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Guild Christmas Chestnuts Trivia Quiz

Put aside that shopping, curl up with a nice mug of cider and take the Quizmaker's Guild Holiday quiz. Here you'll find a Christmas sampling of the little known and unexpected.

A multiple-choice quiz by uglybird. Estimated time: 7 mins.

Author
uglybird

Time
7 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
278,975

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
1150

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. In the rather obscure carol 'Three Kings from Persian Lands Afar', to where are we told the wise men followed the pointing star? Hint

Jerusalem

Jordan

Bethlehem

Nazareth

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Question 2 of 10

2. The giant Christmas tree that stands on Boston Common each year is a gift to the Massachusetts city from which other North American community? Hint

Chicago, Illinois

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Toronto, Ontario

Dallas, Texas

3. The Christmas memory flood tends to include both happy and sad memories. Increased suicides are expected for the holiday season. According to an National Public Radio reported study on suicides during the holidays, how does the rate in the United States actually compare to the rest of the year?
Hint

There is actually no change in the suicide rate during the holidays.

The suicide rate is up 50% during the holidays.

There are less suicides during the holiday season.

The suicide rate doubles during the holidays.

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Question 4 of 10

4. If you were given some frumenty at a Medieval Christmas party, what would you do with it? Hint

Decorate your home with it

Burn it

Eat it

Apply it behind your ears

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Question 5 of 10

5. You've decided to reduce the ecological footprint of your Christmas celebration. According to the Boston Globe, which of the following accounts for 50% of the increased carbon emissions in the Christmas season? Hint

Battery use

Food and travel

Christmas trees

Holiday sporting events

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Question 6 of 10

6. In the Philippines, there is a Christmas tradition known as Simbang Gabi. What does it consist of? Hint

Exchanging of gifts between cities and towns

Nine days of masses held at dawn

Pageants depicting the Christ Child's birth, featuring flamboyant costumes and masks

Fasting for 48 hours prior to midnight on Christmas Day

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Question 7 of 10

7. Part of the Christmas tradition for many people is shortbread. Why is it called "short"? Hint

Because there is no leavening used, it does not rise, and is therefore "short"

Because of the proportion of fat to flour, you can make it when you are "short" of flour

It was originally only meant for children ("short" people)

It does not contain long gluten strands

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Question 8 of 10

8. Imagine that Santa must make deliveries of presents on Christmas night to Santa believers around the world. Since Santa must go city to city and across oceans one can assume that there is an average 3/4 mile distance between homes. According to NPR's 2007 analysis of this scenario, which of the following would be expected? Hint

Deliveries would need to be made to an estimated 108 million people.

The speed Santa would need to reach to complete this task would vaporize his reindeer.

All of these

If each child received only 2 pounds of presents, the sleigh would weight over 300,000 tons.

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Question 9 of 10

9. Hogswatch is author Terry Pratchett's 'Discworld' equivalent of Christmas. On Hogswatchnight, what is traditionally left out by children for the Hogfather's sleigh pullers? Hint

Turnip

Mince Pie

Carrot

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Question 10 of 10

10. In Agatha Christie's 'Hercule Poirot's Christmas', what epigram from 'Macbeth' is quoted on the murder of Simeon Lee? Hint

What bloody man is that?

Thou canst not say I did it; never shake Thy gory locks at me.

There's daggers in men's smiles.

Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In the rather obscure carol 'Three Kings from Persian Lands Afar', to where are we told the wise men followed the pointing star?

Answer: Jordan

This beautiful carol (words and music by Peter Cornelius (1824-1874)) is not well known (in the UK at least), but is very lovely. Cornelius was a pupil of Lizst.

2. The giant Christmas tree that stands on Boston Common each year is a gift to the Massachusetts city from which other North American community?

Answer: Halifax, Nova Scotia

Since 1971, the city of Halifax has chosen a Christmas tree between 45 and 50 feet in height to donate to the people of Boston. The tree must be healthy, uniform in shape and is either a balsam fir or red or white spruce.

The gift commemorates the aid given by Boston, in particular its medical community, to Halifax in the wake of the devastating explosion in Halifax Harbour in December 1917, when a munitions ship collided with another ship in the harbour. Within a day, a train load of doctors, nurses and medical supplies had arrived from Boston to help the hard-pressed local medical staff.

Answer: There are less suicides during the holiday season.

A surprising 2007 study (a meta-analysis of previously reported results), concluded that the suicide rate drops substantially during the holidays. An NPR's newscaster speculated that Jimmy Stewart's suicide in the oft viewed film "It's a Wonderful Life" may be partly responsible for the development of a holiday suicide myth.

4. If you were given some frumenty at a Medieval Christmas party, what would you do with it?

Answer: Eat it

Frumenty was a spiced porridge, enjoyed by both rich and poor. It was a forerunner of modern Christmas puddings. It is linked in legend to the Celtic god Dagda, who stirred a porridge made up of all the good things of the earth.

Answer: Food and travel

According to the Boston Globe, in order to reduce our carbon footprint be should carefully consider the places we go and the things we eat since holiday travel along with holiday food production, preparation and consumption account for at least half of the holiday season's carbon foot print.

The article suggests a visit to "conservation.org" in order to learn ways to lessen and offset our holiday environmental impact.

6. In the Philippines, there is a Christmas tradition known as Simbang Gabi. What does it consist of?

Answer: Nine days of masses held at dawn

Christmas Day is ushered in by these dawn masses, beginning December 16. In traditional Spanish they are termed Misa de Gallo (Rooster's Mass), but they are popularly known in Filipino as Simbang Gabi, which means "Night Mass".

7. Part of the Christmas tradition for many people is shortbread. Why is it called "short"?

Answer: It does not contain long gluten strands

Pastry made with shortening does not develop the long gluten chains that occur in other wheat flour products. "Short" is the term we use for a pastry made with a high proportion of semisolid fat (butter, lard, shortening) to flour. Here's a recipe for a nice brown sugar shortbread, if you'd like to try something a little different this year.

1 cup brown sugar
1 pound butter
4 cup flour less 2 tablespoons (replace with cornstarch/cornflour)
Mix all together, roll out and cut. Bake at 275 F for 45 minutes.

Answer: All of these

The Stanford professor who made these estimates and calculations is particularly concerned with Santa's carbon foot print. He speculates that Al Gore would be terribly distressed.

9. Hogswatch is author Terry Pratchett's 'Discworld' equivalent of Christmas. On Hogswatchnight, what is traditionally left out by children for the Hogfather's sleigh pullers?

Answer: Turnip

The Hogfather's sledge is drawn by four wild boars named Gouger, Rooter, Tusker and Snouter so turnip is a sensible choice. We always left a carrot out for the reindeer. Mince pie and cookies are traditionally left for Santa.

10. In Agatha Christie's 'Hercule Poirot's Christmas', what epigram from 'Macbeth' is quoted on the murder of Simeon Lee?

Answer: Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?

An excellent book, where old sins reach out to be a man's nemesis. All the wrong answers are also quotes from 'Macbeth'. Quizmaker's Guild members Quiz_Beagle, Agony, austinnene, spanishliz, and uglybird contributed questions for this quiz.

Source: Author uglybird

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor trident before going online.
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