Well, its just seven days now to the BIG day! Not really seemed as much like Christmas to me this year and we are nearly there now so I guess its going to take a miracle for me to REALLY get my usual buzz at this time of year...
Anyway, here as promised is the Christmas Quiz I put to my writing club members the other night. in hindsight, I think its probably a bit too hard to be a great quiz but have a go and see how you get on - its certainly more of a challenge than most quizzes and even if you don't know the answers you will learn a lot about Christmas by taking part!!
Tony May’s
Christmas Quiz!
Round 1 –
Christmas Traditions
Q 1-What
actually happens to letters sent by children to Santa addressed to ‘The North
Pole’?
A) The Post Office
simply discards them at the local sorting office.
B) They are sent
to The North Pole.
C) They are stored
at the sorting office over Christmas and then re-cycled.
D) They are sent
internally to the Post Office HQ where they are destroyed.
Q 2 – With what
is it deemed unlucky to cut a mince pie?
A) A Knife
B) A Sword
C) An Axe
D) A Pikestaff
Q3 – With what
purpose is Christmas pudding traditionally doused in flaming brandy?
A) The flaming
brandy helps to enhance/hide the flavour of the pudding – many of which in
Dickensian times may have been made with stale ingredients of fruit well past
its best.
B) The flames are
said to ward off evil spirits.
C) The tradition
of doing so originated in the U.S. where the flaming of the pudding was said to
signify ‘the eradication of sin and the birth of hope for goodness from then
on’.
D) The flames are
purely for show and always have been!
Q4 – Which
group of people are said to have invented Carol Singing?
A) Servants
B) The Landed
Gentry
C) Monks
D) Beggars
Q5 – The
traditional period to sing carols begins on which date?
A) 21st
Dec
B) 22nd
of Dec
C) Christmas Eve
D) 19th
Dec
Q6 – If you are
‘Mumming’ at Christmas what in fact are you doing?
A) Being a VERY
naughty boy or girl!
B) Visiting the
home of your mother or wife’s mother
C) Taking part in
an early version of pantomime
D) Using a LOT of
bandages!
Q7 - What are
the three items it is said Children should leave out for Father Christmas on
Christmas Eve?
A) Sherry, Mince
Pies And A Letter
B) Brandy, An
Apple And Mince Pies
C) Mince Pies,
Brandy & A Carrot
D) Brandy, Mince
Pies & A Letter
Q8 – According
to old Christmas superstitions what do all of the sheep in the fields do at
midnight?
A) Turn and bow to
the North
B) Turn and bow to
the South
C) Turn and bow to
the West
D) Turn and bow to
the East
Q9 – What
exactly is ‘posset’?
A) It is a
medieval Apple Pie
B) It is a wooden
cup specially carved each year for the purpose of celebrating the festive
season. Family members would take turns in drinking from the posset before
meals during the twelve days of Christmas.
C) It is a drink
traditionally drunk on Christmas Eve made from milk combined with spices,
lemon, sugar and other ingredients.
D) It is a long
wooden bench made from Oak.
Q10 –
Poinsettia’s are traditional Christmas plants but from which country do they
originate?
A) Mexico
B) Spain
C) Brazil
D) Scotland
Round 2 –
History
Q 1 – Where and
when did the first recorded observance of Christmas take place?
A) AD 100 in
Jerusalem
B) AD 340 in
Vienna
C) AD 360 in Rome
D) AD 330 in Oslo
Q2 – Electric
lights were first used to celebrate Christmas in which year?
A) 1879
B) 1880
C) 1881
D) 1882
Q3 - In Which
Country was the first Christmas stamp issued in 1898?
A) England
B) France
C) Canada
D) The United
States
Q4 – In what
year was the first Christmas card created?
A) 1887
B) 1842
C) 1844
D) 1843
Q5 – The carol,
‘Silent Night’, was written by a Priest named Joseph Mohr. What nationality was
he?
A) German
B) Czech
C) Swiss
D) Austrian
Q6 – Up until
the 19th century people would keep their decorations up until Candlemas
Day. When exactly is ‘Candlemas Day’?
A) February 2nd
B) January 31st
C) February 4th
D) January 25th
Q7 – St Francis
Of Assisi is said to have created the first nativity performance in 1223. In
which country did this take place?
A) Italy
B) Greece
C) Portugal
D) Spain
Q8 – Why are
there twelve days of Christmas?
A) Because it took
the three kings twelve days to find the baby Jesus
B) Because the
twelve days represent the twelve months in each year
C) Because it
allows plenty of time for continuous feasting and merrymaking
D) Because (say
someone present in the room) said there should be!
Q9 – The
Christmas Pudding we know today started life as a kind of Christmas porridge.
By what name was this porridge known?
A) Kasha
B) Frumenty
C) Groats
D) Quinoa
Q10 – When did
Wassailing first become associated with Christmas?
A) The 1600’s
B) The 1500’s
C) The 1700’s
D) The 1400’s
Round 3 –
Christmas Hits
Q1 – What was
the Christmas No 1 Single in the U.K. in 1972?
Q2 – Bohemian
Rhapsody by Queen was first No 1 at Christmas in 1975. In which year did it
return to the top spot at Christmas when re-issued as part of a double a-sided
single with the song, ‘These Are The Days Of Our Lives’?
Q3 - Who had a
top ten hit in 1957 with the song, ‘Santa, Bring My Baby Back To Me’?
Q4 – The Smurfs
had a 1978 Christmas hit with the song, ‘Christmas In Smurfland’. From which
country do Smurfs originate?
Q5 – Which
British band had a 1980 Christmas hit with the song ‘Never Mind The Presents’?
Q6 – In what
year was ‘Do They know Its Christmas?’ by Band Aid first released?
Q7 – Who was
the first British artist to have a No 1 Christmas hit in the U.K?
Q8 – Wizzard
had the 1973 Christmas No 1 in the U.K. with the festive classic ‘I Wish It
Could Be Christmas Everyday’. Name the group’s lead singer. * BONUS POINT if
you can name the record label it was on.
Q9 – In 1983,
Actors George Cole & Dennis Waterman teamed up to record the Christmas
novelty song, ‘What are We Gonna Get Er’ Indoors’. The song was a cash-in from
the duo’s popularity in the television programme ‘Minder’. We all remember that
George Cole played Arthur Daley but what was the name of the character played
by Dennis Waterman?
Q10 – Bob The
Builder was number one at Christmas in 2000 with the song ‘Can We Fix it?’ Can
you name the actor who was the voice of Bob?
Round 4 –
Christmas Films
Q1 – Which
Actor provides the voice of ‘Scrooge’ in the 1992 Film, ‘The Muppet Christmas
Carol’?
Q2 – What was
the surname of he angel, ‘Clarence’ in the 1946 classic Christmas film ‘It’s a
Wonderful Life’?
Q3 – In what
year was the film ‘Elf’ starring Will Ferrell released?
Q4 – The 1947
film, ‘Miracle On 34th Street’ starred Maureen O’ Hara, John Payne
and Natalie Wood but which other Actor was it who won ‘Best Actor in a
supporting role’ in the 1948 US Academy Awards for his portrayal of the lead
character, Kris Kringle?
Q5 – What is
the name of Bill Murray’s character in the 1988 film ‘Scrooged’?
Q6 – The 1988
film, ‘National Lampoons Christmas Vacation’ was the final film in the 58 year
career of Mae Questel. Which well-known cartoon character was Mae the voice of?
Q7 – How many
films in the ‘Home Alone’ series have been made so far?
Q8 – ‘Whoville’
is the fictional town in which Christmas film?
Q9 – What year
was the animated short film ‘The Snowman’ released?
Q10 - Who plays
the character Ted Hanover in the 1942 film ‘Holiday Inn’?
Round
5 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?
Round 6 –
Christmas Panto’s
Q1 – In which
Shakespeare play does a variant of the Giant’s cry "Fee! Fie! Foe! Fum! I smell the blood of an
Englishman"
from ‘Jack and The Beanstalk’ appear?
A) A Midsummer
Nights Dream
B) Othello
C) As You Like It
D) King Lear
Q2 – In which
Pantomime does the character ‘Ilnyeva Gettamanovic’ appear?
A) Puss In Boots
B) Cinderella
C) Peter Pan
D) Snow White
& The Seven Dwarfs
Q3 – Richard Whittington
was in fact a real person and the pantomime that bears his name is the only
pantomime to be based on a true subject. ‘Dick’ was mayor of London three
times. In which of these years was he NOT Mayor of London?
A) 1401
B) 1397
C) 1406
D) 1419
Q4 – In which
pantomime does the character ‘Columbine’ appear?
A) Jack & The
Beanstalk
B) Mother Goose
C) Dick
Whittington
D) Cinderella
Q5 – According
to the website ‘It’s Behind You. Com’ which is the most popular pantomime of
all?
A) Aladdin
B) Dick
Whittington
C) Cinderella
D) Snow White
Q6 – In which
year was ‘Peter Pan’ first performed at the Duke of York Theatre in London?
A) 1900
B) 1910
C) 1904
D) 1908
Q7 – The first recorded use of the word
pantomime was in which of these years?
A) 1788
B) 1804
C) 1717
D) 1773
Q8 – In which
country is the pantomime, ‘Aladdin’ traditionally set?
A) China
B) Japan
C) Hong Kong
D) Egypt
Q9 – Joseph
Grimaldi (1779 – 1837) is considered to be the most ‘famous & popular’
Clown in harlequinade and pantomime of all time but what nationality was he?
A) Irish
B) English
C) Italian
D) Dutch
Q10 – In which
pantomime does the character ‘Lagoon’ appear?
A) Aladdin
B) Peter Pan
C) Mother Goose
D) Babes In The
Wood
Round 7 –
Christmas True of False
Q1 – The
Queen’s broadcast to the nation topped the ratings on Christmas Day 2014 with
an average of 7.82 million viewers?
Q2 – Legendary
soul singer James Brown died on Christmas Day, 2007.
Q3 – Charlie
Chaplin, Dean Martin & eartha Kitt all died on Christmas Day.
Q4 – ‘Adeste
Fideles’ is how you say ‘Merry Christmas’ in Spanish.
Q5 – The Book
‘Hercule Poirot’s Christmas’ was published in 1939 - the same year that the
Second World War began!
Q6 – In Charles
Dickens ‘A Christmas Carol’ Bob Cratchit’s second daughter is called ‘Belinda’
Q7 – Frank
Kelly’s hilarious ‘Christmas Countdown’ was a top 20 hit in 1984.
Q8 – William
Shakespeare wrote a Christmas poem entitled, ‘Song Of The Holly’
Q9 – Two five
minute ‘Christmas Specials’ were made of the popular comedy series, ‘On The
Buses’
Q10 – Leslie
Neilsen played Santa in the 2000 TV Movie, ‘Santa Who?’
Stumped? Then here are the answers!!!!!
Q1 - B
Q2 – A
Q3 – B
Q4 – D (In The
Middle Ages)
Q5 - A
Q6 – C
Q7 – C
Q8 – D
Q9 – C
Q10 - A
Round 2
Q1 – C
Q2 – D
Q3 – C
Q4 – D
Q5 – D
Q6 – A
Q7 – A
Q8 – A
Q 9 – B
Q10 - D
Round 3
Q1 – Long Haired
Lover From Liverpool – Little Jimmy Osmond with the Mike Curb Congregation.
Q2 – 1991
Q3 – Elvis Presley
Q4 – Holland (The
Netherlands)
Q5 – The Barron
Knights
Q6 – 1984
Q7 – Dickie
Valentine (in 1955 with ‘Christmas Alphabet’)
Q8 – Roy Wood
& Harvest Records
Q9 – Terry McCann
Q10 – Neil
Morrissey
Round 4
Q1 – Michael Caine
Q2 – Odbody
Q3 – 2003
Q4 – Edmund Gwenn
Q5 – Frank Cross
Q6 – Betty Boop
Q7 – 5
Q8 – How The
Grinch Stole Christmas
Q9 – 1982
Q10 – Fred Astaire
Round 5
Q1.
Dates
Q2.
Parsnips
Q3.
Nuts
Q4.
Truffles
Q5.
Tangerine
Q6.
Turkish delight
Q7.
Mince pies
Q8.
Pork Pie
Q9.
Christmas present
Q10.
Shortbread
Round 6
Q1 – D
Q2 - B
Q3 – A
Q4 – B
Q5 – C
Q6 – C
Q7 – C
Q8 – A
Q9 – B
Q10 – B
Round 7
Q1 – TRUE
Q2 – FALSE – it
was 2006!
Q3 – TRUE (Chaplin
in 1977, Martin in 1995 and Kitt in 2008)
Q4 – FALSE – it is
‘Feliz Navidad’
Q5 - FALSE - it was published in 1938
Q6 – TRUE
Q7 – FALSE – it
only made no 26
Q8 – TRUE
Q9 – TRUE – In
1969 and 1972 – the 1969 version has been lost.
Q10 - TRUE
Do let me know how you get on?
