Christmas Selection Box Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tiny Tim Cratchit

Tiny Tim Cratchit first appeared in Charles Dickens' classic seasonal tale 'A Christmas Carol', which was first published in 1843. Tiny Tim is the youngest child of Bob and Mrs Cratchit and has five older siblings. Bob Cratchit is the downtrodden clerk who works for the tyrannical miser Ebenezer Scrooge. Tiny Tim is a weak and sickly child who, it is implied, may not have long to live. Although Tim only appears briefly in the novel, his plight, when revealed to Scrooge by the Ghost of Christmas Present, is a major factor in bringing about Scrooge's change of heart. His heartstrings having been well and truly tugged by Tiny Tim's patient suffering, Scrooge brings the family a large turkey on Christmas Day, promises to be a kinder and more generous employer to Bob Cratchit, and to help the family in any way he can. Scrooge also becomes a 'second father' to Tiny Tim.

Such is the enduring appeal of 'A Christmas Carol' that it has been adapted countless times for film, television, radio and the stage. My personal favourite screen adaptation of the novel is 'The Muppet Christmas Carol' in which Robin the Frog, voiced by Jerry Nelson, plays the role of Tim, with his parents played by Kermit and Miss Piggy.

Answer: David Sedaris

David Sedaris was born in New York in 1957 but moved with his family to North Carolina a few years later. David is the second oldest of six siblings and frequently draws on his experiences growing up and on family life in his work. David Sedaris' essays are simultaneously riotously funny, touching and often tragic. David and his partner Hugh have lived all over the world, including in Japan and France, and now reside in the English South Downs. Their attempts to fit in in various countries and David's attempts to learn other languages are frequent sources of humour in Sedaris' essays.

'The Santaland Diaries' first brought Sedaris to public attention when he read them on National Public Radio's 'Morning Edition' show in December 1992. This appearance proved so popular that David Sedaris was given a monthly slot on NPR and was offered a two book deal. Since then he has published a number of collections of essays as well as the 2010 short story collection, 'Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk', which features modern animal fables.

Answer: Holiday Affair

'Holiday Affair' was something of a departure for Robert Mitchum as he was cast as the romantic lead rather than the tough guy roles he had become famous for. Mitchum plays Steve Mason, a kind-hearted drifter who has a seasonal job at Crowley's department store where he meets young war widow Connie Ennis, played by Janet Leigh, who is working undercover in the store as a comparative shopper. Steve and Connie have immediate chemistry but Connie is already engaged to a good, if somewhat stiff and unexciting, lawyer.

When a series of misunderstandings involving Connie's son Timmy and an expensive train set bring the couple even closer Connie must choose between her head and her heart.

Answer: Knowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge

Alan Partridge is played by English comedy actor Steve Coogan and made his debut appearance as a sports reporter on the BBC Radio 4 spoof news programme 'On the Hour' in 1991. The following year Alan Partridge was given his own Radio 4 chat show, 'Knowing Me Knowing You', in which he interviewed minor celebrities and members of the public. This series really helped to establish the personality of Alan Partridge, an ignorant, tactless and egotistic man with an inflated sense of his own importance and an insatiable thirst for fame.

Coogan's fantastic performance and Armando Iannucci's flawless writing helped to make this series a toe-curlingly embarrassing yet hilariously funny experience as Partridge somehow manages to insult or upset every guest he interviews. Alan Partridge made his television debut in 1993 when 'On the Hour' moved to television as 'The Day Today'. In 1994 'Knowing Me Knowing You' moved to television for one series though the events of 'Knowing Me Knowing Yule', when Alan has a breakdown live on television and ends up attacking several guests, saw the end of his BBC career. However, this was not the end for Alan as he returned in 1997 in 'I'm Alan Partridge', a sitcom which followed his career, after his ignominious sacking from the BBC, as a dj on Radio Norwich. A second series of 'I'm Alan Partridge' was broadcast in 2002 before Alan took an eight year hiatus. In 2013 a movie entitled 'Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa' was released in cinemas and became a box office hit in the UK.

Answer: Clement Clarke Moore

Clement Clarke Moore was born in New York City in 1779 and worked as a professor of Oriental and Greek Literature at the General Theological Seminary in New York City. Moore reportedly wrote 'A Visit from St. Nicholas' for his children and it was published anonymously in 1823. Over the ensuing years the poem, often referred to as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas', has become an established part of Christmas tradition and folklore.

Many of the features of the modern Christmas story in the USA, such as the presence of a flying sleigh pulled by reindeer and the canonical names of those reindeer, are believed to have been popularised by this poem.

It is also credited with shifting the perception of Christmas to a child-centred holiday. Moore was first credited in print as the author of the piece in 1837, though he did not publicly claim ownership until 1844 when he included the poem in an anthology under his own name.

Although Moore is still widely believed to be the author, some scholars believe that he may have taken credit for someone else's work, though this has yet to be proved.

Answer: Krampus

The legends surrounding the Krampus emerged from the folklore of Alpine regions, where the character continues to be an important part of Christmas tradition. Krampus often features on Christmas cards and someone dressed as him is frequently seen alongside St. Nicholas in parades and festivals in these regions. Krampus is usually described as a demonic being with horns who also resembles a goat and often carries chains, a sack or basket and bundles of birch twigs.

Answer: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Montgomery Ward had been buying and giving away colouring books to customers as a Christmas promotion for several years. However, in 1939, they decided that they would save money if they created their own book and commissioned Robert L. May to complete the project. This led to the creation of 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer', which tells the story of an outcast reindeer, spurned by the other reindeer because of his red nose, who becomes a hero on one foggy Christmas Eve when his glowing nose enables him to lead Santa's sleigh. Rudolph proved so popular that he has gone on to become a part of Christmas folklore in parts of the world and is often added to the original eight reindeer who pull Santa's sleigh.

Rudolph has starred in numerous films, television shows and other media and it would be difficult to get through Christmas without hearing at least one rendition of the song 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer'. This song was written by May's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, and was a huge hit in 1949 for Gene Autry, becoming the second best-selling single in the USA, a record it held for over three decades.

Answer: Zwarte Piet

Zwarte Piet, which translates to English as Black Pete, emerged in his modern form in an 1850 picture book by Jan Schenkman entitled 'Sint Nikolaas en zijn Knecht' or 'Saint Nicholas and his Servant'. Although depictions of Saint Nicholas accompanied by a sinister figure had existed before this, it was this book which established the version of Saint Nicholas' companion, Zwarte Piet, and the role he plays in Dutch Christmas traditions today.

St. Nicholas and Zwarte Piet typically arrive in the Netherlands in early December, in preparation for the feast of St. Nicholas on the fifth of December. The characters are said to travel from Spain by boat and many crowds often gather to greet them on their arrival. In modern Christmas pageants Zwarte Piet hands out sweets to the children and is a popular figure amongst many Dutch families. However, the character has attracted considerable criticism in recent years, both from concerned Dutch citizens and social commentators from elsewhere. Zwarte Piet is traditionally depicted as a somewhat grotesque figure with black face paint, garishly painted red lips and a curly wig. Many people see the character as a crude racist image. Many Dutch people of colour have spoke of their discomfort with the character and find it insulting.

However, polls have shown that the vast majority of Dutch people do not see Zwarte Piet as racist and object to any modifications to the characters on the grounds that it is tampering with national traditions. There have been attempts to make compromises between the two sides in this debate by modifying the appearance of Zwarte Piet by changing the colour of his face paint and removing or modifying the wig and red lips, though those who object to any change in the Zwarte Piet customs often still object to these cosmetic changes.

Answer: John Masefield

John Masefield was born in Herefordshire in England in 1878 and was best known for his poetry and children's fantasy stories. Masefield's notable works include the children's books 'The Box of Delights' and 'The Midnight Folk' and the much-anthologised poem 'Sea-Fever'. On the death of the post's previous incumbent, Robert Bridges, Masefield was appointed to the prestigious position of British Poet Laureate in 1930 by the then king George V, a position he held until his death in 1967.

At the time only one previous Poet Laureate, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, had held the position for a longer period. 'The Box of Delights' was a sequel to Masefield's earlier novel 'The Midnight Folk' and has become a popular seasonal tale in the UK, being adapted for radio and television and even being turned into an opera.

Answer: Arthur Christmas

'Arthur Christmas' was the first collaboration between Aardman Animations and Sony Pictures Animation. The film depicts an updated hi-tech vision of Santa's grotto with a fancy super-fast sleigh and GPS equipment to help make the present deliveries more efficient.

In 'Arthur Christmas' the current Santa is Malcolm and he has two sons, Steve and Arthur, who are both hoping to become involved in the family business. Steve is very organised and focused while his younger brother, Arthur, is bumbling but kind-hearted.

The central theme of the film is the conflict between modernisation and tradition and the importance of celebrating and acknowledging everyone's different strengths. The movie was greeted with largely positive reviews with critics praising its graphics and heart-warming story.