Dear Santa... Trivia Quiz

Answer: Milk, cream, sugar, eggs and nutmeg

Eggnog is very simple to make. Gently whisk the milk, sugar, cream and eggs in a saucepan until it becomes warm and slightly thickened. Serve in a glass or mug and add a sprinkle of nutmeg on top. Always make sure an adult is with you when you are working near a hot stove.

Answer: Rice pudding

Children in America leave out cookies and milk for Santa, children in Great Britain leave out mince pies and sherry for Father Christmas, and children in the Netherlands leave out carrots for the reindeer. In Sweden, risengrod is a rice pudding which is normally sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. If a bowl is not left out for Santa (Jultomten), his little elf helpers, called nisse or tomte, will start to play naughty tricks.

Answer: Ginger

Fresh or ground ginger is a warming spice that is added to a lot of food, including gingerbread biscuits or cookies. It is believed that gingerbread houses originated in Germany. The shaped gingerbread biscuit is made to look like a house, with the walls and roof held together with icing (frosting).

The outside is decorated with more coloured icing and different types of sweet or candy.

Answer: Cake pops

Cake pops are made by moulding cake mixture into small round balls and then sticking a small lollipop stick into the balls. The balls are then dipped in chocolate and decorated in many different Christmassy designs, including snowmen, Father Christmas, and Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer.

Answer: Shortbread

Shortbread is a buttery and crumbly type of biscuit. They date back many centuries to medieval times. The biscuit is usually coated with granulated sugar which gives it an added crunch. Many shop bought biscuits are sold in boxes or tins with a Scottish tartan design.

They are eaten at Christmas all around the world, and especially in Scotland during Hogmanay which is their New Year celebrations.

Answer: Dried fruit and spices

Mince pies originated in Britain. Traditional mince pies were made with shredded meat and dried fruit, but since sugar became popular in the 17th and 18th centuries, the pie changed from savoury to sweet. Today the pies are eaten mainly at Christmas, either cold, or served warm with fresh cream. Some children leave a mince pie and a glass of milk out for Santa on Christmas Eve.

Answer: Chocolate gelt

The Christian Christmas and Jewish Hanukkah are very different celebrations although they happen at the same time of year. The Christian Christmas is celebrated on 25th December each year to remember the birth of Jesus. Hanukkah, or Festival of Lights, is celebrated any time between late November and late December to commemorate the Jewish struggle for religious freedom. Chocolate coins can be given to children during both festivities, although they are known as gelt under Jewish custom.

Answer: Pan de Pascua

Pan de Pascua is a cake traditionally eaten at Christmastime in Chile which is in South America. It is a sponge cake flavoured with ginger and has dried fruit and nuts. Panettone is a similar cake from Italy. Stollen is a cake from Germany. It is slightly heavier as it has the addition of marzipan running through it. Saffransbullar, or lussekatter, is a small saffron cake from Sweden and is eaten during St Lucia's Day on 13th December through until Christmas.

Answer: Pavlova

Australia and New Zealand are both countries in the southern hemisphere so their weather is different to other parts of the world. Instead of the snow and cold you get in Europe and North America, their winters are warm, dry and hot. A lot of people enjoy a barbeque outside on Christmas Day, followed by a chilled pavlova for dessert. Pavlova is made with meringue, fruit and lots of whipped cream.

Answer: Buche de Noel

Buche de Noel is a yule log, or chocolate log. It is made by making a cake similar to a swiss roll sponge, and then covering with chocolate frosting, or icing, to make it look like a real log. Confectioner's sugar is sprinkled over the top to resemble snow and other decorations can include plastic or edible Christmas trees and snowmen.