Christmas Around the World Trivia

C The Three Kings. Los Reyes Magos arrive the night of January 5, and kids leave out shoes for them to fill.

B A lit candle. It's a welcome for Mary and Joseph, or any traveler looking for shelter. The youngest in the family often lights it.

A Christmas crackers. London candy maker Tom Smith came up with them in the 1840s, inspired by French bonbons wrapped in twisted paper.

C A star. It stands for the star of Bethlehem. The city of San Fernando in Pampanga holds a Giant Lantern Festival with parols about 20 feet across.

A A piñata. The classic Christmas piñata is a star with seven points, often said to stand for the seven deadly sins. Whacking it means beating temptation, and the candy is the reward.

C Feliz Natal. Brazilians speak Portuguese, so it's Natal, not Navidad. Christmas there falls in summer.

D New Year's Eve. One grape goes down with each chime of the clock. Finishing all twelve in time is supposed to bring a lucky year.

A A pantomime. Pantomimes are loose takes on fairy tales like Cinderella or Aladdin, and most run from December into January.

D New Year's Eve. Edinburgh throws one of the biggest Hogmanay parties anywhere, and many Scots go first-footing, visiting friends just after midnight.

A Las Posadas. Posada means inn or lodging. From December 16 to 24, people reenact Mary and Joseph's search for a place to stay, singing at doors until they're let in.

A December 5. It's called pakjesavond, "presents evening," the night before St. Nicholas's feast day on December 6.

D Norway. Oslo has sent one every year since 1947 to thank Britain for its support during World War II.

A Nine dawn masses before Christmas. They run from December 16 to 24. Tradition says if you make it to all nine, you get a wish.

D The first star appears in the sky. Kids watch the sky for it. Many families also set an extra place at the table for an unexpected guest.

D Their churches follow the older Julian calendar. December 25 on the Julian calendar currently lands on January 7 on ours. Ukraine officially moved its holiday to December 25 in 2023.

B Field hockey. It's played with curved sticks and a wooden ball. Legend says shepherds were playing it the night Jesus was born.

B The Burning of the Devil. La Quema del Diablo is meant to clear out the year's bad luck before Christmas. Many towns now burn devil piñatas instead of trash to cut down on smoke.

B Their brooms. The old belief was that witches and evil spirits came out on Christmas Eve looking for brooms to ride.

A Christmas Eve. It literally means "the good night." Many Mexican families have their big Christmas meal late on December 24.

B A shoe. She stands with her back to the door. If the toe lands pointing toward the door, the story goes, she'll be married within the year.

A Grass for the kings' camels. In the morning the grass is gone and presents are in its place.

C El Gordo ("The Fat One"). Schoolchildren from Madrid's San Ildefonso school sing out the winning numbers on live TV, and a lot of the country tunes in.

C A peasant figure squatting to relieve himself. He's usually hidden in a corner of the scene. Modern versions come as celebrities, athletes and politicians.

A A rotten potato. Good kids find candy or a small toy instead.

C To the city and to the world. The city is Rome. The blessing is given at Christmas and Easter and broadcast around the world.

C A captain sailed past it on Christmas Day. Captain William Mynors named it on Christmas Day 1643. Today it's an Australian territory.

B A small boat. The custom is called karavaki, little boat, and it honors the country's long line of sailors.

A Santons. Santon means little saint in Provençal. Alongside the holy family, the scenes include bakers, shepherds and other village characters.

D Hay. It's a reminder of the manger. The meal traditionally has twelve dishes, one for each apostle.

C Goat. More than 40 of them have been burned or otherwise damaged, despite guards, cameras and fireproofing.

C Turku. Turku is Finland's former capital. The declaration still warns that anyone who breaks the peace during the holiday faces a stiffer punishment.

A Eat them. The tale gave everyone a reason to finish the year's wool work before Christmas, since the reward was new clothes.

C Grýla. Grýla is a troll who comes down from the mountains to snatch naughty children for her stew.

A Carving radishes into scenes and figures. It's been held every year since 1897. Carved radishes wilt fast, so the show lasts only a few hours.

B The Brotherhood of Blackheads. The Blackheads were a guild of unmarried merchants. Riga has a plaque marking 1510, and Tallinn points to 1441.

B Candles and paper lanterns. It's the eve of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and the night is called Día de las Velitas, Little Candles Day.

C A radio announcer. Norman Banks got the idea after walking home one Christmas Eve and seeing an elderly woman alone, singing along to "Away in a Manger" by candlelight.

B Apples. Christmas Eve is Píng'ān Yè, "peaceful night," and the word for apple, píngguǒ, sounds similar. Stores sell apples in fancy wrapping for the occasion.

A A wren on a decorated pole. Today the bird is fake. The groups dress in straw suits or costumes, play music and collect money, often for charity.

A Kallikantzaroi. They spend the rest of the year sawing at the tree that holds up the earth. The blessing of the waters at Epiphany sends them back down.