Christmas quiz for colleagues: 25 questions and answers

Round 1: Christmas around the world

1. In which country do many people eat KFC fried chicken for Christmas?

   1. Australia
   2. Japan
   3. South Korea
   4. Brazil
   Answer

   Japan. Since a KFC advertising campaign in 1974, a KFC Christmas meal has been a tradition in Japan. Many people order weeks in advance. Source: BBC

2. Which country does the tradition of a decorated Christmas tree in the home come from?

   1. Germany
   2. England
   3. United States
   4. Italy
   Answer

   Germany. In the 16th century, German families brought decorated trees into their homes. Through Queen Victoria and Prince Albert the Christmas tree became popular in England in the 19th century, and then around the world. Source: Britannica

3. Which city gives London the big Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square every year?

   1. Stockholm
   2. Copenhagen
   3. Helsinki
   4. Oslo
   Answer

   Oslo. Oslo has given the tree since 1947, as thanks for Britain's support for Norway during the Second World War. Source: City of Oslo

4. In Iceland, 13 Yule Lads come to visit in the run-up to Christmas, one each night.

   True or false?

   Answer

   True: there are thirteen, the number set by Jóhannes úr Kötlum's popular 1932 poem. The first arrives on 12 December and another comes every night until Christmas Eve. Children put a shoe in the window and find a small gift in it; naughty children get a potato. Source: Visit Iceland

5. In which season does Christmas fall in Australia?

   1. Spring
   2. Summer
   3. Winter
   4. Autumn
   Answer

   Summer. Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere, where summer starts on 1 December. Many Australians celebrate Christmas with a barbecue or on the beach. Source: Bureau of Meteorology

Round 2: Films and music

6. In the film Home Alone (1990), which city does Kevin's family fly to?

   1. Paris
   2. New York
   3. London
   4. Rome
   Answer

   Paris. The family flies to Paris and leaves Kevin at home. In the 1992 sequel, Kevin ends up in New York by mistake. Source: Britannica

7. Who sang 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' in 1994?

   1. Whitney Houston
   2. Celine Dion
   3. Madonna
   4. Mariah Carey
   Answer

   Mariah Carey. Mariah Carey wrote the song with Walter Afanasieff. It returns to the charts almost every Christmas. Source: Billboard

8. Which band released 'Last Christmas' in 1984?

   1. Spandau Ballet
   2. Culture Club
   3. Wham!
   4. Duran Duran
   Answer

   Wham!. George Michael wrote the song and played every instrument himself. Wham! was George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. Source: The Guardian

9. In which year was Bing Crosby's 'White Christmas' first released?

   Estimate: the closest answer wins.

   Answer

   1942. In 1942, for the film Holiday Inn. According to Guinness World Records it is the best-selling single of all time. Source: Guinness World Records

10. In 1965, astronauts played 'Jingle Bells' in space on a harmonica.

    True or false?

    Answer

    True: the Gemini 6 crew played it on 16 December 1965 on a harmonica and bells. The instruments are now in the Smithsonian. Source: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Round 3: Food and drink

11. Which country does the Christmas bread panettone come from?

    1. Austria
    2. Spain
    3. Portugal
    4. Italy
    Answer

    Italy. Panettone comes from Milan. The light bread with raisins and candied fruit is now a Christmas classic in many countries. Source: Britannica

12. Which country does the bûche de Noël, the Christmas cake shaped like a log, come from?

    1. Germany
    2. Spain
    3. France
    4. Italy
    Answer

    France. The cake recalls the old custom of burning a large log in the fireplace at Christmas. French pastry chefs turned it into a cake in the 19th century. Source: National Geographic

13. Mince pies used to contain real meat.

    True or false?

    Answer

    True: they used to be filled with minced meat, fruit and spices. Today the filling is usually dried fruit and spices. Source: English Heritage

14. What flavour is a classic red-and-white candy cane?

    1. Peppermint
    2. Cinnamon
    3. Strawberry
    4. Aniseed
    Answer

    Peppermint. The classic red-and-white candy cane tastes of peppermint. In the United States many people hang them on the Christmas tree. Source: National Geographic

15. What do people in Britain traditionally pull open together at the Christmas dinner table?

    1. A stocking
    2. A bauble
    3. A paper chain
    4. A Christmas cracker
    Answer

    A Christmas cracker. A Christmas cracker is a cardboard tube wrapped in paper that tears open with a bang. Inside are a paper crown, a joke and a small gift. London confectioner Tom Smith invented it; according to the V&A he made his first cracker in 1847. Source: Victoria and Albert Museum

Round 4: History and traditions

16. Where does the X in 'Xmas' come from?

    1. A cross on old Christmas cards
    2. Text message shorthand
    3. The Greek letter chi, for Christ
    4. The Roman numeral ten
    Answer

    The Greek letter chi, for Christ. The X is the Greek letter chi, the first letter of Christos, Greek for Christ. So Xmas is not a modern shortcut: the form is centuries old. Source: Merriam-Webster

17. Which artist painted Santa Claus for Coca-Cola's advertising from 1931?

    1. Thomas Nast
    2. Haddon Sundblom
    3. Norman Rockwell
    4. Andy Warhol
    Answer

    Haddon Sundblom. Haddon Sundblom painted Santa for Coca-Cola until 1964. His cheerful, round Santa still shapes how many people picture him. The idea that Coca-Cola invented the red coat is a myth: it existed before. Source: The Coca-Cola Company

18. For which American store chain was Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer created in 1939?

    1. Montgomery Ward
    2. Macy's
    3. Sears
    4. Walmart
    Answer

    Montgomery Ward. Robert L. May wrote the story as a free booklet for Montgomery Ward customers. The song followed ten years later, in 1949, sung by Gene Autry. Source: Library of Congress

19. The carol 'Silent Night' was first sung in Germany in 1818.

    True or false?

    Answer

    False: it was first sung on Christmas Eve 1818 in Oberndorf near Salzburg, in Austria. Joseph Mohr wrote the words and Franz Xaver Gruber the music. Source: Stille Nacht Gesellschaft

20. In which year was the first Christmas card sold?

    Estimate: the closest answer wins.

    Answer

    1843. In 1843 Henry Cole had 1,000 Christmas cards printed in London. The card shows a family raising a toast at the table. Source: Victoria and Albert Museum

Round 5: Reindeer and records

21. Which reindeer does not appear in the 1823 poem 'A Visit from St. Nicholas'?

    1. Vixen
    2. Rudolph
    3. Comet
    4. Cupid
    Answer

    Rudolph. The poem names eight reindeer, including Dasher, Dancer, Comet, Cupid and Vixen. Rudolph only arrived in 1939, in the Montgomery Ward booklet. Source: Poetry Foundation

22. Only male reindeer grow antlers.

    True or false?

    Answer

    False: both male and female reindeer grow antlers. They are the only deer species where this is the case. Source: Britannica

23. On which date does astronomical winter begin in the Northern Hemisphere in 2026?

    1. 1 December
    2. 25 December
    3. 6 January
    4. 21 December
    Answer

    21 December. 21 December 2026 is the winter solstice: the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. After that, the days get longer again. Source: timeanddate.com

24. How many gifts does the singer receive in total in 'The Twelve Days of Christmas', counting every repeat?

    Estimate: the closest answer wins.

    Answer

    364 gifts. Day one brings 1 gift, day two 1 + 2, and so on up to day twelve. Added up, that makes 364 gifts: almost one for every day of the year. Source: Wikipedia

25. How tall was the tallest cut Christmas tree ever, in metres?

    Estimate: the closest answer wins.

    Answer

    65 metres. 64.6 metres (212 feet): a Douglas fir at Northgate Shopping Center in Seattle, in December 1950, according to Guinness World Records. Source: Guinness World Records

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Tips for the quizmaster

• With 25 questions, plan for about 45 minutes to an hour. For a shorter quiz, leave out a round.
• Mix the teams so that colleagues from different departments play together.
• Read out the explanation after each question. Those facts are what people talk about afterwards.

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