Scrambled Eggheads Christmas Chuckles Quiz

Answer: He got tangled in the tree and fell out the window with it

I think Willy had partaken of a little too much Christmas cheer if you ask me. Police remarked afterwards, completely dead-pan, that Mr Thevessen was taken to hospital with head injuries and that this was not the most sensible way to dispose of old Christmas trees. That's what I call an understatement and a half. The tree, it seems, successfully recovered from its unexpected flight in space, and later commenced its new career as wood chip.

(Question and additional information supplied by Creedy)

Answer: Throwing up in the toilet

Eight different people imbibed a bit too heavily in 1997, and while being sick in the toilet, they fell asleep, toppled over and cracked their skull. Other injuries that have occurred over Christmas have included people dying after testing if a 9v battery worked on their tongue, eating Christmas decorations which they thought were made of chocolate and breaking arms after pulling Christmas crackers a little too hard. Please remember to unplug your fairy lights before watering your Christmas tree this year, otherwise you may join Santa up the chimney!

(Question and additional information supplied by Plodd)

Answer: Norway

The Christmas Tradition of Broom Hiding:

It sounds far fetched but for many years people in Norway have hidden their brooms on Christmas Eve night. It is not certain when in history the tradition began but the belief is that in olden days people in Norway believed Christmas Eve was a time when evil spirits and witches came out to play and would steal brooms from people's houses to travel on.

(Question and additional information supplied by moonraker2)

Answer: Put his tongue on a frozen flag pole to see if it sticks there

This has been tried on more than one occasion by many people throughout the world. I remember when we were living in the North West Territories that my sister had her lips stuck to the frozen swing set in our backyard. When this film was first released in 1983, it was received with mixed reviews. It has since become one of the most watched movies on television during the Christmas season. The school scenes were shot in St.Catharines, Ontario, Canada, not too far from where I hang my yearly Christmas stocking.

(Question and interesting information supplied by Eastenders01)

Answer: Shirley Temple

Shirley Temple, born in 1928, became a child movie star from the age of three. Just a few of her films included the 1934 "Bright Eyes" in which she sings her trademark song "On The Good Ship Lollipop", and the 1935 film "Curly Top" which features another of her well known songs "Animal Crackers In My Soup". When she became a teenager and her cuteness as a child began to mature into an adult, her popularity waned. She made a brief comeback a few years later, but by 1950, she'd had enough and announced her retirement from the film industry. Her later life saw her enter the political arena, and this career saw her become a representation to the 24th General Assembly of the United Nations, US Ambassador to Ghana, first female Chief of Protocol of the US, and US Ambassador to Czechoslovakia, as well as serving on the boards of various well known public institutions.

(Question and Additional Information supplied by Creedy)

Answer: Open its bowels

The day the children open their presents is celebrated on January 6th, rather than December 25th. It is called Caga Tio. Prior to this morning a log from the trunk of a tree is wrapped in a blanket, has a face drawn on it and a hat placed on its "head". It is then placed upon a small pile of presents. The songs the children sing to this log during Caga Tio order it to open its bowels and drop these presents out for them.

(Question and additional information supplied by Eastenders01)

Answer: Emperor Yoshihito - Japan

Emperor Yoshihito of Japan died on Christmas Day 1926, leaving the Chrysanthemum Throne to his 25-year-old son Hirohito. Hirohito, then took the name Emperor Showa and ruled Japan for the next 62 years, the longest reign in Japanese history.

In Asian countries, chrysantheums are associated with happiness and laughter, but in some European countries, with death. In Germany however, these flowers are brought into German homes every Christmas. The legend behind this is that one cold wintry evening, a peasant family heard a knock on their door late at night. Upon opening it, they saw a starving beggar who was blue with the cold. They took this man into their home, warmed him and shared their meagre meal with him.

Suddenly the beggar threw back his cloak, revealing a shining white figure in place of the starving wretch they had sheltered. He announced he was the Christ Child and then disappeared, but outside their door the following morning they were astonished to see white chrysantheums growing. Based on this legend then, Germans place these beautiful plants in their home each Christmas, believing they are providing shelter to the Christ Child.

(Question and additional information supplied by moonraker2 and Creedy)

Answer: Toss a shoe over their shoulder

On Christmas Eve the woman turns around with her back to the front door and tosses the shoe over her shoulder. If the shoe falls with the heel facing the door it means she will stay single for another year. If the shoe falls with the front pointing towards the door this indicates she will soon be making wedding plans and moving out of her parents home.

If only it were that simple!

(Question and additional information supplied by Lorstrivia)

Answer: Black Pete

Originally it was believed Santa Claus (Sinterklaas) worked either alone or assisted by the devil because good had triumphed over evil at last and the devil (Black Pete, aka Zwarte Piet) was now Sinterklaas's slave. Later on, instead of being the devil, Zwarte Piet became a separate character in his own right and a companion for the jolly fat man in the red suit. Bishops and priests didn't like the previous connection and one imagines that children were also probably scared half witless by it. Until last century, the new Zwarte Piet who had been been portrayed as not very intelligent, was updated again and now he's depicted all dressed up like a Renaissance pageboy and is an equally intelligent companion and assistant for Sinterklaas. At the rate he keeps developing, by next century, maybe we'll find it was Zwarte Piet who really discovered gravity and it was a tulip, rather than an apple, that actually fell on his head?

(Question and additional information supplied by CoachinChina)

Answer: Unsold Christmas cake

That's supposed to be funny? What a "crumby" thing to say. Japan celebrates Christmas Day much the same way the west celebrates Valentine's Day. They even eat cake there on that day as well, but nothing like the traditional Christmas cake. Instead it's a yummy strawberry cream sponge. The main food eaten in Japan on Christmas Day, however, is take away chicken. Apparently, however, none of which is aged over 25.

(Question and additional information supplied by Creedy)