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- 1 / 20
In Greece, what is hung on doors during New Year's Eve?
- Umbrella
- Salami
- Onion
- Rabbit foot
Many people in Greece spend their time making sure that their year starts off right. They engage in certain rituals and activities that are designed to bring luck. Hanging onions on the door in the household is one of these activities. Since the days of the ancient Greeks, the onion has been representative of growth and rebirth. The reason for this is simple – onions are viewed as highly fertile because the bulbs seem to want to sprout, even if they are being left alone. When an onion is left too long without being used, it seems to want to put down roots and grow once again. According to Greeks, this is the ultimate symbol of fertility and this is why the onion is always hung on a door in the household – to help the people in the household grow and experience a rebirth of their own in the coming year.
Source: Greek Boston
- 2 / 20
In which country do people dress up as bears for New Year's Eve?
- Mexico
- Spain
- Argentina
- Romania
In Romania, people usher in the New Year with a dance as they dress up in bear costumes and go from house to house singing folk songs. Dancing while being dressed as a bear or in clothes made of animal fur is a pre-Christian ritual. The tradition finds its roots in a belief that sighting a bear in one’s yard signifies good luck and wards off evil.
Source: Indian Express
- 3 / 20
Christmas marketing starting before Thanksgiving is called what?
- Christmas invasion
- Christmas creep
- Snow wars
- The Big Season
Christmas creep is a merchandising phenomenon in which merchants and retailers introduce Christmas-themed merchandise or decorations before the traditional start of the holiday shopping season, which in the United States is on the day after Thanksgiving. The phenomenon is associated with a desire of merchants to take advantage of particularly heavy Christmas-related shopping well before Black Friday in the United States and before Remembrance Day in Canada. The term was first used in the mid-1980s.
Source: Wikipedia
- 4 / 20
What is the Hebrew meaning of the word "Hanukkah"?
- Dedication
- Feast
- Candlelight
- Miracle
The Hebrew word Hanukkah literally means “dedication” (in modern Hebrew, a Hanukkat Habayit refers to a ceremony or gathering held to mark the dedication of a new home or a housewarming party). This definition points to the holiday’s origin as a celebration of the rededication of the ancient temple in Jerusalem. The Maccabees, having waged a three-year battle against the Syrian Greeks, managed to oust them from Jerusalem and reclaim the temple, which the Syrians had defiled. With the temple cleansed, the Maccabees rekindled the temple menorah and again offered sacrifices to God. This rededication became enshrined as the festival of Hanukkah.
Source: My Jewish Learning
- 5 / 20
Santa Claus is based on what historical saint?
- St. Dominic
- St. Nicholas
- St. Anthony of Padua
- St. Benedict
The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas. It is believed that Nicholas was born sometime around A.D. 280 in Patara, near Myra, in modern-day Turkey. Much admired for his piety and kindness, St. Nicholas became the subject of many legends. It is said that he gave away all of his inherited wealth and traveled the countryside helping the poor and sick.
Source: History
- 6 / 20
Which of these is traditional during Chinese New Year?
- Meditation Dance
- Eagle Dance
- Tea Dance
- Dragon Dance
The Chinese New Year (新年) is also known as the Spring Festival (春节). It is the most solemn festival of the year for every Chinese and has been celebrated in China for thousands of years, with various forms of activities among the diverse regions of China. The New Year celebration is centered around removing the bad and the old and welcoming the new and the good. It's a time to worship ancestors, exorcise evil spirits, and pray for a good harvest. Today it's celebrated also by Chinese communities outside the country. Lion dance, dragon dance, temple fairs, flower market shopping, and so on are just a few of these rich and colorful activities.
Source: Royal Museums Greenwich
- 7 / 20
For how long is Hanukkah observed?
- 8 nights and 8 days
- 1 night and 1 day
- 10 nights and 10 days
- 4 nights and 4 days
Hanukkah is observed for 8 nights and 8 days every year. Generally, it occurs between late November and December, although the exact dates change every year. That is because Hanukkah is always on the 25th day of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar. 25 Kislev is a date from the Hebrew calendar. The Hebrew calendar is a lunisolar calendar, which means that, unlike the Gregorian calendar, it is based on the Sun and the Moon. The Hebrew calendar determines the dates of Jewish holidays and which sections of the Torah they read.
Source: Royal Museums Greenwich
- 8 / 20
Which of these cities builds a giant straw goat at Christmas?
- Graz, Austria
- Gavle, Sweden
- Leipzig, Germany
- Bern, Switzerland
In many Scandinavian countries, one of the traditional symbols of the Christmas season is the Yule Goat. The most common form of the Yule Goat in modern times is a cute little Christmas tree ornament made from bundles of straw held together with a bright red ribbon. But for the city of Gavle, Sweden, the Yule Goat literally towers over every other symbol of the season. For Gavle, the beginning of the Advent season leading up to Christmas means it’s time to start building its 50-foot-tall straw goat. For 50 years, this Swedish city has celebrated Christmas with its giant straw goat.
Source: Smithsonian Magazine
- 9 / 20
Which of these countries is the first to receive the New Year?
- Australia
- Fiji
- New Zealand
- Samoa
In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, December, 31st. The last day of the year is commonly referred to as “New Year's Eve”. In many countries, New Year's Eve is celebrated with dancing, eating, drinking, and watching or lighting fireworks. Some Christians attend a watch night service. The celebrations generally go on past midnight into New Year's Day, January 1st. The Line Islands (part of Kiribati), Samoa, and Tonga, in the Pacific Ocean, are the first places to welcome the New Year, while American Samoa, Baker Island, and Howland Island (part of the United States Minor Outlying Islands) are among the last.
Source: Wikipedia
- 10 / 20
Which Christmas item gets its name from the French word estincelle?
- Turkey
- Stocking
- Bauble
- Tinsel
Tinsel is a type of decorative material that mimics the effect of ice, consisting of thin strips of sparkling material attached to a thread. When in long narrow strips not attached to thread it is called "lametta" and emulates icicles. It was originally a metallic garland for Christmas decoration. The modern production of tinsel typically involves plastic and is used particularly to decorate Christmas trees. It may be hung from ceilings or wrapped around statues, lampposts, and so on. Modern tinsel was invented in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1610, and was originally made of shredded silver. According to the Concise Oxford Dictionary, the word is from the Old French word “estincelle”, meaning "sparkle".
Source: Wikipedia
- 11 / 20
Weihnachten is the German term for which popular holiday?
- Christmas
- New Year's Eve
- Easter
- Halloween
In Germany, Christmas is called “Weihnachten” which is a compound of the verb “weihen” which means consecrate, and the noun “Nacht” which means night. As a consequence, the word “Weihnachten” means consecrated night. In Germany, it consists of three holidays. Despite many other countries, the celebration already starts on the 24th of December. We call this day “Heilig Abend,” which means holy evening. The name was based on the assumption that it was Jesus’ birthday.
Source: Study German Online
- 12 / 20
In Jewish tradition, what is the name of New Year's day?
- Rosh Hashanah
- Passover
- Hannukah
- Yom Kippur
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is one of Judaism’s holiest days. Meaning “head of the year” or “first of the year,” the festival begins on the first day of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, which falls during September or October. Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of the world and marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, a 10-day period of introspection and repentance that culminates in the Yom Kippur holiday, also known as the Day of Atonement. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the two “High Holy Days” in the Jewish religion.
Source: History
- 13 / 20
Where is the Feast of the Seven Fishes celebrated on Christmas Eve?
- Italy
- Spain
- Netherlands
- Germany
The Feast of the Seven Fishes is part of the Italian-American Christmas Eve celebration, although it is not called that in Italy and is not a "feast" in the sense of a "holiday", but rather a grand meal. Christmas Eve is a vigil or fasting day, and the abundance of seafood reflects the observance of abstinence from meat until the feast of Christmas Day itself. Today, the meal typically consists of seven different seafood dishes. The tradition comes from Southern Italy, where it is known as The Vigil (La Vigilia). This celebration commemorates the wait, the Vigilia di Natale, for the midnight birth of the baby Jesus.
Source: Wikipedia
- 14 / 20
To which Christmas figure are chocolate coins associated?
- Christmas elfs
- Rudolph
- Saint Nicholas
- Santa Claus
Legend has it that the tradition of giving chocolate coins was inspired by the deeds of Saint Nicholas in the fourth or 5th century. The legend of St. Nicholas himself may actually be traced back to Turkey or Greece many hundreds of years ago. St Nicholas is often portrayed as a Bishop who was especially kind to children.
Source: Love Chocolate Life
- 15 / 20
What is Hanukkah also referred to as?
- Festival of Sound
- Festival of Lights
- Festival of Food
- Festival of Fire
Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a Jewish festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem and the subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar. The festival is observed by lighting the candles of a candelabrum with nine branches, commonly called a menorah or hanukkiah.
Source: Wikipedia
- 16 / 20
"Good King Wenceslas" is a Christmas carol from which modern-day country?
- Germany
- Czech Republic
- Poland
- Greece
"Good King Wenceslas" is a Christmas carol that tells the story of a Bohemian king (current day Czech Republic) who goes on a journey, braving harsh winter weather, to give alms to a poor peasant on the Feast of Stephen (December 26, the Second Day of Christmas). During the journey, his page is about to give up the struggle against the cold weather but is enabled to continue by following the king's footprints, step by step, through the deep snow. The legend is based on the life of the Saint Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia (907–935), who was not a king but a duke.
Source: Wikipedia
- 17 / 20
In which of these countries people throw water to each other on New Year?
- Thailand
- Germany
- Australia
- Chile
The Water Festival is the New Year's celebrations that take place in Southeast Asian nations such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand as well as among the Dai people of China. It is part of the broader South and Southeast Asian solar New Year. It is called the 'Water Festival' by Westerners because they notice people splashing or pouring water at one another as part of the cleansing ritual to welcome the Songkran New Year.
Source: Wikipedia
- 18 / 20
What are Sufganiyot, a popular deep-fried Hanukkah treat?
- Carrots
- Bread
- Fish Fritters
- Doughnuts
Sufganiyah (Hebrew: סופגנייה or סופגניה [ˌsufɡaniˈja]; plural: sufganiyot, Hebrew: סופגניות [ˌsufɡaniˈjot]) is a round jelly doughnut eaten in Israel and around the world on the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. The doughnuts are deep-fried in oil, filled with jam or custard, and then topped with powdered sugar. The doughnut recipe originated in Europe in the 16th century and by the 19th century was known as a Berliner in Germany. Polish Jews, who called it a ponchik, fried the doughnut in schmaltz rather than lard due to kashrut laws. The ponchik was brought to Palestine by Polish Jewish immigrants, where it was renamed the sufganiyah based on the Talmud's description of a "spongy dough".
Source: Wikipedia
- 19 / 20
"Twas the Night Before Christmas" is the beginning of which poem?
- Good King Wenceslas
- The Twelve Days of Christmas
- Mistletoe
- A Visit from St. Nicholas
The poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” better known by its opening line “‘Twas the Night before Christmas,” has a special place among Christmas traditions, right alongside hot chocolate, caroling, and bright lights. It has also inspired the modern image of Santa Claus as a jolly old man sporting red and a round belly. “‘Twas the Night before Christmas” was instrumental in crafting the modern American version of Santa Claus. The poem describes St. Nicholas as “dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,” with twinkling eyes, rosy cheeks, a snow-white beard, and a round belly. Throughout the poem, Santa is depicted as a jolly elf bringing joy with his reindeer-led sleigh to both children and adults.
Source: Iowa Capital Dispatch
- 20 / 20
Where do people smash plates against friends' doors on New Year's Eve?
- Japan
- Chile
- Australia
- Denmark
The coming of a new year often means the bringing about of good luck and fortune. It is customary for residents of Denmark to celebrate New Year’s Eve by throwing old plates and glasses against the doors of their family and friends to banish bad spirits. They also collectively stand on chairs and jump off them at midnight to ‘leap’ into January in hopes of good luck.
Source: Oxford Summer Courses
