:25] All right, so right now, just so you know, we have a tie game, it is six and a half to six and a half. That was your chance to pull it in.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:35:34] I know now that you're saying that I feel like I remember reading that description in bath and body works.
Nick Capodice: [00:35:39] I thought it was. I thought it was. Was it too? Was it orange in color?
Christina Phillips: [00:35:43] Oh, I have no idea, but I could check.
Jacqui Fulton: [00:35:45] They just took a thousand different chemicals. Put it in there.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:35:48] It's like a thousand Christmas chemicals.
Christina Phillips: [00:36:18] All right, Nick, question for is this a White House holiday theme or a scent from bath and body works: home for the holidays? Oh no.
Nick Capodice: [00:36:29] This would be great as both, I'm going to say White House Christmas theme.
Christina Phillips: [00:36:34] You are correct, and I think by the way, I did cross reference. Yeah, I made sure that there was no overlap because it was it was a close thing.
Nick Capodice: [00:36:44] A I can tell you that if it was a scent, it would have gingerbread in it.
Christina Phillips: [00:36:49] A White House holiday theme. Here is the theme. It featured historic house ornaments designed by local architects, so local houses of each state as ornaments. Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama or Pat Nixon.
Nick Capodice: [00:37:05] Oh, it sounds like something a Carter would do, but let me see here.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:37:08] Hold on. That wasn't one of the choices.
Nick Capodice: [00:37:10] Yeah. No, I was just talking out loud. I'm pretending like it's the wait. Wait, don't tell me. Except we don't have the answers given to us. Yes. They don't, do they. It just made that up. Oh, I'm going to guess Laura Bush.
Christina Phillips: [00:37:28] Yes.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:37:30] Oh, boooo.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:37:33] Somebody is ahead by two points.
Christina Phillips: [00:37:36] Important follow up, Hannah, is that basic or not basic: Home for the holidays?
Nick Capodice: [00:37:43] Very, very complicated and sophisticated.
Christina Phillips: [00:37:48] Ok. And question number five simple gifts.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:37:56] If I were the designer of scents at Bath and Body Works, I would never describe my scent is simple because they're all about complexity and strangeness. I'm going to say it was a theme.
Christina Phillips: [00:38:14] You are correct.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:38:15] Oh, thank God,
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:38:17] I love hearing the logic.
Christina Phillips: [00:38:18] Yes. So simple gifts. The theme was honoring state and county fairs and featured prize ribbons from each state and territory, and it was known as the gift of the American spirit.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:38:32] I'm again going to say Pat Nixon.
Christina Phillips: [00:38:36] It was not Pat Nixon, it was Michelle Obama.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:38:44] I'm sweating so much.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:38:49] Yes, well, Nick, you have one more chance to win it by a lot.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:38:54] Was that my last question?
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:38:57] I'm afraid to say it was so nick. This last question will determine just how much glory it is you have in this game
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:39:05] To go find my trumpet.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:39:07] Curse Pat Nixon and the space she takes up in my brain
Jacqui Fulton: [00:39:11] She is far more complex than you thought.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:39:12] Living rent free.
Christina Phillips: [00:39:16] Ok, Nick. Question six Is this a White House holiday theme or a scent from Bath and Body Works. Holiday Cheers.
Nick Capodice: [00:39:26] Wow.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:39:26] Cheers, plural?
Christina Phillips: [00:39:28] Yeah.
Nick Capodice: [00:39:28] If it was a theme for the White House, they'd have to be like about cheers and drinks and toasts. And it's just
Hannah McCarthy: [00:39:34] Or the bar Cheers.
Nick Capodice: [00:39:35] Yeah, where everybody votes their party.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:39:39] Cheerleaders of America.
Nick Capodice: [00:39:41] Holiday cheers. I'm going to say I'm going to say bath and body.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:39:45] Oh, you are correct.
Nick Capodice: [00:39:48] Sorry.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:39:51] Ok, I get extra points for the fun trivia I noticed off the top of my head.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:39:55] You get extra points for winning the lightning round with your buzzer man. As far as yes.
Christina Phillips: [00:39:58] Yeah, OK, I actually think it would be fun. I want you both to guess what the scent is, so each of you is going to name one thing. We'll go back and forth three times. What do you think holiday cheers smells like, Nick? One.
Nick Capodice: [00:40:13] Ok. Give me a second! Holiday cheers. Cinnamon.
Christina Phillips: [00:40:20] Ok, Hannah.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:40:21] No, by the way, no cinnamon.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:40:25] Given that they put prosecco in one of their beverages, beverages in one of their scents, I'm going to guess Prosecco again.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:40:31] No, no
Nick Capodice: [00:40:33] I'm going to say cloves.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:40:36] No.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:40:38] What was your first, cinnamon?
Nick Capodice: [00:40:40] Oh, I got another guess, yeah.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:40:41] You already said cinnamon.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:40:42] I did.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:40:44] Mulled wine.
Nick Capodice: [00:40:48] Now I'm going to guess some sort... I'm going down Eggnog Road. I'm going to say nutmeg.
Christina Phillips: [00:40:53] Yes.
Nick Capodice: [00:40:56] Give me that nutmeg,
Christina Phillips: [00:40:58] This is the description, creamy, sweet and extra toasty, it makes the holidays that much more cozy, warm vanilla, spiced rum and a dash of nutmeg. So I know you were very close with the the alcohol guess.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:41:12] So Nick, you are the winner of our first ever Civics 101 holiday trivia game. How does it feel to have all of the glory?
Nick Capodice: [00:41:19] You've all heard a little bit. I'm going to tell you it's not pleasant.
Christina Phillips: [00:41:23] I would just like to point out that Pat Nixon had none of those themes. I threw her in there as a decoy and it worked.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:41:28] Yes, it sure did.
Christina Phillips: [00:41:31] Nick and Hannah, thank you for being such good sports and for joining us today.
Nick Capodice: [00:41:35] Thank you. Thank you. You'll get me now. You'll get you'll get into next year.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:41:39] Jackson had a snowball fight in the White House with little balls of cotton. I know that!
Christina Phillips: [00:41:44] She's just going to start spouting White House bags for the next year. Jacqui, thank you so much for joining us and for leading that round.
Jacqui Fulton: [00:41:52] Oh yeah, my pleasure.
Christina Phillips: [00:41:53] Executive producer Rebecca Lavoie,
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:41:55] Thanks for coming to my basement to record this with me.
Christina Phillips: [00:41:57] Thank you for allowing me to interlope in your basement.
Christina Phillips: [00:42:01] And for everyone at Civics 101. We hope you have a great holiday season and that you have a Happy New Year. Happy New Year!
Hannah McCarthy: [00:42:36] What theme would you pick?
Hannah McCarthy: [00:42:39] I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
Christina Phillips: [00:42:40] I love it, I love it. No, I want to know.
Nick Capodice: [00:42:43] I would pick like sort of like root vegetables and roasted root vegetables.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:42:51] I would pick just because I believe, you know, death is always with us.
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:42:56] The little match girl.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:42:59] I would pick. I would pick A Christmas Carol. Our tree topper is the ghost of Christmas present. Yeah. I feel like, you know, just remember, everybody, it can all go away in a second.
Christina Phillips: [00:43:15] So, Jacqui what would you pick? What would yours?
Jacqui Fulton: [00:43:17] Oh mean girls.
Christina Phillips: [00:43:21] I love that
Rebecca Lavoie: [00:43:29] This episode of Civics 101 was written by Christina Phillips and produced by me, Rebecca Lavoie, with help from Jacqui Fulton, thanks to our special guests Civics 101 host Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice for letting us put you through the trivia ringer and for all you do all year round to make the show a joy to work on and to listen to. This episode featured music by the Starlight Singers, Andy Williams, kids singing Lou Monte Wesleyan Studios and the Royal Philharmonic with scoring by Henry Lavoie and our special apologies to Mariah Carey. You really are awesome. Despite what Hannah says, Civics 101 is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio.
