My Souvenirs Trivia Quiz

Answer: Worry beads

Similar to prayer beads, worry beads are used by Greeks to relieve stress, boredom and tension. They do not have any religious significance, but are used to fidget with as your mind wanders. The word "komboloi" roughly translates to mean "knot collection" in English.

Answer: Matryoshka

The Matryoshka doll was first introduced in 1890 by craftsman Sergey Malyutin. It is a set of wooden dolls, decreasing in size so that one fits inside another. Originally made from wood, the original hand painted doll is seen wearing a traditional Russian peasant dress. The name Matryoshka means "little matron".

Answer: Bobbins

Bobbins used in lacework can either be made from wood, bone or plastic. A very intricate design can be made by threads wound on bobbins being interwoven and held in place with a several pins on a soft cushion. There are two types of bobbin. The shorter continental bobbin is used for detailed work, and the longer spangled bobbin used for repetitive lacework.

Answer: Beckoning cat

The fortune cat, or beckoning cat, has been a part of Japanese culture since the Edo period, from 1603 to 1868. The figurine is adorned with a collar and bell, a coin in one paw, and the other paw raised in a wave or beckon. The colours on the cat depict a special meaning; white for purity, black for good health, gold for prosperity and red to protect against evil spirits.

Answer: Porron

The porron is a wine pitcher which holds approximately 750ml of fluid and is believed to originate from the Catalonia region of Spain. They are very popular with tourists as the porron is difficult to drink from and many little accidents happen. The best way to drink from the pitcher is to hold it close to the mouth so the liquid slowly comes out. Then gradually move it away, tilting the face to capture the wine as it pours out. It is a good talking point and party game among friends.

Answer: Eucalyptus

A traditional didgeridoo is made by locating a hollow stick from a eucalyptus tree. Once cut, the stick is soaked in water for a few days to remove any termites. Once dry, the inner casing is cleaned and the outer casing stripped back to make a smooth surface. Any holes are sealed with wax and the mouthpiece is cut to achieve a certain tonal pitch. The near finished instrument is then painted.

Answer: 1970s

The logo is owned by the Empire State Development Corporation. It stems from an advertising campaign which took place in 1977 to promote New York to the tourist industry. The logo was designed by Milton Glaser and consists of a capital "I", followed, by a red heart, and underneath those are the capital letters "N" and "Y" to denote New York. The design has been copied elsewhere and is used by nearly every other city worldwide.

Answer: Parchis

Parchis was adapted from the Indian game "Pachisi". The game has a playing board with four colour tracks (red, blue, yellow and green), two dice and four coloured game pieces, or pawns. The game involves throwing the dice when it is your turn, moving your coloured piece anti-clockwise around the board, and getting to the finish before your opponent. It sounds very simple, but it involves a lot of strategy to win the game.

Answer: Hookah

A hookah is also called a water pipe or shisha. The base is filled with water and this is used to make the smoke pleasantly cool. One or two coals are lit on a stove, and this heats flavoured tobacco placed in to a sealed bowl. These can include fruits and spices such as orange, mint, licorice or pineapple. The smoke is then inhaled.

Answer: Nock

There are generally two types of fan: a rigid fan and a folding fan. A folding fan has a rivet which holds the pieces together. Sticks are then attached to the rivet, with the two guardsticks at each end giving the fan stability. The leaves are then attached to the sticks to give a concertina affect. The leaves can be made from silk, paper of material. A nock is part of an arrow.