A Very Merry Un-Christmas Trivia Quiz

Answer: Eid-al-Fitr

Sitting down to a large Christmas feast, often involving turkey, is a common celebration.
In the Muslim religion, Ramadan is a month of fasting, introspection and prayer. This is followed by a three day celebration that involves a feast called Eid-alFitr or just Eid. Fasting is done from dawn to dusk and only individuals who are old enough to have gone through puberty and who are healthy partake. The observances celebrate the origins of Islam and focus on honesty, kindness and compassion.
The dates are based on the Islamic calendar, the beginning and end triggered by the appearance of a new moon.

Answer: National Tulip Day

The Poinsettia, with its red velvety leaves, is often a part of Christmas decorations.
In Holland the tulip is celebrated with a festival that usually occurs on the third Saturday in January, before the tulip season really begins.
It has been held in Amsterdam, in the Dam square, since 2012. The square is covered with 'gardens' of approximately 200,000 tulips and residents are encouraged to visit and pick a free tulip.

Answer: Ancestor's Day

Also called Family Day, Qingming or Ching Ming Festival, Ancestor's Day has been observed in China, as well as other Asian countries, for over 2,500 years. On this day people visit the graves and tombs of ancestors to clean them. They also pray and make ritual offerings to their ancestors of food and joss sticks (which is something like incense). It occurs on the 15th day after the Spring Equinox.
It is one of the few public holidays.

Answer: Hanukkah

Christmas is a time for gift giving, some of them from Santa, among believers.
Hanukkah is a Jewish Festival of Lights, which marks both the recovery of Jerusalem and the re-dedication of the Second Temple, in the second century BCE. Every night for eight nights a candle is lit on the Menorah, a candlestick with 9 candles, the centre one being used to light the other eight.
Traditionally small gifts, such as small amounts of money and chocolate, were given every night, but over time the gifts have grown in size and value.

Answer: Valentine's Day

Chocolate treats on Christmas are very cpopular.
Celebrated on February 14th, Valentine's Day started as a Christian Feast Day, honouring two different Valentines, each martyred for their faith, one in 269 CE and the other in 273 CE. It was in the 14th and 15th centuries that the day became commercialised, encompassing the concept of what was then referred to a 'courtly love', or romantic love which these days often involves the giving of chocolates.

Answer: Cinco de Mayo

Santa Claus parades are common events and in some places, mark the arrival of the jolly old elf to malls where children can tell him what they want for Christmas.
The Cinco de Mayo celebrations include a military parade, dancing, costumes, fireworks and the re-enactment of the Battle of Puebla. This important battle marked Mexico's victory over France, even though the invading French army outnumbered the Mexican defenders two to one.

Answer: Chinese New Year

A Chinese legend tells of a demon, Sui or Nian, who terrorized children on New Year's Eve. So coins were initially given to children in the hopes of keeping them awake. That didn't work, however, but light, reflecting off the coins, shone into the demon's eyes, scaring it away and keeping the children safe. This began the practice of giving coins on New Year's Eve. The coins were placed in a red envelope as these were believed to provide protection and share good luck and prosperity.
Coins are no longer part of Chinese currency, but the custom of giving cash in red envelopes still persists.
In other countries, Chinese restaurants and other businesses will gift customers with replica coins in red envelopes.

Answer: Kwanzaa

Besides being a Christmas Carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas is a Christian period celebrating the birth of Christ and ending on Epiphany, a feast day.
Kwanzaa is a celebration of African/American culture that was created by Maulana Karenga in 1966, after the riots in Watts. Kwanzaa lasts for 7 days, From Dec 26th to Jan 1st, with each day celebrating one of seven principles of Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Co-Operative Economics, Purpose, Creativity and Faith.

Answer: Diwali

Diwali is a festival of lights that is celebrated by Hindus, some Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains. It is the celebration of the "victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance" and generally lasts five days during the period from the middle of October to the middle of November. It includes the celebration of a good harvest.

Answer: Halloween

Christmas Carols as dance songs have been around since the mid 12th century. But it wasn't until the 16th century that the practice of wassailing, people singing and asking for food and drink, became popular. Carolers are not as common as they once were and don't generally ask for sustenance these days, but sometimes ask for money for charity. Halloween, or All Hallow's Eve on October 31st, began as a way to remember the dead, including saints and martyrs, and has been associated with many observances over the years. Nowadays it is a time for children to dress up and go door-to-door, asking for candy with the expression 'trick or treat' which implies that a trick will be committed if a treat is not provided.