Little Drummer Boy Challenge facts for kids

The Little Drummer Boy Challenge, often called LDBC, is a fun online game played in the United States. The main goal is to avoid hearing any version of the song "The Little Drummer Boy" during the Christmas and holiday season shopping time. This challenge begins at 12:01 AM on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. It then continues all the way until Christmas Eve on December 24. People have been playing different versions of this game since the early 2000s. It's a type of game where you test how well you can avoid something.

The Story Behind the Challenge

The idea of trying to avoid "The Little Drummer Boy" song has been around for a while, possibly since the year 2000. However, Michael Alan Peck officially started the LDBC. He began it after his friends started playing a similar game among themselves. The game has become more and more popular since 2011. Many people believe its popularity grew because more holiday music is played in stores during the Christmas season.

Since 2014, players have been able to share their reactions when they accidentally hear the song and lose. They post these "elfies" (like selfies) on the official Facebook page. By 2018, about 10,000 people had liked or followed the contest page. Michael Peck says he doesn't hate the song. He just thinks it's perfect for this challenge because "you hear it a lot, but not so much that the game is impossible."

To help players, Peck shared a list of "toxic media" in 2018. This list included places where people often hear the song and lose the game. Even with help, only 28% of players reported winning in 2017. The version of the song by Bing Crosby and David Bowie causes the most players to lose. This is based on statistics Peck has collected.

How to Play: The Rules

Anyone can join the Little Drummer Boy Challenge automatically. You don't need to sign up. Reporting if you win or lose is completely up to you. To win, you must not hear even a small part of "The Little Drummer Boy." This includes any time between Black Friday and Christmas Eve.

There is one special rule: if someone tries to trick you into hearing the song, they lose, not you. However, as of 2017, players are not allowed to bother musicians to stop them from playing the song. Also, starting in 2018, hearing funny versions or parodies of the song will also make you lose. This is called the "blurred lines rule."

Some players wear headphones when they are out in public. This helps them avoid hearing holiday music that might make them lose the game.

Different Ways to Play

There are other versions of games where avoiding "The Little Drummer Boy" is the main goal. Some of these games might even be older than the one Michael Peck created. The biggest difference in these other versions is when the game starts and ends. For example, in one version, the game begins as soon as Christmas music starts playing in stores.

See also

• Whamageddon, a similar challenge using "Last Christmas" as the song to avoid