The Eventful Dark Trivia Quiz

Answer: Lou Reed

Vivid is held between late May and early June in Sydney, Australia, and began in 2009. It associates the art of the lights across buildings and other illuminated installations with music performances from international and local acts, and ties all this together with an "Ideas Exchange". This exchange features public speakers and debates.

Lou Reed, mostly known for his song 'Walk on the Wild Side', was born in 1942 in Brooklyn, New York. He formed the Velvet Underground in 1964 with John Cale. His wife's name is Laurie Anderson.

Answer: Bubonic Plague

The Fête des lumières usually lasts for four days with the peak culminating on the eighth. The whole city is illuminated in lights, not just the candles in the windowsills, but the windowsill candles are of a higher significance. They signify the town's people being saved from the plague. The councillors in 1643 prayed to the Virgin Mary to spare their town, and the people of Lyon survived, so they give thanks to her every year by lighting a candle.

This tradition was reinforced when in 1852, a statue of the Virgin Mary, was due to be unveiled on December 8th after some delays. On the morning of eighth a large storm hit the city. The organisers tried to postpone it again, but the people of Lyon lit up their windowsills, lit flares to illuminate the new statue, sang songs and cried "Vive Marie!" into the night.

Answer: Hanukkah

Hanukkah is celebrated over eight days from late November to early December, beginning on the 25th day of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar. It commemorates the re-dedication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem during the second century BCE.

As part of the tradition, a candelabrum called a menorah is lit, one branch each night in each household. The Talmud advises on three different ways in which people may adhere to this practice, they are:

1. The law requires only one light each night per household,
2. A better practice is to light one light each night for each member of the household.
3. The most preferred practice is to vary the number of lights each night.

Cultural fried and dairy foods are also eaten, and songs are sung as part of the celebrations.

Answer: Vancouver

The Celebration of Light involves three to five teams that each represent a different country who then compete against each other. They choreograph firework displays to music, and are subsequently judged upon by selected judges and the public before a winner is announced.

It began in 1990, and in 2012 the competing countries were Vietnam, Italy and Brazil with Italy taking out the prize.

Answer: Blackpool

The Illuminations or the Lights run each year for sixty-six days from late August to early November. They were first held on September 17, 1879, when eight arc lamps were lit, but this display was increased markedly when in 1912, Princess Louise, opened a new section of the Promenade. This section is known as the Princess Promenade. In 1912, the Promenade was covered in 10,000 bulbs, but today it is covered in over a million bulbs.

Answer: Hinduism and Jainism

Diwali is celebrated in a number of different countries, and is an official holiday in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore and Fiji.

In Hinduism the five day festival begins in late October and ends early November, which relates to particular fortnights within the Hindu calender. Diwali begins in the fortnight of Krishna Paksa ("dark fortnight") in the month of Ashvin, and ends in the month of Kartik in the fortnight of Shukla Paksha ("bright fortnight"). It celebrates the return of Rama after a fourteen year exile, along with six other stories within Hindu culture that are celebrated each day of the festival. Each of the stories involve good overcoming evil or a return from exile (darkness) to home (light). Thus families light diyas (ghee lamps)and lanterns, set off fireworks and exchange food.

In Jainism, the festival is held at the same time, and celebrates Lord Mahavira attaining Nirvana on Oct. 15, 527 BCE. He was the last of the Jain Tirthankar of this era to achieve this enlightenment.

Answer: Styrofoam

Loi Krathong is held on the full moon of the twelth Thai month. This is usually in November. Loi means "to float" and Krathong refers to the hand-made lanterns. The construction of these lanterns is said to honor Buddha in that the candle venerates him, and the act of the floating lantern/raft symbolises the release of "one's hatred, anger, and defilements." Thus it is a personal holiday with each member of a family usually each releasing their own krathong. The Festival is also used to thank the Goddess of Water, Phra Mae Khongkha, sometimes with a token of a coin in the lantern.

In the past the lanterns have been hand-made using bio-degradable ingredients, but in recent years markets have sold ready-made versions made out of styrofoam. This polluted the waterways and prompted action groups, and subsequently the government, to place a ban on them. This pollution and harm to wildlife has now seen a shift in the construction of the lanterns to that of bread, which not only feeds the fish and birdlife, but appeases the Goddess of Water for the pollution.

Answer: Winter solstice

St. Lucia, whose name means light, is the patron saint of the blind, and she died in 304 AD as a Christian martyr in Sicily. The reverence of this saint seems a long way from Sweden, but the link lies in the blending together of Pagan and Christian traditions. In the Julian calendar, which was in use between 45 BCE to 1582 CE, December 13th fell on the longest night of the year in Europe. During this night the Lussinatta (witch) would ride throughout the night with her followers, and as a consequence people stayed awake and kept their houses noisy and illuminated. Meanwhile, St Lucia had become a popular saint and her name was venerated on December 13th. Thus when missionaries and traders came through Sweden during the Middle Ages, and Sweden subsequently converted to Christianity, the two traditions of light merged.

In the Gregorian calendar, the winter solstice falls on December 21st. This did not change the day of celebration of St Lucia's day in Sweden, nor did it lessen the link of the day being associated with the long, dark winter soon ending and the welcoming of longer days.

Answer: NAK-uh-tush

The Holiday Trail of Lights runs through eight towns/cities in Louisiana, America, namely Shreveport, Bossier City, Minden, Monroe, West Monroe, Natchitoches, Alexandria and Pineville. Each town/city holds their own light show as part of the trail with fireworks, light installations, parades, laser light shows and performances.

Natchitoches is named after the Natchitoches Native Americans. The town was established as a French trading outpost, with traders settling there in 1699.

Answer: Earthquake

The Great Hansin earthquake hit Kobe and other cities within the Hyôgo Prefecture, Japan on January 17th, 1995. It measured 6.8 on the richter scale, and caused the death of approximately 6,434 people, destroyed 150,000 buildings and rendered 140 out of 150 ports unusable.

After seeing this destruction and hardship, the Italian government donated thousands of hand-painted globes that fitted together were shaped into structures of cathedrals and intricate arches. This was done as a way to remember those lost and to help the city heal. It is held for two weeks in December, and has continued to grow in the following years since 1995.