Christmas questions
1. What year did Rudolf first appear?
2. What do the French call Father Christmas?
3. Who was supposedly the real St Nicholas?
4. In what year was the first collection of carols first printed?
5. What bird is more commonly eaten at Christmas?
6. In Scotland the new year celebrations are called what?
7. Where does the legend of Santa Claus derive from?
8. What year did reindeer become part of the Christmas tradition?
9. What is the “Christmas Card Carol” more commonly known as?
10. Who wrote the music for “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”?
11. “Silent Night” was first performed to the accompaniment of what instrument?
12. What was banned by Oliver Cromwell’s government?
13. What did Tom Smith invent?
14. Who were Melchior, Casper and Balthazar?
15. Where does the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square, London, come from each year?
16. How many gold rings did my true love send to me?
17. Which of the following years had a white Christmas: 1950, 1960 or 1970?
18. What poem did the reindeers get their names from?
19. In the song “The twelve days of Christmas” what did my true love send on the 11th day?
20. Who wrote the music for the Christmas carol “White Christmas”?
21. Which British monarch delivered the first ever Christmas message?
22. Which doctor made his debut in the show’s 2005 festive special called the Christmas Invasion?
23. The Larkins will be airing a Christmas special this year – which actor plays patriarch Pop Larkin?
24. In Love Actually, name the British boy band Billy Mack is competing against for Christmas number one?
25. Die Hard takes place on Christmas Eve – but in which city?
26. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, what do the Dursleys give Harry for Christmas?
27. In which children’s classic is it ‘always winter but never Christmas’?
28. In which classic play does a man dressed as a woman fall in love with a woman dressed as a man at Christmas?
29. In which film did the famous song White Christmas first appear?
30. Which musician sings the ever-so-catchy Wonderful Christmas Time?
31. What is the name of Anna and Elsa’s Kingdom in Frozen?
32. Which famous Christmas song includes the lyrics: Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh?
33. Which way are you meant to stir your mincemeat, Christmas cake and Christmas pudding for good luck?
34. What item is traditionally hidden in a Christmas pudding?
35. What is normally served as pudding on Christmas Day in Scotland?
36. Which fruit is traditionally put in a Christmas stocking?
37. What time is the Queen’s speech traditionally broadcast on Christmas Day?
38. What colour are mistletoe berries?
39. What colour suit did Santa wear until Coca Cola rebranded him in red?
40. According to tradition, when should you have your Christmas decorations down by?
Give the date of the terms of office of these US presidents
41. George Washington
42. Thomas Jefferson
43. Abraham Lincoln
44. Theodore Roosevelt
45. Woodrow Wilson
46. Herbert Hoover
47. Harry Truman
48. John Kennedy
What instruments do, or did these musicians play?
49. Dennis Brain
50. Heifetz
51. Jacqueline du Pre
52. Louis Armstrong
53. Benny Goodman
54. George Malcolm
In what books would you meet these persons?
55. Captain Ahab
56. Little Eppie
57. Apollyon
58. The Primrose Family
59. Thomas Grimes
60. Captain Nemo
Shakespeare: where are the following places?
61. The Boar’s Head Tavern
62. Macbeth’s Castle
63. The Palace of Theseus
Answers
1. 1939
2. Pere Noel
3. Bishop Nicholas of Myra
4. 1521
5. Turkey
6. Hogmanay
7. The German god Odin
8. 1832
9. Silent Night
10. Mendelssohn
11. Guitar
12. Christmas
13. Christmas crackers
14. The Three Wise Men
15. Norway
16. Five
17. 1970
18. A visit from St. Nicholas
19. Eleven lords a leaping
20. Irving Berlin
21. George V in 1932
22. Doctor Who, David Tennant
23. Bradley Walsh
24. Blue
25. Los Angeles
26. A 50-pence piece
27. CS Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
28. Twelfth Night
29. Holiday Inn
30. Paul McCartney
31. Arendelle
32. Jingle Bells
33. Clockwise
34. A coin
35. Clootie Dumplings
36. An orange/tangerine
37. 3pm
38. White
39. Green
40. January 5th
41. 1789-1797
42. 1801-1809
43. 1861-1865
44. 1901-1909
45. 1913-1921
46. 1929-1933
47. 1945-1953
48. 1961-1963
49. horn
50. violin
51. cello
52. trumpet
53. clarinet
54. harpsichord
55. Moby Dick
56. Silas Marner
57. Pilgrim’s Progress
58. Vicar of Wakefield
59. Water Babies
60. Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea
61. Eastcheap
62. Inverness
63. Athens
Image Credits: Rye News library .
Are you sure about eleven lords a leaping?
There are quite a few variations for the gifts sent on the various days in song. There is a version that is eleven lords a leaping.
Thus may not be the safest question to set for a quiz in hindsight.
The first five days though seem to be consistent in the named gifts.