Article: Fun Christmas Quiz

[Sara Noel]

Take a moment for some fun. Lighten the season and delight your eZine readers with a little mental tickler. Set it up as a poll – we all love polls. To create a poll free, go here: http://www.bravenet.com .

1. What country did the poinsettia originally come from?

A. Mexico
B. Europe
C. Ecuador
ANSWERS: A. Mexico. Dr. Joel Poinsett, the first ambassador to Mexico, brought it to the U. S. in 1828.

2. What instrument was "Silent Night" originally played on?

A. Harpsichord

B. Organ
C. Guitar

ANSWERS: C. Guitar. Some say it was because the organ was broken and other stories, but it's entirely likely it was composed for the guitar.

3. Why do we kiss under the mistletoe?

A. Because of an ancient Greek myth
B. Because it was the symbol of the goddess of love in Norse legend
C. The custom originated in Russia in the 12th century

ANSWERS: Why not? No, really, B. Mistletoe was the symbol of the goddess of love in Norse legend.

4. How did the tradition of a Christmas tree get started, and where?

A. A child in Lithuania asked his father to bring a tree inside to keep it warm
B. Germany in the 7th century
C. Romans began the custom

ANSWERS: B. In Germany, in the 7th century. Before Christianity, people brought evergreen trees into their house and decorated them for a winter festival. (There have long been celebrations at the Winter Solstice.)

5. What's up with the Yule log?

A. It was a classic dessert loved and popularized by King Louise XV of France
B. A European tradition for household protection during the coming year
C. Originated with the Aztecs who considered oak wood sacred

ANSWERS: A. European tradition. If the Yule log was burned right, it would protect the household during the coming year. The rules were: it had to be found or be a gift (never bought), it had to light the first time, the lighter had to have clean hands, and it had to burn for 12 hours.

6. What place is the world's largest exporter of Christmas trees?

A. Christmas Tree Island, Alaska
B. Nova Scotia, Canada
C. Northern California

ANSWERS: B. Nova Scotia, Canada

7. How did fruitcake come about?

A. Who cares
B. Hawaiians made a similar dessert using macadamia nuts
C. In the olden days, only preserved fruits were available in the wintertime

ANSWERS: C. Because originally people had to make something sweet from what was available in the winter time, which meant preserved fruits.

8. What's a manger?

A. A feeding trough for livestock
B. A storage place for livestock feed in the winter
C. A bed for infants

ANSWERS: A. A feeding trough for livestock.

9. In 1947, Gene Autry recorded "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and the rest is history. Who wrote this song, and why?

A. Gene Autry wrote it for his children and someone suggested he record it
B. Clinton Mills, an engineer, wrote it for a YMCA youth pageant
C. Robert May, an ad writer, wrote it for a Montgomery Ward store giveaway

ANSWERS: C. Incredibly, an ad writer, Robert May, wrote the lyrics for a Montgomery Ward store giveaway in 1939.

10. "The Night Before Christmas" was written by Clement Moore. How did he get it published?

A. He didn't. In fact he was ashamed of it and never admitted to having written it.
B. He submitted it for his feature column in the New York Herald Tribune and the rest is history
C. It was part of a collection of Christmas poems he wrote for his children

ANSWERS: A. He didn't. He was a religious scholar and embarrassed about the poem. In fact he never admitted to having written it! It made it into print when a friend sent it to a newspaper in 1822.

11. What does the word “mistletoe” mean?

A. Dung-on-a-twig
B. “Mistle” is the old word for “missile.” Ancient druids used to kick it with their toes, and the person it landed on would have good luck for a year.
C. It means “lightning” because the original myth was that it – being semi-parasitic – “arrived” on trees during electric storms, transported by lightning.

ANSWERS: A. It is true. “Mistle” is the Celtic word for “dung,” and “toe” is the word for “twig.” However, don’t let this stop you from kissing under it. (At one time it was believe it arrived on trees transported by lightning, BTW, but that’s not what the word means.)

Written by: SUSAN DUNN
http://www.susandunn.cc/

[KKCondrey]

If you hadn't posted the answers I would have done horrible.