Challenging Christmas Quiz
1. The =
first instrument on which the carol "Silent Night" was played =
was:
(a) A harp (b) A pipe organ =
(c) A guitar (d) A kazoo
2. In =
Guatemala, Christmas Day is celebrated:
(a) On January 6 (b) On December 25 (c) On October =
31 (d) Never
3. =
Electric Christmas tree lights were first used in:
(a) 1845 (b) 1895 (c) 1909 (d) =
1936
4. Good King Wenceslas was king of which =
country?
(a) Abyssinia (b) England =
(c) Bohemia (d) Poland
5. =
Medieval English Christmas pantomimes did not include which =
character?
(a) St. Nicholas (b) =
Bold Slasher (c) Father Christmas (d) Turkish Knight
6. The =
name of Scrooge’s deceased business partner in Charles Dickens’ "A =
Christmas Carol" was:
(a) Bob =
Cratchit (b) Nicholas Nickleby (c) Paul Dombey (d) Jacob =
Marley
7. In North America, children put stockings out at =
Christmas time. Their Dutch counterparts use:
(a) Old hats (b) Beer mugs (c) Shoes (d) Stockings, =
just like everybody else!
8. The =
poinsettia, a traditional Christmas flower, originally grew in which =
country?
(a) Canada (b) China (c) =
Mexico (d) Spain
9. =
Which name does not belong to one of Santa’s reindeer?
(a) Comet (b) Prancer (c) Blitzen (d) =
Klingon
10. In Syria, Christmas gifts are distributed =
by:
(a) The Three Kings (b) Tom =
O’Bedlam (c) One of the Wise Men’s camels (d) Father =
Christmas
11. One notable medieval English Christmas =
celebration featured:
(a) a giant, =
165-pound pie (b) Snowball fights between rival courtiers (c) A swimming =
race across the English Channel (d) Huge crackers that sometimes =
exploded fatally.
12. In =
Australia, usual Boxing Day activities include:
(a) Building snowmen (b) Tobogganing (c) Wombat =
hunting (d) Surfing
13. In =
Sweden, a common Christmas decoration is the Julbukk, a small figurine =
of a goat. It is usually made of what material?
(a) Candy (b) Straw (c) Fir (d) =
Fur
14. The real St. Nicholas lived:
(a) In Lebanon (b) On the island of Malta (c) In =
Turkey (d) In Holland
15. =
Which of the following was NOT one of the Three Kings?
(a) Gaspar (b) Balthazar (c) Artaban (d) =
Melchior
16. In Armenia, the traditional Christmas Eve meal =
consists of:
(a) Fried fish, =
lettuce and spinach (b) Square meat pies (c) Broiled partridges with =
gooseberry sauce (d) Turkey and plum pudding
17. In =
Tchaikovsky’s ballet "The Nutcracker", the Nutcracker’s main =
enemy is:
(a) A girl called Clara =
(b) The King of the Mice (c) Dr. Almond (d) Drosselmeyer the =
magician
18. The day after Christmas, December 26, is known =
as Boxing Day. It is also the holy day of which saint?
(a) St. Eustace (b) St. Brigit (c) St. Nicholas (d) =
St. Stephen
19. In =
Greek legend, malicious creatures called Kallikantzaroi sometimes play =
troublesome pranks at Christmas time. To get rid of them, you =
should:
(a) Placate them with =
gifts of rice pudding (b) Burn either salt or an old shoe (c) Sing hymns =
in a loud voice (d) Throw your sandals at them
20. =
When visiting Finland, Santa leaves his sleigh behind and rides =
on:
(a) Rudolph the red-nosed =
reindeer (b) A giant ptarmigan (c) A goat named Ukko (d) A flying =
carpet
21. A boar’s head is a traditional Christmas dish. =
According to a popular story, the unlucky boar whose head began the =
custom in the Middle Ages was killed by:
(a) Choking to death on a book of Greek philosophy =
(b) King Wenceslas, who speared it from horseback (c) A falling fir tree =
(d) Remorse, after goring St. Nicholas
22. =
When distributing gifts in Holland, St. Nicholas is accompanied =
by:
(a) His wife Lucy (b) His =
servant, Black Peter (c) Thirteen elves (d) St. Stephen
23. At =
Christmas, it is customary to exchange kisses beneath a sprig of which =
plant?
(a) Ivy (B) Yew (c) Holly =
(d) Mistletoe
24. =
Believe it or not, one Indiana town is called:
(a) Christmasville (b) Wenceslas (c) Noel (d) Santa =
Claus
25. Who was the author of "A Christmas =
Carol"?
(a) Mark Twain (b) =
Charles Dickens (c) Hans Christian Andersen (d) Sir Walter =
Scott
[answers on Saturday morning]
~~
Dr Bob Griffin =
[email protected] www.grif.net =
"Jesus Knows Me, This I =
Love!"