Customs & World Traditions
40 questions · Answers revealed below each question · Print this set
1.On which night does Papai Noel traditionally deliver presents in Brazil?
- A. Christmas Eve night
- B. Three Kings Night
- C. New Year's Eve
- D. St. Nicholas Eve
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Christmas Eve night
Did you know? Brazilian children receive gifts on the night of December 24.
2.How many doors does a standard Advent calendar have?
- A. 30
- B. 25
- C. 12
- D. 24
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24
Did you know? Advent calendars open one door per day from December 1 to the 24th.
3.In which Swedish city is the famous straw goat torched by pranksters nearly every year?
- A. Lund
- B. Malmö
- C. Gävle
- D. Uppsala
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Gävle
Did you know? The Gävle goat's fate is a worldwide December watch.
4.Three Kings Day, honoring the Magi's visit, falls on which date?
- A. January 6
- B. December 28
- C. December 13
- D. January 1
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January 6
Did you know? Three Kings Day (Epiphany) falls on January 6.
5.The USPS Operation Santa address "123 Elf Road, North Pole 88888" collects letters in which country?
- A. The United States
- B. Australia
- C. Canada
- D. The United Kingdom
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The United States
Did you know? USPS Operation Santa answers American children's letters each year.
6.Christmas Island, famous for its crab migration, belongs to which country?
- A. Indonesia
- B. New Zealand
- C. Australia
- D. United Kingdom
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Australia
Did you know? Christmas Island is an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean.
7.What do Brazilians call the traditional Christmas Eve supper?
- A. Jantar de Reis
- B. Ceia de Natal
- C. Café natalino
- D. Almoço de Natal
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Ceia de Natal
Did you know? The Ceia de Natal is the Christmas Eve meal shared after midnight.
8.In which century did Advent calendars first appear?
- A. The 16th century
- B. The 18th century
- C. The 20th century
- D. The 19th century
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The 19th century
Did you know? Handmade Advent calendars appeared in 19th-century Germany.
9.Which fish is the centerpiece of Czech Christmas dinner?
- A. Trout
- B. Carp
- C. Salmon
- D. Herring
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Carp
Did you know? Fried carp with potato salad is Czech Christmas tradition.
10.Christmas Day falls on which date?
- A. December 24
- B. December 25
- C. January 6
- D. December 26
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December 25
Did you know? Christmas is celebrated on December 25 by most Western churches.
11.Which postal code does Canada Post reserve for letters to Santa?
- A. M5V 2T6
- B. X0X 0X0
- C. H0H 0H0
- D. K1A 0B1
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H0H 0H0
Did you know? Canada Post answers Santa mail at the iconic H0H 0H0.
12.Which crab species floods Christmas Island's roads every November?
- A. Blue land crabs
- B. Coconut crabs
- C. King crabs
- D. Red crabs
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Red crabs
Did you know? Millions of red crabs migrate to the sea each November.
13.The "Missa do Galo" is celebrated at which hour?
- A. Noon on Christmas Day
- B. Dawn on Christmas Day
- C. Sunset on Christmas Eve
- D. Midnight on Christmas Eve
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Midnight on Christmas Eve
Did you know? Missa do Galo, the Rooster's Mass, rings in Christmas at midnight.
14.Which dish anchors the Portuguese Christmas Eve table?
- A. Cataplana de marisco
- B. Bacalhau
- C. Francesinha
- D. Bifana
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Bacalhau
Did you know? Boiled cod with olive oil rules the Portuguese Consoada.
15.In which month do Filipinos start celebrating the "ber months" Christmas season?
- A. October
- B. August
- C. November
- D. September
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September
Did you know? The Philippines starts the world's longest Christmas season in September.
16.Which Brazilian city floats one of the world's largest Christmas trees on its lagoon?
- A. Manaus
- B. São Paulo
- C. Lisbon
- D. Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro
Did you know? Rio's Lagoa Christmas tree is among the largest floating trees in the world.
17.British Christmas theatre features which tradition of booed villains and puns?
- A. Music hall
- B. Mystery plays
- C. Pantomime
- D. Morris dancing
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Pantomime
Did you know? Pantomime villains live for the audience's boos.
18.Polish families begin Wigilia when which night-sky sight appears?
- A. The Big Dipper
- B. The first star
- C. The full moon
- D. A shooting star
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The first star
Did you know? Supper waits for the first star of Christmas Eve.
19.Which nine-night procession recreates Mary and Joseph's search for lodging?
- A. Simbang Gabi
- B. Las Posadas
- C. La Gritería
- D. Misa de Gallo
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Las Posadas
Did you know? Las Posadas run from December 16 to 24 in Mexico.
20.Which famous lottery is drawn every December 22 in Spain?
- A. EuroMillions
- B. La Bonoloto
- C. El Gordo
- D. La Primitiva
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El Gordo
Did you know? Spain's "Fat One" lottery sings schoolchildren's numbers.
21.Which fast-food chain anchors Japanese Christmas Eve dinners?
- A. Subway
- B. Domino's
- C. KFC
- D. McDonald's
Show answer
KFC
Did you know? KFC's "Kentucky for Christmas" campaign made it a Japanese ritual.
22.What do Icelandic families traditionally exchange on Christmas Eve?
- A. Candles
- B. Books
- C. Oranges
- D. Wool socks
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Books
Did you know? The "Christmas Book Flood" pairs gifts with hot cocoa.
23.Provence's Christmas supper ends with how many desserts?
- A. Twelve
- B. Seven
- C. Nine
- D. Thirteen
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Thirteen
Did you know? The 13 desserts of Provence symbolize Christ and the apostles.
24.From which city is Christmas midnight mass broadcast worldwide each year?
- A. Rome
- B. Jerusalem
- C. Nazareth
- D. Bethlehem
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Bethlehem
Did you know? Bethlehem's Manger Square hosts the televised midnight mass.
25.How many dishes does the traditional Polish Wigilia supper serve?
- A. Seven
- B. Thirteen
- C. Nine
- D. Twelve
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Twelve
Did you know? Twelve Wigilia dishes honor the twelve months.
26.What is the Brazilian Secret Santa gift game called?
- A. Carta ao amigo
- B. Roda de presentes
- C. Amigo secreto
- D. Santo amigo
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Amigo secreto
Did you know? The amigo secreto reveals surprises at Christmas parties.
27.Which horned companion scares naughty children in Alpine Austria?
- A. Belsnickel
- B. Knecht Ruprecht
- C. Zwarte Piet
- D. Krampus
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Krampus
Did you know? Krampus parades stalk the Alps each early December.
28.What do many Australians serve for Christmas lunch in midsummer heat?
- A. Seafood and barbecue
- B. Soup and stew
- C. Hot chocolate
- D. Roast turkey only
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Seafood and barbecue
Did you know? Shrimp on the barbie is an Australian Christmas staple.
29.Which saint's day do Swedes celebrate with candle-crowned processions on December 13?
- A. St. Nicholas
- B. St. Lucia
- C. St. Barbara
- D. St. Agnes
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St. Lucia
Did you know? Lucia processions bring light on Sweden's darkest days.
30.Which US islands celebrate with "Mele Kalikimaka"?
- A. Hawaii
- B. Florida
- C. Alaska
- D. Puerto Rico
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Hawaii
Did you know? "Mele Kalikimaka" is Hawaii's Christmas greeting.
31.What do German children place outside on the eve of December 5?
- A. Their lunchboxes
- B. Their boots
- C. Their stockings
- D. Their pillows
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Their boots
Did you know? Nikolaus fills the boots of German children overnight.
32.The Christmas truce of 1914, with football in no-man's-land, happened during which war?
- A. World War I
- B. World War II
- C. The Franco-Prussian War
- D. The Crimean War
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World War I
Did you know? British and German troops paused for Christmas in 1914.
33.Which warm Swedish drink glows at Christmas markets?
- A. Akvavit
- B. Glögg
- C. Punsch
- D. Julmust
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Glögg
Did you know? Glögg, spiced mulled wine, steams in every Swedish market.
34.The star-shaped "parol" lantern belongs to which country's Christmas?
- A. Indonesia
- B. Thailand
- C. Vietnam
- D. The Philippines
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The Philippines
Did you know? Filipino homes hang star-shaped parol lanterns.
35.In which century did Puritan England ban Christmas?
- A. The 19th century
- B. The 18th century
- C. The 16th century
- D. The 17th century
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The 17th century
Did you know? Parliament outlawed Christmas festivities in 1647.
36.Which table favour, popping with a snap, was invented by Tom Smith in the 1840s?
- A. Bonbon boxes
- B. Party poppers
- C. Christmas crackers
- D. Snapdragons
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Christmas crackers
Did you know? Tom Smith's crackers wrap paper crowns and jokes.
37.Which church celebrates Christmas on January 7, by the Julian calendar?
- A. The Roman Catholic Church
- B. The Russian Orthodox Church
- C. The Lutheran Church
- D. The Anglican Church
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The Russian Orthodox Church
Did you know? Russian Orthodox Christmas falls on January 7.
38.Which Brazilian June festival marks midwinter with bonfires and canjica?
- A. Festa Junina
- B. Carnaval
- C. Festa do Divino
- D. Círio de Nazaré
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Festa Junina
Did you know? Festa Junina brings quentão, canjica and quadrilha in June.
39.How many Yule Lads visit Icelandic children before Christmas?
- A. Nine
- B. Thirteen
- C. Twelve
- D. Sixteen
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Thirteen
Did you know? Thirteen Yule Lads arrive one by one in December.
40.Which Roman festival, with gifts and role reversals, prefigured Christmas merriment?
- A. Compitalia
- B. Lupercalia
- C. Saturnalia
- D. Bacchanalia
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Saturnalia
Did you know? Saturnalia flipped masters and slaves each December.
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