Another challenging selection of questions for you.
And if you get stuck you can find the answers waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below, but please NO cheating.
Enjoy and good luck.
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Q. 1. M*A*S*H was a famous book, movie and TV series, but what do the letters M A S H stand for?
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Q. 2. Wind transports approximately how many millions of tonnes of dust from the Sahara to the Amazon every year?
a) 4 million tonnes b) 40 million tonnes c) 400 million tonnes
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Q. 3. What city is known as ‘The City Of Tigers’ ? (HINT: it is not in Asia.)
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Q. 4. ‘Ring of Bright Water’ is a book about which creatures?
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Q. 5. This one is the name of a rich fruit cake decorated with almonds, a town in Scotland, and the last name of a comic Australian movie character. What is it?
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Q. 6. In which country is the legendary city of Timbuktu? (If you have been following the TV series American Odyssey you’ll know this one.)
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Q. 7. A multi-point question. What currencies are used in the following countries?
a) USA b) Britain c) Japan d) Europe e) China
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Q. 8. What percentage of internet users quit waiting for a video to load after 10 seconds?
a) 10% b) 20% c) 30% d) 40% e) 50% f) 60%
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Q. 9. What were the first names of the four main characters of the long running and highly successful TV series ‘The Golden Girls’ ? (Bonus points if you can also correctly name the actresses who played them.)
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Q. 10. In 1929, US Army Air Corps Lieutenant General John MacCready asked Bausch & Lomb, a New York-based medical equipment manufacturer, to create aviation sunglasses that would ban the sun rays and reduce the headaches and nausea experienced by his pilots. What name were they given?
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Q. 11. “The devil on two sticks” is a former name for which juggling-like game?
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Q. 12. What are the four largest countries on Earth by area? (A point for each you name correctly and a bonus point if you get them in the correct order, starting with the largest.)
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Q. 13. What is the painting, ‘La Gioconda’, more usually known as?
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Q. 14. What is the name of the traditional Irish potato and cabbage dish?
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Q. 15. What is the name of John Lennon’s widow?
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Q. 16. With whom is the fictional character ‘Alfred Pennyworth’ associated?
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Q. 17. Who is the largest American retailer of lingerie?
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Q. 18. In the Bible what are the names of the first and last books of the New Testament?
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Q. 19. What was the name of the flamboyant and controversial Australian actor who starred in many movies during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s and played characters like ‘Robin Hood’ and ‘George Custer’?
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Q. 20. What was the name of the group that Paul McCartney went on to form in 1970 after The Beatles split up?
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ANSWERS
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Q. 1. M*A*S*H was a famous book, movie and TV series, but what do the latters M A S H stand for?
A. 1. Mobile Army Surgical Hospital.
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Q. 2. Wind transports approximately how many millions of tonnes of dust from the Sahara to the Amazon every year?
a) 4 million tonnes b) 40 million tonnes c) 400 million tonnes
A. 2. The correct answer is b) 40 million tonnes.
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Q. 3. What city is known as ‘The City Of Tigers’ ? (HINT: it is not in Asia.)
A. 3. It’s Oslo, Norway. (Apparently because the city was referred to as ‘Tigerstaden’ (the City of Tigers) by the author Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson around 1870, due to his perception of the city as a cold and dangerous place.
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Q. 4. ‘Ring of Bright Water’ is a book about which creatures?
A. 4. Otters.
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Q. 5. This one is the name of a rich fruit cake decorated with almonds, a town in Scotland, and the last name of a comic Australian movie character. What is it?
A. 5. It is ‘Dundee’.
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Q. 6. In which country is the legendary city of Timbuktu? (If you have been following the TV series American Odyssey you’ll know this one.)
A. 6. Mali, Africa.
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Q. 7. A multi-point question. What currencies are used in the following countries?
a) USA b) Britain c) Japan d) Europe e) China
A. 7. a) Dollar b) Pound c) Yen d) Euro e) Yuan Renminbi
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Q. 8. What percentage of internet users quit waiting for a video to load after 10 seconds?
a) 10% b) 20% c) 30% d) 40% e) 50% f) 60%
A. 8. The correct answer is e) 50%.
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Q. 9. What were the first names of the four main characters of the long running and highly successful TV series ‘The Golden Girls’ ? (Bonus points if you can also correctly name the actresses who played them.)
A. 9. They were Dorothy Zbornak (played by Bea Arthur); Rose Nylund (played by Betty White); Blanche Devereaux (played by Rue McClanahan); and Sophia Petrillo (played by Estelle Getty).
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Q. 10. In 1929, US Army Air Corps Lieutenant General John MacCready asked Bausch & Lomb, a New York-based medical equipment manufacturer, to create aviation sunglasses that would ban the sun rays and reduce the headaches and nausea experienced by his pilots. What name were they given?
A. 10. They were called Ray Ban.
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Q. 11. “The devil on two sticks” is a former name for which juggling-like game?
A. 11. Diabolo.
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Q. 12. What are the four largest countries on Earth by area? (A point for each you name correctly and a bonus point if you get them in the correct order, starting with the largest.)
A. 12. 1) Russia 2) Canada 3) United States 4) PR China
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Q. 13. What is the painting, ‘La Gioconda’, more usually known as?
A. 13. The Mona Lisa.
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Q. 14. What is the name of the traditional Irish potato and cabbage dish?
A. 14. Colcannon.
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Q. 15. What is the name of John Lennon’s widow?
A. 15. Yoko Ono.
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Q. 16. With whom is the fictional character ‘Alfred Pennyworth’ associated?
A. 16. He is butler to Bruce Wayne, aka Batman.
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Q. 17. Who is the largest American retailer of lingerie?
A. 17. Victoria’s Secret.
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Q. 18. In the Bible what are the names of the first and last books of the New Testament?
A. 18. They are the book of Matthew and the book of Revelation.
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Q. 19. What was the name of the flamboyant and controversial Australian actor who starred in many movies during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s and played characters like ‘Robin Hood’ and ‘George Custer’?
A. 19. He was Errol Flynn.
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Q. 20. What was the name of the group that Paul McCartney went on to form in 1970 after The Beatles split up?
Like the last election in the UK, this one was a close run thing – but nowhere near as close as the pollsters predicted. At least this time there is an outright winner, the Conservative Party, with David Cameron still as Prime Minister.
No hung Parliaments, no dodgy coalitions between parties that obviously did not really like each other, and no more general elections for another five years.
Stability is always good.
Indeed the Conservative victory is already being seen as a positive step for the UK economy, with both shares and the pound sterling rising in value.
But during the next five years, although a degree of stability has been achieved, the UK is still in for challenging times economically.
Like the Unites States, the UK has been living well beyond its means for far too long. Eventually these delusions end in harsh reality. America will find this out too, but not until after their election next year.
At the start of the campaigning there was an unexpected degree of sense in being shown the two main parties. Election messages were warning of the need to cut spending, that Britain was still living beyond its means, and that there would be ‘difficult’ choices ahead.
However, as the election campaign progressed and the pollsters warned how tight the result was likely to be, all the political parties regressed into doing what they do best, regardless of what country they are in. In their desperation to get votes they ignored reality once again, started hiding the truth from their voters, and promised more goodies that the country can’t afford.
You know the sort of thing, better education, better health service, more jobs, etc., and to pay for it all less taxes.
Huh?
Yes, elections are full of ‘spend more and collect less’ promises.
In the non-political world we call them lies, because that’s what they are.
The smaller parties never suffered from the same restraints. Even from the beginning of their campaigns small parties like the Scottish SNP promised massive spending. They knew they would never be in a position to have to follow through on these boasts, but their message got out and, as always happens, many voters fell for it. The Scottish National Party (SNP) had a landslide victory in Scotland, winning 56 of the 59 seats – and all they promised was extra £180 billion ($280 billion) more spending over the next five years.
The two main parties soon countered with their own promises – the Conservatives talking about things like 30 hours of free child care a week for parents of 3 & 4-year-olds, no tax for people earning the minimum wage, an extra £8 billion (US$12 billion) for the National Health Service, free access to a doctor seven days a week, and a freeze rail ticket price increases for five years.
On the face of it, the past five years have seen the UK economy growing, unemployment down below 6% and a booming housing market, particularly in the South East of the country. All part of the reason why the Conservatives have their victory.
But, returning to reality for a moment, Britain is now in the most debt it has been in, relative to its economy, since 1967. The financial crisis hit the UK hard. From 2009 to date, British government borrowing has been at a higher level than at any time since World War II.
The scariest part is that, whilst the governments all talked about “cuts” and “austerity”, not a penny of this money has been paid back.
And like American politicians, and others, they use deliberate deceit to cover their lack of progress. Well-worn phrases like “cutting the deficit” are designed to make people think that the government is paying back its debt, but in fact all that has been happening is that they have been borrowing a little less money this year than they did the year before.
If you are any good at math at all, you will know that in reality this means that the debt burden is increasing, not decreasing. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that Britain would, in all probability, not even begin to pay back its debts until sometime after 2020 – and that was even before all these new election promised of spending more!
In addition to all that, one of the fundamental platforms that helped the Conservative Party to get elected was the promise of a referendum on Britain’s continued membership of the European Union. The result of that will have its own impact economically too.
Personally if I were them I’d drop the EU like a hot poker. For more than forty years Britain has been paying more into Europe than they have got out, a situation that is likely to continue as rafts of the poorer European nations continue to join.
So the next five years are shaping up to be very interesting for both Britain and America.
Last week we had the BIG Christmas quiz and thank you to everyone who visited and tried it out.
And a very special thanks to the Coastal Crone who reblogged it.
Since we are all used to ‘leftovers’ at this time of the year I thought I would use my leftover questions from last week’s BIG quiz for a little one this week.
The questions still have a Christmassy theme and as usual, if you get stuck, you can find the answers waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below.
So enjoy what’s left of the Christmas holiday and good luck with the quiz.
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Q. 1: How many points does a snowflake have? (Sorry there’s only one point for the correct answer.)
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Q. 2: Charles Dickens is said to have considered the names ‘Little Larry’ and ‘Puny Pete’ for which character? (A bonus point is available if you can also correctly name the Dickens novel in which the character appears.)
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Q. 3: In which country that made the news a lot during 2014, and the largest country of its continent, is it said that finding a spider web on Christmas morning brings good luck, and so Christmas trees are decorated with artificial spider webs?
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Q. 4: What is New Year’s Eve called in Scotland?
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Q. 5: What former Egyptian president was born on Christmas day in 1918?
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Q. 6: Which alcoholic ingredient is used in a ‘Snowball’ cocktail?
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Q. 7: And what animal is ‘Snowball’ in George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’?
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Q. 8: Derived from the Latin word meaning ‘coming’, what is the name of the period leading up to Christmas?
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Q. 9: In the rhyme ‘Christmas is coming’, who is getting ‘fat’?
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Q. 10: The first singing radio commercial, which aired in the US on Christmas Eve 1926, was for which brand?
a) Rolex b) BMW c) Wheaties d) Durex
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Q. 11: Why is the male turkey often referred to as ‘Tom Turkey’?
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Q. 12: In what country did Christmas Trees originate?
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Q. 13: How many ‘Wise Men’ brought gifts to Jesus?
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Q. 14: Which English monarch was crowned on Christmas Day in Westminster Abbey?
a) William I b) William II c) William III d) William IV
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Q. 15: Name the two administrative and ex-colonial regions of China for which Christmas day remains a legal public holiday, whereas in the main country it is not? (A point for each that you name correctly.)
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Q. 16: The Christmas favorite of ‘Pigs in Blankets’ is chipolata sausages wrapped in what?
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Q. 17: In Mexico, it is said that wearing what color underwear on New Year’s Eve ensures finding new love the following year?
a) Yellow b) Green c) Red d) Brown
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Q. 18: Father Christmas is known as ‘Pai Natal’ in which European country?
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Q. 19: The surname ‘Chandler’ derives from the making or selling of what?
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Q. 20: What was Mr Bean searching for when he got his head stuck in a turkey?
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ANSWERS
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Q. 1: How many points does a snowflake have? (Sorry there’s only one point for the correct answer.)
A. 1: Six.
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Q. 2: Charles Dickens is said to have considered the names ‘Little Larry’ and ‘Puny Pete’ for which character? (A bonus point is available if you can also correctly name the Dickens novel in which the character appears.)
A. 2: The character is ‘Tiny Tim’ and he appears in ‘A Christmas Carol’.
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Q. 3: In which country that made the news a lot during 2014, and the largest country of its continent, is it said that finding a spider web on Christmas morning brings good luck, and so Christmas trees are decorated with artificial spider webs?
A. 3: The correct answer is Ukraine. (Since it is the time to be generous you can also have a point if you said ‘Poland’. Although it does not fulfill all the parameters of the question, spiders or spider webs are common Christmas trees decorations in Poland because according to legend, a spider wove a blanket for Baby Jesus. In fact, Polish people consider spiders to be symbols of goodness and prosperity at Christmas.)
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Q. 4: What is New Year’s Eve called in Scotland?
A. 4: Hogmanay.
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Q. 5: What former Egyptian president was born on Christmas day in 1918?
A. 5: Anwar Sadat.
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Q. 6: Which alcoholic ingredient is used in a ‘Snowball’ cocktail?
A. 6: Advocaat.
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Q. 7: And what animal is ‘Snowball’ in George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’?
A. 7: A Pig.
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Q. 8: Derived from the Latin word meaning ‘coming’, what is the name of the period leading up to Christmas?
A. 8: Advent.
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Q. 9: In the rhyme ‘Christmas is coming’, who is getting ‘fat’?
A. 9: The goose.
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Q. 10: The first singing radio commercial, which aired in the US on Christmas Eve 1926, was for which brand?
a) Rolex b) BMW c) Wheaties d) Durex
A. 10: The correct answer is c) Wheaties.
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Q. 11: Why is the male turkey often referred to as ‘Tom Turkey’?
A. 11: After Thomas Jefferson, because Jefferson was opposed to the idea of a turkey as the national bird.
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Q. 12: In what country did Christmas Trees originate?
A. 12: Germany. (Technically it was Latvia but at that time it was part of Germany.)
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Q. 13: How many ‘Wise Men’ brought gifts to Jesus?
A. 13: ‘More than one’ is the correct answer, the Bible does not specify how many. (If you said ‘3’ you don’t get a point.)
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Q. 14: Which English monarch was crowned on Christmas Day in Westminster Abbey?
a) William I b) William II c) William III d) William IV
A. 14: The correct answer is a) William I.
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Q. 15: Name the two administrative and ex-colonial regions of China for which Christmas day remains a legal public holiday, whereas in the main country it is not? (A point for each that you name correctly.)
A. 15: Hong Kong and Macau.
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Q. 16: The Christmas favorite of ‘Pigs in Blankets’ is chipolata sausages wrapped in what?
A. 16: Bacon.
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Q. 17: In Mexico, it is said that wearing what color underwear on New Year’s Eve ensures finding new love the following year?
a) Yellow b) Green c) Red d) Brown
A. 17: The correct answer is c) Red.
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Q. 18: Father Christmas is known as ‘Pai Natal’ in which European country?
A. 18: Portugal.
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Q. 19: The surname ‘Chandler’ derives from the making or selling of what?
A. 19: Candles.
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Q. 20: What was Mr Bean searching for when he got his head stuck in a turkey?
Yes folks, this being Christmas week we have a bumper Christmassy edition of the quiz.
All the questions have a Christmas theme and there are plenty of them this week, so this quiz should keep you going over the holidays.
As usual, if you get stuck, you can find the answers waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below, but NO cheating please!
Merry Christmas and enjoy.
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Q. 1: If you were born on Christmas day, what would be your Zodiac sign?
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Q. 2: In which century was Christmas first celebrated?
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Q. 3: What significance is holly in celebrating Christmas?
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Q. 4: In the familiar song ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’, what is the gift on the fourth day?
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Q. 5: In the 1998 movie what actor whilst out Christmas shopping suddenly finds himself an “Enemy of the State”?
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Q. 6: Who discovered Christmas Island in 1777?
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Q. 7: Who wrote the song “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas”?
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Q. 8: Plus or minus one year, how long does it take a Scotch Pine Christmas tree to reach a typical retail height of 6 to 7 feet?
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Q. 9: One of the most popular floral gifts at Christmas is the Poinsetta, but what country did Poinsettias originally come from?
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Q. 10: At the end of the war in Vietnam, when Saigon fell, the signal for all Americans to evacuate was what song by Bing Crosby being played on the radio?
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Q. 11: What was Scrooge’s business partner called?
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Q. 12: When exactly is ‘The Twelfth Night’?
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Q. 13: Why was Boxing Day so named?
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Q. 14: Who composed the music for the festive season ballet ‘The Nutcracker’?
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Q. 15: Which Italian cake, popular at Christmas, belongs to Tony?
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Q. 16: What job was first taken by James Edgar in 1890?
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Q. 17: In which celebrated movie does James Stewart attempt suicide one Christmas?
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Q. 18: The Bible doesn’t say when Jesus was born. Pope Julius I made this decision in which year?
a) 50 AD b) 350 AD c) 750 AD d) 1250 AD
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Q. 19: Mr and Mrs Hilton had a little boy who was born on Christmas Day 1887, and went on to found of one of the world’s largest Hotel chains, but what was his first name?
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Q. 20: The names of which two reindeer mean ‘Thunder’ and ‘Lightning’?
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Q. 21: What is the name of the fruit sauce which is a traditional accompaniment to the Christmas Turkey?
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Q. 22: The American ad writer Robert L. May invented which colorful Christmas character in 1939?
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Q. 23: The German Christmas song ‘Tannebaum’ is translated into English as what?
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Q. 24: What does the word ‘Bethlehem’ mean?
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Q. 25: Before Pope Julius I decided that December 25th was the day Jesus was born, on which day did early Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus?
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Q. 26: Coca Cola made our modern Father Christmas for an advertising campaign, but prior to that, what color robes did he wear?
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Q. 27: Which ‘Christmas’ word means ‘turning of the sun’?
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Q. 28: Complete the title of each of the following Christmas movies.
a) Holiday… b) We’re No… c) The Bells of… d) It’s A Wonderful…
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Q. 29: What was the name of Scrooge’s clerk in a Christmas Carol?
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Q. 30: Advent candles are a popular Christmas tradition in many cultures. What does the word advent mean?
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Q. 31: Which nickname for Hollywood sounds Christmassy?
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Q. 32: Which pudding with a misleading name was banned by English Puritans because it was deemed to be ‘sinfully rich’?
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Q. 33: The Greek word for ‘Messiah’ was ‘Xristos’(Christ). What do all of these words mean translated?
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Q. 34: In the movie ‘Die Hard 2’, which airport did the terrorist take over on Christmas Eve?
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Q. 35: Many people claim that the first unofficial football (soccer) international between Germany and a Scotland-England side was played on a Christmas Day. The pitch or playing field was found between what?
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Q. 36: In which country does an ugly old witch named ‘Bafana’ deliver presents on the 6th of December?
a) Australia b) Austria c) Italy d) Mexico
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Q. 37: There are two ‘Christmas islands’, in which oceans are they located?
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Q. 38: In which city is Kevin left ‘Home Alone’ at Christmas? (the first Home Alone)
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Q. 39: “Good King Wenceslas looked out on the feast of Stephan”. What is the name of the country where Wenceslas was king? (Will accept either the ‘old’ or ‘modern’ name of the country.)
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Q. 40: Which Christmas tradition, said to have originated in Germany, was banned in the Soviet Union until 1935?
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Q. 41: In which country is St. Nick called ‘Sinterklaas’?
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Q. 42: Which Christmas gift of the very highest quality, also known as ‘Oil of Lebanon’, comes from Oman?
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Q. 43: Why was December 25th chosen as Christmas Day?
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Q. 44: Who said, “You’ll want all day tomorrow, I suppose “?
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Q. 45: Which popular poem did Clement Clark Moore write for his six children in 1822?
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Q. 46: The following all mean ‘Merry Christmas’ in which language? (A point for each!)
a) Hyvaa joulua b) sung tan chuk ha c) froehliche weihnacten
d) mele kalikimaka e) god jul f) boas festas g) kala christouyenna
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Q. 47: Superstition dictates that when making mince pies for Christmas one should always stir in which direction?
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Q. 48: Which Christmas tradition did the very busy Sir Henry Cole introduce in 1843?
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Q. 49: The Christmas movie ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ has been remade many times. Who won a best supporting actor Oscar for the role of Kris Kringle in the original 1947 movie and which two time Oscar winner played Kris in the 1994 remake?
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Q. 50: Which song begins with “Are you hanging up your stocking on the wall”?
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ANSWERS
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Q. 1: If you were born on Christmas day, what would be your Zodiac sign?
A. 1: Capricorn.
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Q. 2: In which century was Christmas first celebrated?
A. 2: In the 4th century.
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Q. 3: What significance is holly in celebrating Christmas?
A. 3: The early church banned mistletoe, so holly was substituted.
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Q. 4: In the familiar song ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’, what is the gift on the fourth day?
A. 4: 4 Calling Birds.
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Q. 5: In the 1998 movie what actor whilst out Christmas shopping suddenly finds himself an “Enemy of the State”?
A. 5: Will Smith
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Q. 6: Who discovered Christmas Island in 1777?
A. 6: Captain Cook.
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Q. 7: Who wrote the song “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas”?
A. 7: Irving Berlin.
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Q. 8: Plus or minus one year, how long does it take a Scotch Pine Christmas tree to reach a typical retail height of 6 to 7 feet?
A. 8: 7 years.
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Q. 9: One of the most popular floral gifts at Christmas is the Poinsetta, but what country did Poinsettias originally come from?
A. 9: Mexico.
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Q. 10: At the end of the war in Vietnam, when Saigon fell, the signal for all Americans to evacuate was what song by Bing Crosby being played on the radio?
A. 10: White Christmas.
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Q. 11: What was Scrooge’s business partner called?
A. 11: Jacob Marley.
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Q. 12: When exactly is ‘The Twelfth Night’?
A. 12: The evening of the 5th of January.
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Q. 13: Why was Boxing Day so named?
A. 13: After the custom of giving Christmas Boxes/Tips to workmen/tradesmen.
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Q. 14: Who composed the music for the festive season ballet ‘The Nutcracker’?
A. 14: Tchaikovsky.
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Q. 15: Which Italian cake, popular at Christmas, belongs to Tony?
A. 15: Panettone. (Anthony or Tone’s bread).
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Q. 16: What job was first taken by James Edgar in 1890?
A. 16: He was the first department store Santa.
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Q. 17: In which celebrated movie does James Stewart attempt suicide one Christmas?
A. 17: It’s A Wonderful Life.
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Q. 18: The Bible doesn’t say when Jesus was born. Pope Julius I made this decision in which year?
a) 50 AD b) 350 AD c) 750 AD d) 1250 AD
A. 18: Answer b) 350 AD.
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Q. 19: Mr and Mrs Hilton had a little boy who was born on Christmas Day 1887, and went on to found of one of the world’s largest Hotel chains, but what was his first name?
A. 19: Conrad.
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Q. 20: The names of which two reindeer mean ‘Thunder’ and ‘Lightning’?
A. 20: Donner and Blitzen.
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Q. 21: What is the name of the fruit sauce which is a traditional accompaniment to the Christmas Turkey?
A. 21: Cranberry.
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Q. 22: The American ad writer Robert L. May invented which colorful Christmas character in 1939?
A. 22: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
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Q. 23: The German Christmas song ‘Tannebaum’ is translated into English as what?
A. 23: Christmas Tree.
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Q. 24: What does the word ‘Bethlehem’ mean?
A. 24: House of meat (Arabic) or House of bread (Hebraic)
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Q. 25: Before Pope Julius I decided that December 25th was the day Jesus was born, on which day did early Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus?
A. 25: The 6th of January or feast of the epiphany. (Greek for appearance or revelation).
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Q. 26: Coca Cola made our modern Father Christmas for an advertising campaign, but prior to that, what color robes did he wear?
A. 26: Green. (As a sign of the returning Spring.)
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Q. 27: Which ‘Christmas’ word means ‘turning of the sun’?
A. 27: Yuletide (Yule means wheel in old Norse language).
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Q. 28: Complete the title of each of the following Christmas movies.
a) Holiday… b) We’re No… c) The Bells of… d) It’s A Wonderful…
A. 28: a) …Inn b) …Angels c) …St. Marys d) …Life
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Q. 29: What was the name of Scrooge’s clerk in a Christmas Carol?
A. 29: Bob Cratchit.
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Q. 30: Advent candles are a popular Christmas tradition in many cultures. What does the word advent mean?
A. 30: Arrival.
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Q. 31: Which nickname for Hollywood sounds Christmassy?
A. 31: Tinseltown.
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Q. 32: Which pudding with a misleading name was banned by English Puritans because it was deemed to be ‘sinfully rich’?
A. 32: Plum pudding. (Incidentally, there are no plums in plum pudding, just sugar, raisons, suet, flour and various spices boiled in a bag till ‘plum’)
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Q. 33: The Greek word for ‘Messiah’ was ‘Xristos’(Christ). What do all of these words mean translated?
A. 33: The ‘annointed’ one.
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Q. 34: In the movie ‘Die Hard 2’, which airport did the terrorist take over on Christmas Eve?
A. 34: Dulles International Airport (Washington DC).
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Q. 35: Many people claim that the first unofficial football (soccer) international between Germany and a Scotland-England side was played on a Christmas Day. The pitch or playing field was found between what?
A. 35: Between the trenches in no mans land, Christmas 1914. (No match report is available but it seems the Germans won 3-2.)
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Q. 36: In which country does an ugly old witch named ‘Bafana’ deliver presents on the 6th of December?
a) Australia b) Austria c) Italy d) Mexico
A. 36: Answer c) Italy.
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Q. 37: There are two ‘Christmas islands’, in which oceans are they located?
A. 37: The Pacific and Indian oceans.
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Q. 38: In which city is Kevin left ‘Home Alone’ at Christmas? (the first Home Alone)
A. 38: Chicago.
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Q. 39: “Good King Wenceslas looked out on the feast of Stephan”. What is the name of the country where Wenceslas was king? (Will accept either the ‘old’ or ‘modern’ name of the country.)
A. 39: Bohemia, now known as the Czech Republic.
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Q. 40: Which Christmas tradition, said to have originated in Germany, was banned in the Soviet Union until 1935?
A. 40: Christmas trees.
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Q. 41: In which country is St. Nick called ‘Sinterklaas’?
A. 41: Holland.
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Q. 42: Which Christmas gift of the very highest quality, also known as ‘Oil of Lebanon’, comes from Oman?
A. 42: Frankincense.
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Q. 43: Why was December 25th chosen as Christmas Day?
A. 43: To compete with a pagan celebration.
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Q. 44: Who said, “You’ll want all day tomorrow, I suppose “?
A. 44: Scrooge to Bob Cratchit in Dicken’s ‘A Christmas Carol’.
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Q. 45: Which popular poem did Clement Clark Moore write for his six children in 1822?
A. 45: A visit from St. Nicholas (The night before Christmas) “It twas the night before Christmas when all through the house……”
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Q. 46: The following all mean ‘Merry Christmas’ in which language? (A point for each!)
a) Hyvaa joulua b) sung tan chuk ha c) froehliche weihnacten
d) mele kalikimaka e) god jul f) boas festas g) kala christouyenna
A. 46: Answers a) Finnish b) Korean c) German d) Hawaiian e) Norwegian
f) Portugese and, g) Greek
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Q. 47: Superstition dictates that when making mince pies for Christmas one should always stir in which direction?
A. 47: In a clockwise direction.
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Q. 48: Which Christmas tradition did the very busy Sir Henry Cole introduce in 1843?
A. 48: The sending of Christmas wishes on mass produced Christmas cards. The first cards depicted a family toasting an absent friend with the words “Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you”.
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Q. 49: The Christmas movie ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ has been remade many times. Who won a best supporting actor Oscar for the role of Kris Kringle in the original 1947 movie and which two time Oscar winner played Kris in the 1994 remake?
A. 49: Edmund Gwenn and Richard Attenborough.
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Q. 50: Which song begins with “Are you hanging up your stocking on the wall”?
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