Christmas Quiz 2021
Here's a bit of Christmas fun... if you don't want to play Charades or are tired of the same old Christmas cracker jokes, then why not be the quizmaster and play online. Or, you could download the question and answer sheets, to play offline... pen or pencil required!
Note: This was the first, online, quiz, published in the same year that the website was launched, so please bear in mind that questions 9 and 10 relate to productions that were staged in that year.
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How many candles are there in an advent wreath?
Answer
5... Advent wreaths should include a fifth, "Christ" candle which is lit on Christmas day.
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Name the bread-like fruit cake with a marzipan centre that is eaten during the Christmas season (traditionally made in Germany)?
Answer
Stollen, Weihnachtsstollen or Christstollen... Made with yeast, water and flour, and usually dried citrus peel (called "Zitronat"), dried fruit, almonds, and spices such as cardamom and cinnamon.
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What colour are Christmas roses?
Answer
White... Christmas Roses, Lenten Roses, Snow Roses, or Winter Roses are not actually roses, they are evergreen flowering plants (hellebores) which are distinctive because they bloom in the winter (Five snow white petals and lush green foliage).
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What is the Dutch name for St. Nicholas?
Answer
"Sinterklaas"... Derived from "Sint Nikolaas". The English version is, of course, "Santa Claus"!
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When is Bishop St. Nicholas' birthday celebrated in the Netherlands?
Answer
On December 5th and 6th... "Sinterklaas" is a holiday, consisting of St. Nicholas' Eve and St. Nicholas' Day.
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What gift is said to have been left by Bishop St. Nicholas, for the daughters of a poor man in Myra Turkey?
Answer
Bags of golden balls... tossed through an open window, they are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas.
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How many Golden Rings were given by the 12th day of Christmas?
Answer
40... 5 Golden Rings were first given on the 5th day and each subsequent day (6th, 7th etc.)... therefore 8 x 5 = 40.
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What is the meaning behind the "5 Golden Rings" given on the 5th day of Christmas?
Answer
"5 Golden Rings", refers to the first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which gives the history of man's fall from grace.
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What is this year's Christmas Pantomime at the Stafford Gatehouse?
Answer
Snow White.
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Who is starring in this year's Christmas Pantomime (Cinderella) at the Regent?
Answer
Jonathan Wilkes and Christian Patterson.
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What are the origins of "Boxing Day"?
Answer
Christmas boxes were given to employees or to people in a lower social class. The contents of the Christmas Boxes were then pooled and shared out on Boxing Day.
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Name the Three Kings?
Answer
Caspar, Balthazar & Melchior.
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Name Ebenezer Scrooge's ghostly former business partner (in "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens)?
Answer
Jacob Marley.
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In which year did both Slade and Wizzard have Christmas Hits?
Answer
1973... I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday by Wizzard, reached No.4 in the singles chart, famously beaten to No.1 by Slade's Merry Xmas Everybody, which remained there for five consecutive weeks.
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In which year was "Do They Know It's Christmas?" originally released?
Answer
1984... A song written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, specifically to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. Released by Band Aid on November 29th.
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When do the "Twelve Days of Christmas" start and end?
Answer
The Twelve Days of Christmas start with Christmas Day and finish with the eve of Epiphany on 5th January.
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What names are often given to children born around Christmas - List 3?
Answer
Holly, Gloria, Carol, Joy, Noel... etc.
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Where did Christmas Crackers Originate?
Answer
Crackers were invented by Tom Smith of London in 1847... as a development of his bon-bon sweets, which he sold in a twist of paper. To boost sales, he inserted mottos into the wrappers. He was inspired to add the "crackle" element when he heard the crackle of a log he'd just put on the fire. The size of the paper wrapper had to be increased to incorporate the banger mechanism, and the sweet itself was eventually dropped, to be replaced by a small gift, party hat etc.
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What is the origin of Christmas Pudding?
Answer
A Celtic legend... about the harvest god Dagda, who stirred a porridge made up of all the good things of the Earth. "Frumenty" was a spiced porridge, enjoyed by both rich and poor, which is now replaced by modern Christmas puddings.
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What is the most famous Christmas Carol of all time?
Answer
Silent Night!... The origin of the Christmas carol that we know as Silent Night was a poem, written in 1816 by an Austrian priest called Joseph Mohr. On Christmas Eve in 1818 in the small alpine village called Oberndorf, it is reputed that the organ at St. Nicholas Church had broken. A simple tune was quickly added to Silent Night, so that it could be played on a guitar at midnight mass.
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Why do we kiss under the mistletoe at Christmas time?
Answer
To signify Peace and friendship... A tradition derived from ancient Scandinavian folklore.
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Name two artists that have recorded a version of "White Christmas"?
Answer
"White Christmas" was written in 1940 by Irving Berlin for the 1942 movie "Holiday Inn" with Fred Astaire and sung by Bing Crosby. Also recorded by Elvis Presley, Jim Reeves, Michael Bolton, Three Tenors and Kiss... to name but a few.
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What do the bookies class as a "White Christmas" in the UK?
Answer
A single flake falling on one of the nominated cities' weather centres on Christmas Day.
P.S. What was your answer to question 13? 😉