'Tony's Christmas Quiz!'

Hi all, well, its a nice (if cold) morning and the weather is making it seem more and more like Christmas. I promised you a chance to have a go at my Christmas Quiz last night and so here, as promised, are the Quiz questions I put together. The first five rounds are all Tony May researched questions so should be new to most quizzers. the last two rounds I sourced from the Internet so these may be a) a lot easier and b) more familiar to regular quiz goers. Anyway, I hope you enjoy tackling this - do please let me know if you and your family have fun with it!

Tony May’s Christmas Quiz!

Round 1 – Christmas Traditions

 Q 1- According to long- standing tradition the Christmas season really begins with The Feast of St Nicholas on which date?

A) December 1^st

B) December 6^th

C) December 12^th

D) December 24^th

Q 2 – Which of the following is Saint Nicholas NOT the patron saint of…

A) Pawnbrokers

B) Children

C) Prostitutes

D) Nurses

Q 3 – According to English custom what kind of magical power does a loaf of bread baked on December 24^th have?

A) It wards off Bad luck

B) It serves as an aphrodisiac

C) It brings good luck upon the household

D) It has the power to cure a number of common ills

Q 4 – What fate is said to befall all who listen to the angels sing on Christmas Eve?

A) Instant death

B) Eternal purgatory

C) The death of a loved one

D) An early death

Q 5 – What should you do to keep the fairies at the bottom of your garden happy each year on Christmas Day?

A) Sing a Christmas carol to them at 6.30 AM

B) Take wine and a freshly cooked mince pie to them by dawn

C) Clean your house and leave a wonderful array of good food inside for them to discover.

D) Be careful to include them in your Christmas prayers

Q 6 – On what date must Christmas decorations be removed from homes by if you want to avoid a dire set of consequences?

A) Jan 4^th

B) Jan 5^th

C) Jan 12^th

D) Jan 6^th

Q 7 – Which of the following celebrate ‘The Festival Of Nolagh’ each year on December 22^nd?

A) The Druids

B) The Romans

C) Christians

D) Egyptians

Q 8 - Sir Henry Cole (1808–82) is credited as being the first person to have successfully commercialised which Christmas tradition?

A) Christmas Trees

B) Christmas Crackers

C) Christmas Cards

D) The Eating Of Turkey on Christmas Day

Q 9 –A ‘watch-night’ is still a common type of church service held on New Year’s Eve in some Christian traditions. Who is generally thought to have held the first such services?

A) John Wesley

B) John Wycliffe

C) Pope Innocent X11

D) Cardinal Henry Newman

Q 10 – About when was the character of Father Christmas first invented?

A) 1610

B) 1640

C) 1700

D) 1820

Round 2 – History

Q 1 - Good King (or more correctly, Duke) Wenceslaus was ruler of part of which of these modern countries?

A) Turkey

B) Switzerland

C) Hungary

D) The Czech Republic

Q 2 - Duke William of Normandy was crowned King of England on Christmas Day 1066. Where?

A) Westminster Abbey

B) Winchester Cathedral

C) The Abbaye aux Hommes, Caen

D) York Minster

Q 3 - What was stolen on Christmas Day 1950?

A) The Crown Jewels of Italy

B) The Mona Lisa

C) The Stone of Scone

D) Sally’s first manuscript for ‘Lillian’s Story’

Q 4- ‘Kissing Under The Mistletoe’ at Christmas was first popularised by which group of people?

A) The clergy

B) The rich

C) Servants

D) Bakers

Q 5 – Who or what in Victorian England was known as a ‘Redbreast’

A) A Robin

B) A Postman

C) A Postbox

D) A Beefeater

  

Q 6 – Which ruler of England banned Christmas celebrations?

A) Henry V111

B) James 1

C) Oliver Cromwell

D) William The Conquerer

Q 7 – What was the colour of Santas coat before 1900?

A) Green

B) Brown

C) Red

D) White

Q 8 – Which member of the Royal Family introduced the Christmas Tree to Britain?

A) Queen Elizabeth 1 in 1602

B) Prince Albert Husband of Queen Victoria in 1841

C) William of Orange in 1692

D) Queen Charlotte, the wife of George 111 in the early 1800’s

Q 9 – From where did our current Queen Elizabeth first make her traditional Christmas speech in 1952?

A) Sandringham House

B) Buckingham Palace

C) Chequers

D) Balmoral Castle

Q 10 – What year did King George V make the first ever such Christmas speech to the nation?

A) 1931

B) 1932

C) 1933

D) 1934

 Round 3 – Christmas Hits

Q 1 – Who had a top ten hit in 1959 with ‘Jingle Bell Rock’?

Q 2 – What year did the Christmas favourite ‘A Fairytale Of New York’ by The Pogues first enter the U.K. chart?

Q 3 – Who had a hit with ‘Make A Daft Noise For Christmas’ in 1975?

Q 4 - ‘White Christmas’ by Bing Crosby entered the U.K. pop charts for the first time in which year?

Q 5 - With what song did The Pretenders reach No 15 in the Christmas charts in 1983?

Q 6 – ‘Lonely This Christmas’ by Mud was a No1 for the band in which year?

Q 7 – Which famous Comedian, who died in July 2013, had a festive top ten hit with Kim Wilde in 1987?

Q 8 – Chris De Burgh’s Christmas classic, ‘A Spaceman Came Traveling’ became a U.K. hit single for the first time in 1986 but what year was the song recorded?

Q 9 – ‘Thank God Its Christmas’ was a hit for whom in 1984?

Q 10 – Aled Jones scored a top 5 hit with ‘Walking In The Air’ from ‘The Snowman’ in 1985 but the song also made the chart that year by a second act. Who? * BONUS POINT FOR THE FULL NAME OF THE ARTIST*

Round 4 Christmas Films

Q 1 – The 2001 film ‘A Town Without Christmas’ starred Patricia Heaton, Rick Roberts, Ernie Hudson and which veteran actor famous for his portrayal of a television detective?

Q 2- Who directed the 1946 film, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’?

Q 3 - Who played the character ‘Frank Cross’ in the 1988 film, ‘Scrooged’.

Q 4 – Tim Allen plays Scott Calvin/Santa in which series of American festive movies?

Q 5 – The American Christmas musical film comedy, ‘White Christmas’ was made in which year?

Q 6 – Who played ‘the young Ebenezer Scrooge’ in the 1951 version of ‘A Christmas Carol’ starring Alastair Sim?

Q 7 – The short story ‘The Greatest Gift’ written by Phillip Van Doren Stern in 1939 was later made into which Christmas Classic film?

Q 8 – Who wrote the book that the 2000 film, ‘The Grinch That Stole Christmas’ starring Jim Carrey was based upon?

Q 9 – Name the 2011 film produced by Aardman Animations and Sony Pictures Animations starring James MCAvoy, Hugh Laurie and Bill Nighy?

Q10 – Who wrote twelve songs expressly for the 1942 movie ‘Holiday Inn’?

Round 5 Christmas Books

Q1 – In what year was Charles Dickens classic Christmas tale ‘A Christmas Carol’ first published?

A) 1840

B) 1842

C) 1843

D) 1846

Q2 – Who wrote the book ‘Letters From Father Christmas?”

A) J.R.R. Tolkein

B) Melody Carlson

C) Roald Dahl

D) Madonna

Q3 – Chris Van Allsburg, Author of ‘The Polar Express’ was born in 1949 in which country?

A) The Netherlands

B) The United States

C) Belgium

D) Switzerland

Q4 – ‘The Gift of The Magi’ (1905) is a famous Christmas book published under the pen name of ‘O Henry’. Can you tell me the authors real name?

A) Richard Paul Evans

B) Karl Denke

C) William Sydney Porter  

D) Joseph Litten

Q5 – Who wrote the book ‘Skipping Christmas’ first published in 2001?

A) Melody Carlson

B) Barbera Robinson

C) Christopher Moore

D) John Grisham

Q6 – Agatha Christie wrote the festive book ‘Hercule Poirot’s Christmas’ but who played Poirot in the 1995 TV adaptation of the story?

A) Ben Kingsley

B) Geoffrey Palmer

C) Tom Baker

D) David Suchet

Q7 – Laura Joffe Numeroff is a popular children’s author. What was the name of her 2000 Christmas book?

A) Bear Stays Up

B) Olivia

C) A Child’s Christmas In Wales

D) If You Take A Mouse To The Movies

  

Q8 – Name the author of the 1994 book, ‘The Autobiography of Santa Claus’?

A) Melody Carlson

B) Jeff Guinn

C) Roald Dahl

D) Mike Weaver

Q9 – Which of the following is the correct title for Truman Capote’s 1956 Christmas book?

A) A Christmas Memory

B) Memories of Christmas

C) A Memory of Christmas

D) An Alabama Christmas

Q10 – Charles Dickens wrote five Christmas books in all. ‘A Christmas Carol’ being his first - can you name his second?

A) The Cricket on the Hearth

B) The Battle of Life

C) The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain

D) The Chimes

Round 6 Christmas Pantos

Q1 - What told Dick Whittington to 'turn again'?

Q2. In which pantomime does Maid Marian appear?

Q3. In Cinderella, what is the name of Prince Charming's friend?

Q4. In Jack and the Beanstalk, what does Jack get in exchange for his mother's cow?

Q5. What is the name of Aladdin's mother?

Q6. When Sleeping Beauty pricked her finger on a spindle, what happened to her?

Q7. What does Cinderella's Fairy Godmother turn into a coach?

Q8. Who is the sweetheart of Harlequin in English pantomime?

Q9. Who eat the Gingerbread House?

Q10. Which pantomime character marries Alice Fitzwarren

 Round 7 Christmas Cryptic Capers!

The following are cryptic clues to objects found around the home at Christmas.

Q1. Appointments?

Q2. Dad's a barber?

Q3. Crazy?

Q4. Make a pig of yourself when you find them?

Q5. The orange song?

Q6. A pleasure in Ankara?

Q7. Vision for cockney?

Q8. Type that goes on your head?

Q9. Second visitor in a Christmas Carol?

Q10. Opposite a French stick?

Thats all of the questions - now here are the answers...

Tony May’s Christmas Quiz Answers

1. B

2. D

3. D

4. D

5. C

6. D

7. A

8. C

9. A

10. A

Round 2

1. D

2. A

3. C

4. C

5. B

6. C

7. A

8. D

9. A

10. B

Round 3

1. Max Bygraves

2. 1987

3. The Goodies

4. 1977

5. 2000 Miles

6. 1974

7. Mel Smith

8. 1975

9. Queen

10. Peter Auty & The Sinfonia of London.

Round 4

1. Peter Falk

2. Frank Capra

3. Bill Murray

4. The Santa Claus

5. 1954

6. George Cole

7. It’s A Wonderful Life

8. Dr. Seuss

9. Arthur Christmas

10. Irving Berlin

Round 5

1. C

2. A

3. B

4. C (B is Axe murderer! 40+ victims)

5. D

6. D

7. D

8. B

9. A

10. D

Round 6

1. The Bells Of London

2. Babes In The Wood

3. Dandini

4. Magic Beans

5. Widow Twankey

6. She Fell Asleep

7. A Pumpkin

8. Columbine

9. Hansel And Gretel

10. Dick Whittington

Round 7

1. Dates

2. Parsnips

3. Nuts

4. Truffles

5. Tangerine

6. Turkish delight

7. Mince pies

8. Pork Pie

9. Christmas present

10. Shortbread

Phew! That was a lot of work! 

Enjoy!