Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. 'Christmas time is here, by golly,
Disapproval would be folly,
Deck the halls with hunks of holly,
Fill the cup and don't say when.'
Christmas is celebrated all around the world, but not always on December 25th! Some countries follow the Orthodox calendar, for instance, and celebrate it on 7th January instead. In which African country, located on the Horn of Africa, is the Christmas celebration known as 'Ganna', and preceded by a fast?
2. 'Spring is here, suh-puh-ring is here,
Life is skittles and life is beer.
I think the loveliest time of the year is the spring!'
The characters in the above song celebrate the coming of spring by poisoning pigeons in the park, but others prefer to see it as a time of birth, new life and fertility. Which neo-pagan and Wiccan festival marks the beginning of spring?
3. 'National Brotherhood Week, it's National Brotherhood Week,
It's National Everyone-Smile-At-One-Another-Hood Week,
Be nice to people who are inferior to you,
It's only for a week, so have no fear;
Be grateful that it doesn't last all year!'
National Brotherhood Week is a thing of the past, but Friendship Day is a secular holiday that exists in some countries. In which South American country is it known as 'Día del Amigo' or 'Día de la Amistad', and celebrated on 30th July?
4. 'Pollution, pollution,
They got smog and sewage and mud,
Turn on your tap
And get hot and cold running crud.'
Earth Day was created as a response to an oil well blowout in Santa Barbara, California, which causing over 3 million gallons of oil to be spilled, killing thousands of birds and animals. Peace activist John McConnell first came up with the concept at a UNESCO conference, but Senator Gaylord Nelson was the one who came up with the date of 22nd April. In which year was Earth Day first celebrated in the US?
5. 'Do whatever steps you want, if
You have cleared them with the Pontiff
Everybody say his own
Kyrie Eleison,
Doing the Vatican Rag!'
There are so many Saints' Days in Catholic tradition, it would take forever to name them all. For this question, I'm going to focus on a Saint's Day celebrated in Italy on 19th March, when it is traditional to eat fava beans and wear red. The saint in question is the patron saint of carpenters and fathers, being quite a well-known example of both things in Christian tradition. Who is he?
6. 'About a maid I'll sing a song, sing rickety-tickety tin,
About a maid I'll sing a song,
She didn't have her family long,
Not only did she do them wrong,
She did every one of them in.'
When we think of Ireland and holidays, the day that most likely springs to mind is St Patrick's Day, but in Northern Ireland, a celebration among the Ulster Protestant community takes place on 12th July. What event does it commemorate?
7. 'When it's fiesta time in Guadalajara,
How I long to be back once again in old Mexico.'
On which rather spooky date does Day of the Dead begin in Mexico?
8. 'Do you remember the night I held you so tight,
As we danced to the Wiener Schnitzel Waltz?
The music was gay, and the setting was Viennese,
Your hair wore some roses (or perhaps they were peonies).'
In many Christian countries, carnivals are held during Shrovetide, the period leading up to Lent, and Austria - home of Wiener schnitzel - is one of them. What is the name for Carnival in Austria?
9. 'I hold your hand in mine, dear,
I press it to my lips,
I take a healthy bite from your dainty fingertips.
My joy would be complete, dear,
If you were only here,
But still I keep your hand as a precious souvenir.'
How romantic! The festival most associated with romance, particularly in the US, is Valentine's Day, but in Japan, there's a sequel day that happens a month later, involving the giving of chocolate. What is this day called?
10. 'I'm spending Chanukah in Santa Monica,
Wearing sandals, lighting candles by the sea.
I spent Shavuos in East St Louis,
A charming spot, but clearly not the spot for me.'
Which of these is NOT a custom linked with Chanukah?
Source: Author
Kankurette
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor
stedman before going online.
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