The Year of The Rabbit Trivia Quiz

Answer: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Written by Lewis Carroll and first published in 1865, this book has remained popular with children and adults. Lewis Carroll, real name Charles Dodgson, was a mathematics lecturer at Christ Church College, Oxford. It is widely accepted that 'Alice' is based on Alice Liddell, daughter of Dean Liddell. Dodgson had a close friendship with the family and often took their children on outings on the river. "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" was followed by "Alice Through the Looking Glass" as well as "The Hunting of the Snark" and "Jabberwocky".

Answer: Thumper

"Bambi" was released in 1942 and remains one of Disney's all time loved films. Thumper, the rabbit, is named for his habit of thumping his rear paw on the ground, and is one of the main stars of the film, befriending the young Bambi.
The film received three Academy Award nominations, Best Sound, Best Song and Original Music Score.

Answer: Fatal Attraction

Released in 1987, and starring Michael Douglas and Glenn Close, this film is certainly a warning against one night stands. Glenn Close stalks Michael Douglas and his family, becoming more and more deranged and obsessed, to the point of killing the family's pet rabbit and leaving it boiling on the stove.
The film was nominated for six Academy Awards.

Answer: German Settlers

The Easter bunny appears to have been introduced by German settlers coming into the Pennsylvania Dutch area in the 1700s. They brought the tradition with them from the Alsace and Upper Rhineland areas. Children would build bright nests, often made out of bonnets or caps, in their homes and if they had been good the Easter bunny would fill these with brightly coloured eggs.

These were originally dyed or painted chicken eggs. The first commercial Easter eggs did not appear until the early 1800s.

Answer: Run Rabbit Run

Written by Noel Gay for his musical "The Little Dog Laughed" this song was made popular by Flanagan and Allen who, during World War II, changed the lyrics to "Run Adolf, Run Adolf, Run Run Run" to poke fun at Hitler. When Jimmy Perry and David Croft started writing "Dad's Army" back in 1968 they selected it as the theme song as it seemed to sum up the home spun, under-equipped yet still ready to fight attitude of the Home Guard.

Answer: Chas and Dave

Charles Hodges and Dave Peacock were both well known and respected session musicians before deciding to become performers in their own right. Their distinctive brand of music, known as 'Rockney', is a mix of pub sing-a-long, music hall comedy and rock and roll. "Rabbit", released in 1980, is a complaint about the continued talking of the singer's girl friend. Dave Peacock is also a renowned builder and restorer of Romany caravans.

Answer: Portland

This superstition is several centuries old, and is thought to come from stone quarriers and miners who saw rabbits running from their holes just before a collapse or cave in, and blamed their burrowing activities for weakening the ground. Instead of rabbits the locals often refer to 'underground mutton' or 'bunnies' instead. When the film "Wallace and Grommit and the Curse of the Were Rabbit" was released a special batch of posters was produced for Portland to avoid offending local sensitivities.

Portland is part of the Dorset Jurassic coastline and some of the finest dinosaur age fossils have been found embedded in the world famous Portland stone.

Answer: Quetzalcoatl

The legend says that when Quetzalcoatl was living on earth as a man he was on a journey and thought he would die because he had no food or water. A rabbit offered itself to him to save his life, and in gratitude he lifted it up to the moon, where its image became fixed for all to see.

A legend of a moon rabbit also appears in China, Japan, India and Buddhism.

Answer: John Updike

"Rabbit is Rich" is the third book in John Updike's series that started with "Rabbit Run" in 1960. Featuring Harry 'Rabbit' Angstrom and his attempts to come to grips with life from young adulthood to death, they have received much critical acclaim. "Rabbit is Rich" and and "Rabbit at Rest" both received the Pulitzer Prize.

Answer: Night of the Lepus

This American science fiction horror film features a group of people battling mutated killer rabbits. Widely criticised for bad acting, bad directing, and worst of all, completely non scary killer rabbits, the film has gained something of a cult status amongst lovers of bad science fiction.

Answer: Watership Down

Written by Richard Adams and published in November 1972, this novel is about the adventures of a group of wild rabbits forced to leave their warren and seek a new home. Rejected by 13 publishers before finding someone who would take it, the book has never been out of print since first publication, and has also been made into a very successful film.

Answer: Duracell

Whether it is banging drums, climbing mountains, playing football or running the pink Duracell bunny always lasts longer than bunnies equipped with other batteries.

The advertising campaign was first launched in 1973 and is still going strong, other than in North America. Duracell failed to renew their trade licence at a critical period, and Energizer launched their own pink bunny campaign which parodies the original Duracell bunny.

Answer: Royal Doulton

"Bunnykins" was launched in 1934 by Royal Doulton as tableware for children. It features a bunny family dressed in human clothing carrying out various activities. The original drawings were done by Barbara Bailey, the daughter of Doulton's general manager. What was not known at the time was that she was an Augustinian nun. Early pieces of "Bunnykins" are now highly collectible.

Answer: Articulate, talented, ambitious

The rabbit is the fourth sign of the Chinese zodiac. People born under this sign are often financially lucky, articulate, talented and ambitious. They tend to be fond of gossip, but in a kind rather than a nasty way. They are most compatible with those born under the signs of Sheep, Dog or Pig.

Answer: Mr McGregor

First published in 1901 "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" by Beatrix Potter has been translated into thirty plus languages and has sold over 45 million copies. It is one of the all time best selling books. It has spawned a host of merchandising; dolls, figurines, board games and china being amongst them, as well as being made into both a film and a ballet.