Go Fly a Kite! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Kites

The three-day Hamamatsu festival features oversize kites aloft over the sand dunes, as well as a parade in downtown Hamamatsu with beautifully decorated floats. The kites, which can measure over 10' x 10', are flown by teams representing different neighborhoods or districts. Scheduled kite fights occur, where teams attempt to destroy the others' kites by cutting the string with their string, by friction,

Answer: Vivid Sydney

Vivid Sydney runs for three weeks starting in May, and is a showcase for artists working in light. The famous opera house is illuminated, as well as other buildings around the city. The festival has been attracting over half a million visitors.

Answer: Constitution Day or National Day

Norway's Constitution Day or National Day commemorates the date in 1814 that Norway adopted its constitution. The first celebration was held in 1836 and children's parades became part of the festivities in 1870. Now it has grown to a national holiday celebrated throughout the country.

Answer: Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling

The annual cheese rolling, held on the UK bank holiday in late May, has been put on by local volunteers in recent years, without an official organizer. There are several different stories about the origin of the tradition, some saying it goes back centuries.

A cheese is started rolling down the slope, which reaches 45 degrees in places, and racers chase after it, running, tumbling and sliding down the hill. The first to reach the bottom wins the honor of first place and a Double Gloucestershire cheese.

There are also safer children's races up the hill.

Answer: Memorial Day at Arlington Cemetery, near Washington, D.C.

Memorial Day is celebrated nationwide in the U.S. as the first holiday of summer, but also for its original reason, to honor fallen soldiers. There are numerous local commemorations and parades throughout the country, but Arlington National Military Cemetery attracts thousands of visitors for its ceremonies remembering those who gave their lives for their country.

Answer: Lei Day

While many countries celebrate May Day on May first, Hawaiians have declared "May Day is Lei Day," a slogan suggested by writer Grace Tower Warren in the 1920s. The first celebration was held in 1927 and by 1929 it was officially recognized. There are performances, parades, and kings and queens chosen throughout the islands. Though designed to focus on native Hawaiian culture, the festivities are a blend of native and foreign culture, with mainland American and European influences.

Answer: World's Largest Brat Fest in Madison, Wisconsin

The annual brat festival, held on Memorial Day Weekend, has been held in Madison, Wisconsin ever since a local couple fried up brats as a customer-appreciation event in front of their store in 1983. Over the years it has grown to a huge festival centered around an odd, but delicious, locally produced item. Though Wisconsin is known as the dairy state, it also is home to several brat manufacturing companies.

Answer: Queen Victoria's birthday

On the last Monday before May 25, Canada celebrates Victoria Day in honor of the birthday of Queen Victoria. It's the only holiday still honoring the 19th century queen in any country today, and its roots go back to 1845 when parliament first recognized it. By 1854, 5,000 people of Canada West gathered to celebrate in front of government house.

When the queen died in 1901, the holiday continued as a way to remember her. Today, it continues not only as a patriotic celebration but the unofficial start of summer.

The Ancient and Honorable Hyack Anvil Battery has probably the most unusual way of firing a salute, a tradition it has followed since the 1880s.

Answer: Cannes International Film Festival

Festival de Cannes, as it's called in French, is held each May in Cannes, France, and is open by invitation to those in the film industry. The festival is a showcase for the best films each year. Many prizes are awarded, though the highest is the Palme d'Or or Golden Palm.

Answer: Cinco de Mayo

Los Angeles holds a Cinco de Mayo celebration attracting half a million people, but it's generally held at the end of April, not May. The Colorado festival has been held since 1988. There are Cinco de Mayo celebrations all over the U.S., though in Mexico, the holiday is mainly celebrated around Pueblo, where the Mexican army defeated the French in the Battle of Pueblo in 1862. General Porfirio Diaz distinguished himself at the battle, rose through the ranks and eventually served as Mexico's president from 1876 to 1911.

But Independence Day, September 16, is a bigger holiday in Mexico.