Christmas Trivia Quiz II Questions 11-20 Quiz Question #11 As early as 1822, the postmaster in Washington, D.C. was worried by the amount of extra mail at Christmas time. His preferred solution to the problem was to: A) Recruit volunteer postmen for the Christmas season B) Raise the price of postage to reduce the number of cards sent C) Request that people put holiday greetings in the newspaper instead D) Limit by law the number of cards a person could send Quiz Question #12 George Frederick Handel's great Christmas oratorio, The Messiah, was first performed in 1742, in: A) London B) Dublin C) Vienna D) Jerusalem Quiz Question #13 For the winter solstice, Druids in ancient Britain would gather a forest plant that we now associate with Christmas. It was: A) Holly B) Ivy C) Mistletoe D) Poinsettia Quiz Question #14 In Victorian England, turkeys were popular for Christmas dinners. Some of the birds were raised in Norfolk, and taken to market in London. To get them to London, the turkeys: A) Were herded by sheep dogs B) Flew C) Rode in huge wagons called "turkey-vans" D) Were supplied with boots made of sacking or leather Quiz Question #15 America's official national Christmas tree is: A) Displayed at the Rockefeller Center in New York B) Brought from Canada and erected in Washington each year C) Located in King's Canyon National Park in California D) A Scotch pine Quiz Question #16 The Philadelphia Mummers parade is a Christmas tradition of long standing. Many members of Mummers clubs call themselves "two-streeters". This is because: A) The parade route covers the whole of two main streets B) Two popular Mummers songs are "Easy Street" and "Lonely Street" C) The original Mummers clubs were mostly located on Second Street D) The din of the parade can easily be heard two streets away Quiz Question #17 The first commercial Christmas card is generally agreed to have been the one illustrated above. The card had a hostile reception from some people because: A) It depicted a family, children as well as adults, drinking wine B) A mass-produced card was felt to be contrary to the Christmas spirit C) The ivy leaves surrounding the design were originally a pagan symbol D) It was feared that overuse of Christmas cards would lead to a paper shortage Quiz Question #18 The Irish custom of "feeding the wren" on December 26 consists of: A) Taking one's in-laws out to dinner B) Carrying a wren door to door, to collect money for charity C) Leaving a basket of cakes at the door for passers-by D) Putting out suet and seeds for the wild birds Quiz Question #19 A modern Christmas custom borrowed from ancient Rome's New Year's celebrations is: A) Putting up mistletoe to make a "kissing bough" B) Decorating a tree C) Displaying a wreath on the front door of one's house D) Hanging stockings by the fireplace Quiz Question #20 St. Nicholas is a very hard-working saint, being the patron saint of (to name only a few) children, merchants, apothecaries, pawnbrokers, scholars and: A) Teachers B) Librarians C) Mariners D) Music Questions 21-30   Main Quiz Page