Q 01/05

Which two of Santa's reindeer had different names when 'The Night Before Christmas' was first printed in 1823?

A) Dasher and Dancer

B) Comet and Cupid

C) Donner and Blitzen

D) Prancer and Vixen

Answer · why

C) Donner and Blitzen

Donner and Blitzen were 'Dunder and Blixem', from a Dutch oath meaning thunder and lightning, in the 1823 printing; an 1844 edition made them 'Donder ...

Q 02/05

Lovers are expected to kiss beneath which festive plant?

A) Holly

B) Mistletoe

C) Ivy

D) Poinsettia

Answer · why

B) Mistletoe

Mistletoe once rationed the kisses: in one old version of the custom a berry was plucked from the sprig for each kiss, and when the berries ran out th...

Q 03/05

Which large bird is a common centerpiece for many traditional holiday feasts in various Western cultures?

A) Duck

B) Turkey

C) Pheasant

D) Quail

Answer · why

B) Turkey

Turkey reached English Christmas tables in the 16th century, though goose remained the predominant roast until the Victorian era, and Scrooge famously...

Q 04/05

Who is the miserly protagonist of Charles Dickens' classic 1843 holiday novella?

A) Ebenezer Scrooge

B) Jacob Marley

C) Tiny Tim

D) Bob Cratchit

Answer · why

A) Ebenezer Scrooge

Ebenezer Scrooge is the central character in Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," who undergoes a significant transformation after being visited by s...

Q 05/05

Hanukkah marks the rededication of Jerusalem's Temple after a revolt led by which band of Jewish fighters?

A) The Zealots

B) The Maccabees

C) The Essenes

D) The Sadducees

Answer · why

B) The Maccabees

The Maccabees took their name from their leader Judah, nicknamed Maccabee, often read as 'the Hammer'; after years of guerrilla war they drove the Sel...