Cosmopolitan Beliefs, Customs and Gestures Quiz

Answer: A V-sign identical to Churchill's Victory sign

The Charger was a revolution in Aussie cars, and with its swept-up rear spoiler and very sleek lines, it was instantly recognizable even by non-car enthusiasts. Valiant was the Australian counterpart to the American Chrysler company.

This excellent question is from our very own ozzz2002!

Answer: seaweed soup

Testing bears an important influence on future success. In Korea, it is relatively common knowledge that eating seaweed soup is verboten. The simple explanation is that the texture of the seaweed is slippery and therefore, the test answers will "slip" from your mind.

This question was submitted by your humble host of this quiz, Chris.

Answer: The ruin of the first Holy Temple (586 BCE)

In 586 BCE, Jerusalem was sacked by Babylon, the first Jewish Holy Temple was ruined and Jews were deported to Babylon to the first exile. This exile brought with it lovely dirges of longing to return to Zion (Jerusalem) such as Psalm 137. It is an excerpt from this psalm that the groom recites while breaking the glass.
The unbreakable three-millenia bond between the Jewish people and Jerusalem has many more manifestations in Jewish tradition. A good example would be the fast of 9/11 (Tish'a Be'Av) which is believed to be the day when both Holy Temples were destroyed, and the three solemn weeks leading to it. Another one is the custom of leaving bare, part of the wall of a newly-built house.

A wonderful tradition brought to us by Gentlegiant17!

Answer: the third

The saying in French is "le trois fait le mois", or in English, "the third makes the month." Generally speaking, people tend to give credence to proverbs with rhyming components, perhaps because they are easy to remember and so often repeated. How many times have you heard it said that "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" or that "birds of a feather flock together"?

An elegant lesson in French from our esteemed LadyCaitriona!

Answer: Tuesday the thirteenth

The phobia regarding the number thirteen stems from much the same reasons as it does in any country, including the superstition regarding the number of people at the Last Supper.

Why Tuesday though? One reason is that the Spanish word for Tuesday, "martes", derives from the pagan god of war, Mars, and therefore is associated with violence, blood and misfortune. Other sources cite the fall of Constantinople in 1453 as having happened on a Tuesday the 13th, and (less plausibly) a legend that the confusing of world languages at the Tower of Babel took place on that day and date.

Another elegant language lesson, this time in Spanish from spanishliz.

Answer: Lentils

Ancient lore proclaims that the more lentils one eats, the richer one will be in the coming year. Since lentils are mostly served around midnight as the last course in a huge New Year's feast, many Italians opt for digestion over pocketbook, and only consume a moderate quantity of the magical mixture.
Tradition also requires that the first lentil be eaten with the hands, a detail I forget every year, which must explain why I am not yet a millionaire.
The custom of eating lentils on New Year's Eve was already established by the time of Ancient Rome, where people used to give lentil-filled-purses to each other as New Year's presents, with the wish the contents might turn into golden coins.
The idea of lentils as a symbol for money may originate in the legumes' resemblance to little coins; moreover, lentils expand while cooking, and so may signify a growing fortune.

If you want an even more air-tight guarantee of a coming year full of success and money, eat those lentils wearing red underwear. This is another Italian New Year's Eve good-luck rite, for men and women alike!

Appropriately lucky cuisine from Italy submitted by Arlesienne.

Answer: an inuksuk

Traditionally found in the fairly barren north, inuksugait (plural form) are formed from rocks, with each piece being chosen to fit together without benefit of mortar or glue. They can be a simple as a single, erect stone, or carefully crafted to resemble a human being with outstretched arms. They originally served to mark areas that were good for hunting and fishing, or used for navigational purposes, pointing the way of safe passage. Sometimes they were just used to indicate that a group or a family of Inuit had been there.
Larger formations were often used to help hunters herd caribou, as the animals would react to them as if they were other hunters to be avoided. Today the inuksuk has come to symbolize much more than just safe passage. It symbolizes human spirit and co-operation and can be found on the crest and flag of Nunavut, Canada's third territory.

A Spirit bear is a cream coloured subspecies of the black bear, found mostly in British Columbia. An igloo is a temporary shelter made of snow and a mukluk is an Inuit boot.

An intriguing and fascinating question about culture in the "Great White North," submitted by skunkee!

Answer: Two-Up

Two-up has been recorded as being played by Australia's convicts as early as the late 18th century. Needing a paddle or kip and just two pennies, the game is played as participants bet on the heads, tails or odds combinations as the coins are tossed. The game has always been very popular with Australia's serving soldiers and over the years has become a tradition on ANZAC Day, 25th April. After Australia remembers its fallen with morning services and marches, groups gather to play the normally illegal game for the rest of the day. While the game is now a part of the gambling line up in several casinos throughout the country, ANZAC Day is the only day of the year when the game can be played across the nation and not be deemed illegal.

An intriguing question with an excellent background by Nannanut.

Answer: Devil's horns

The name "maloik" is a mispronunciation of the Italian term "malocchio" which means "evil eye". Heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio is considered by many as the one who imported the gesture to music. He mentioned that he learned it from his Italian grandmother who used it to shoo off bad luck (or the "evil eye" as it is known throughout the Mediterranean). Dio is aware that his arch rival Gene Simmons of Kiss also claims to be the first one who used it in Rock, but then again he says that Gene Simmons thinks he invented everything he ever did. John Lennon is also mentioned by some as the gesture's originator in Rock music's context.

A fascinating question replete with great information and humor from our own gentlegiant17.

Answer: Good news and an interesting guest will arrive.

In many parts of Asia, the magpie is considered to be a symbol of good fortune. It's quite interesting to view the contrast between hemispheres on the interpretation of this bird. Further, the magpie happens to be one of the very few non-primates capable of passing the "mirror test," capable of self-recognition.

This final question was submitted, again, by your host (christopherm).