A Very Victorian Christmas Trivia Quiz

Answer: Prince Albert

Just to make sure you understand - Prince Albert did not decorate the first Christmas tree in England; Queen Charlotte, who was the wife of George III, is the person given credit for that. She was from Germany, and grew up decorating a yew branch that was brought inside during the Christmas holiday.

It is said that British noblemen were speechless when she brought an entire tree into the Queen's Lodge at Windsor! The reason, however, why Prince Albert is given credit for popularizing the Christmas tree is because the practice really didn't take on among the people until a story and illustration appeared in "Illustrated London News" in 1848, which showed Queen Victoria and Prince Albert decorating an inside tree with their family with all sorts of goodies - candles, sweets, fruit and ornaments.

Answer: Christmas Cards

Sir Henry Cole is a very busy man. He is the founder of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and is known for working toward the establishment of the Public Record Office, which posts mail. One of the Christmas traditions that some still observe is the exchange of Christmas letters.

In fact, it is considered to be extremely rude not to respond to a letter that has been received. When Sir Henry found himself too busy to return all of the Christmas greeting letters that he was sent, he asked his friend, J.C. Horsley, to design a Christmas card for him.

It showed three scenes. In the middle a family was eating a Christmas meal, and on the two sides of the card, they were giving charity to the poor. Also written on the card was To: ____, so that Sir Henry could write in the name of the friend to whom it was being sent. Since then, a few other people have also started sending these cards instead of the traditional Christmas letters, but it's expensive as one has to pay for both the card and the post. My family still sends the traditional letter. I wonder if Sir Henry realized that his cards would bring more business to his Public Record Office?

Answer: It means that food and shelter were available in the home.

We use a lot of candles in our home throughout the year, but at Christmas they have a special meaning. On the Christmas tree they are supposed to look like stars. The Advent wreath in our home has four candles that symbolize belief, good fortune, love and peace.

We are supposed to be reminded that Christ's birth brought light to the world. During the Twelve Days of Christmas my mother always puts candles in the windows to welcome anyone in need. In the world in which we live, it is something we can do to help others. It is a common practice for those who are not as fortunate as us to go from home to home, hoping to receive food or maybe a coin. We are always prepared to give such generosity during the Christmas season.

Answer: Christmas Crackers

Christmas Crackers are similar to bon bons that are made in France. In fact, it is said that the idea came when Tom Smith was on a trip to France. His company, Tom Smith & Co, began to market Christmas crackers in 1847. They are made with colored tissue paper, are about six inches long, and have twisted ends.

They contain some sort of sweet treat and a love message. My mother puts them on a table for our Christmas meal because she says they are a lovely decoration. This year a new twist has been added to the Crackers! It is said that Smith was influenced by the crackling of a burning fire and he has added a "Snap" when the Cracker is opened!

Answer: Goose

Goose is our choice for the traditional Christmas feast that is served at our table. On Christmas morning we go to church, and then later on in the day, we enjoy a Christmas meal together. My mother says that some people are learning more toward a turkey - its usually a smaller size so there aren't as many leftovers and cheaper as well - but she likes to keep the tradition of a goose.

Some less fortunate families even join a goose club in order to keep the practice in their household; they pay a little bit every week in order to save up the cost of a goose. I especially look forward to having goose for Christmas dinner.

It is filled with potatoes before being roasted and served with sage and onion dressing.

Answer: It doesn't contain meat!

It is true that mincemeat pies used to contain meat. The dish was introduced to England from the Holy Land after returning Crusaders came home with the recipe. During the reign of Henry VIII mincemeat pies were made with shredded meat, spices, suet, and dried fruit, using thirteen ingredients to symbolize Jesus and the Twelve Disciples. Nowadays, however, the meat is not included with the other ingredients. My mother prepares the spices and fruits for the pie weeks before Christmas and stores them in a jar.

This is my favorite pie, and a real treat!

Answer: Father Christmas

Clement Moore published a poem in 1823 that was called "A Visit from St. Nicholas". It is said that in the poem he combined many characteristics of Christmas personalities, including Father Christmas, the Dutch Sinterklass, and St. Nicholas to make a new character, Santa Claus. My family is more traditional, however; we still wait for Father Christmas, an older man with white hair and a red robe, who brings good cheer and gifts too! Sometimes he is called "Old Christmas". I am hoping to receive a model train set, while my brother wishes to have a collection of wooden toy animals.

Answer: Tinsel

Lametta is a type of tinsel; it is is not sewed into wreaths or garlands as other tinsel is. It is narrow strips of foil or wire today, and can even be made of thin strips of silver. Silver tarnishes, though, so other metals like gold and brass are used too! First made in Germany in 1610, it is used to represent the starry sky or shiny icicles on our Christmas tree.

Answer: Negus

Negus is simply delicious! It is made with port wine, citrus fruits, sugar, grated nutmeg, and other spices. It is said that this drink was first made by Francis Negus, who was a British military officer in the 18th century. The story is that said inventor was involved in a very heated political discussion that involved a bit of drinking. Negus suggested that the wine could be weakened with water and sugar.

The other fellows agreed, and named the drink after him! Since then it has become a popular drink at parties for children.

Answer: Brandy and Raisins

This is one of my favorite parts of Christmas, although every year Mother threatens to terminate the game - especially when my younger brother gets burned! We play this game on Christmas Eve, as others have been doing for centuries in England. Also called flapdragon, it requires a shallow bowl, brandy, and raisins - and a light, of course.

When lit, the brandy burns a blue color. We put out all the candles and try to grab the raisins out of the bowl without getting burned. There is a belief that whoever gets the most raisins will find their own true love in the following years. I really don't care about that, but I do like to find the raisin with the gold button inside.

In our household, the person who finds that may claim a small reward!