5 Weird Questions We Need Google to Answer at Christmas – And What it Means for Brands
Christmas. A time for giving and receiving gifts, copious amounts of food and, as it turns out, asking some utterly bizarre questions online.
Online greetings card supplier Moonpig recently uncovered the weird and wonderful things we Google when we’re taking a break from our Christmas traditions. Finding the answers to these much-Googled phrases can help your brand join in the conversation this holiday season.
1. How Many Nanoseconds until Christmas?
When the countdown to Christmas begins, we all become quite an impatient bunch. To pass the time until the big day, a fair share of us head to Google to find out exactly how long we have to wait. And it’s not just days we’re interested in–it’s minutes, seconds, and even nanoseconds. As How many days until Christmas? is the most popular festive search term, with more than 60K average monthly searches, there is still those who ask the question, How many nanoseconds until Christmas?
2. Is it Illegal to Eat Mince Pies on Christmas Day?
Without intricate knowledge into British history, this would probably rank as the ultimate weirdest Christmas question. However, there is an explanation.
In an effort to tackle a greedy society, in 1648, Britain banned Christmas puddings during festive celebrations. However, the ban was lifted in 1660, allowing Brits to merrily devour their mince pies without the fear of criminal ramifications.
As many as 480 people a month head online to look for an answer to this particular question, but it isn’t the only legality-based query we need clearing up at Christmas.
Among the other legal uncertainties, there are Is it illegal to have Christmas lights in your car, Is burning Christmas trees illegal, and even Is it illegal to say Merry Christmas in Canada.
Which of course, it isn’t.
3. Can I Put My Christmas Tree Up in November?
There are no laws surrounding the putting up and taking down of your Christmas tree.
As many as 1.3K people ask Google When to put up a Christmas tree? Those tempted to do so in November also head online to try and justify their actions: Can I put my Christmas tree up in November?
The same goes for bringing it back down. 3.6K searches are made on a monthly basis that ask When to take a Christmas tree down.
4. How to Get to Sleep Fast on Christmas Eve?
For some of us, the excitement and anticipation is just too much. In an effort to sleep soundly on Christmas Eve, there are those that ask Google How to sleep on Christmas Eve. There are a number of variations around the phrase too. Some want to make sure they hit the hay well before Santa comes down the chimney, searching for How to get to sleep fast on Christmas Eve.
Tips and advice on getting better sleep is a popular topic all year round. Come Christmastime, it becomes an even hotter topic.
5. Can I Refuse to Work on Christmas Day?
No one wants to work over the holiday period, and you’ll find most employees battling amongst themselves for time off over Christmas and New Year. A number of us head online to try and illustrate to our employers that they can’t make us come in on the big day, asking Google Can I refuse to work on Christmas Day.
It’s not just our own Christmas working hours we’re interested in. A number of regularly searched-for phrases look to see if other people are at work on Christmas Day.
For those looking to commit parking offenses, some even ask Do traffic wardens work on Christmas Day. People also want to know if police are available over the Christmas period asking Do cops work on Christmas.
What it Means for Brands
Christmas is a time to engage with your audience in a completely unique way. A whole bunch of controversial and contentious topics arise, and we’re often heading straight online to find the answers.
The holidays give brands an opportunity to join in this conversation, providing relevant answers to these questions, and pushing up your brand awareness.
Plus, it adds a layer of personality to your brand. A company is made up of individuals, each with a unique set of Christmas traditions. Drum up some noise by letting your audience know where you stand on some of these crazy Christmas questions.
