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December traditions in Europe quiz

12 questions on how Europe celebrates December: St Nicholas and Krampus, Sinterklaas, Santa Lucia, Advent, El Gordo, Consoada, La Befana, Caga Tió, the Yule Lads and Hogmanay. One question at a time, the explanation and a source link after each answer, and your score at the end. Free, no account. Works offline once loaded.

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How it works

  1. Read the question and tap one of four answers.
  2. You see at once whether you were right, with the explanation and a link to the source.
  3. After 12 questions you get your score and a result to copy and share. To host it at the table, read the questions below aloud and open the answers when everyone has decided.

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All 12 questions

  1. 1. On the evening of 5 December, children in Germany clean and put out what, hoping St Nicholas fills it overnight?

    1. A stocking by the fireplace
    2. Their boots or shoes by the door
    3. A glass of milk
    4. A candle in the window
    Show answer

    B. Their boots or shoes by the door

    Nikolaustag is on 6 December, and children find their cleaned boots or shoes filled with sweets, nuts and small gifts that morning.

    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas_Day

  2. 2. Which horned figure accompanies St Nicholas in Austria and Bavaria and traditionally scares naughty children?

    1. La Befana
    2. Caga Tió
    3. Krampus
    4. Sinterklaas
    Show answer

    C. Krampus

    Krampus walks beside St Nicholas, and Krampusnacht, the night of 5 December, is when people dress up and run through the streets in parades.

    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krampus

  3. 3. In the Netherlands, on which evening do children traditionally get their presents from Sinterklaas (pakjesavond)?

    1. 24 December
    2. 25 December
    3. 6 January
    4. 5 December
    Show answer

    D. 5 December

    Pakjesavond ("parcel evening") is on 5 December, the eve of St Nicholas Day, so Dutch presents arrive weeks before Christmas.

    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas

  4. 4. On 13 December in Sweden, the girl who plays Santa Lucia in the procession wears what on her head?

    1. A crown of candles
    2. A straw crown
    3. A red felt hat
    4. A silver tiara
    Show answer

    A. A crown of candles

    Lucia wears a white gown and a wreath with candles (often battery-powered today), leading a procession of singers through the dark of the Swedish winter.

    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Lucy%27s_Day

  5. 5. Which spice gives Swedish lussekatter, the buns eaten around Santa Lucia, their golden colour?

    1. Cinnamon
    2. Saffron
    3. Paprika
    4. Ginger
    Show answer

    B. Saffron

    Lussekatter are yeast buns flavoured with saffron, shaped in an S curl and usually topped with raisins.

    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lussekatt

  6. 6. How many candles are on a traditional Advent wreath?

    1. Three
    2. Four
    3. Seven
    4. Twenty-four
    Show answer

    B. Four

    There is one candle for each of the four Sundays before Christmas, and one more is lit every Sunday (a 24-window calendar is a different tradition).

    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent_wreath

  7. 7. On which date is the draw of Spain's Christmas lottery, El Gordo, held every year?

    1. 6 December
    2. 24 December
    3. 22 December
    4. 31 December
    Show answer

    C. 22 December

    The Sorteo de Navidad takes place on 22 December, two days before Nochebuena, and is broadcast live with children singing out the numbers and prizes.

    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Christmas_Lottery

  8. 8. What is the classic dish of Consoada, the Christmas Eve dinner in Portugal?

    1. Roast goose
    2. Salt cod (bacalhau) with potatoes and cabbage
    3. Paella
    4. Haggis
    Show answer

    B. Salt cod (bacalhau) with potatoes and cabbage

    Bacalhau cozido com todos, boiled salt cod with potatoes, cabbage and eggs, is the traditional Consoada dinner on 24 December.

    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacalhau

  9. 9. Who brings gifts to Italian children on the night before Epiphany (6 January)?

    1. La Befana, an old woman on a broomstick
    2. Krampus
    3. Père Noël
    4. Los Reyes Magos on camels
    Show answer

    A. La Befana, an old woman on a broomstick

    La Befana flies in on a broomstick on the night of 5 to 6 January and fills stockings with sweets, or with sweet "coal" for the naughty.

    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Befana

  10. 10. In Catalonia, what do children do to the Caga Tió, the smiling log with a face, so that it "leaves" presents?

    1. Hang it from a tree
    2. Light it on fire
    3. Bury it in the garden
    4. Beat it with sticks while singing
    Show answer

    D. Beat it with sticks while singing

    Children cover the Tió with a blanket, feed it, then beat it with sticks and sing a song until it "poops" sweets, nuts and small gifts.

    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tió_de_Nadal

  11. 11. How many Yule Lads visit Icelandic children in the days before Christmas?

    1. Seven
    2. Nine
    3. Thirteen
    4. Twenty-four
    Show answer

    C. Thirteen

    Thirteen Yule Lads arrive one per night from 12 December, leaving small gifts in the shoes children put on the windowsill.

    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule_Lads

  12. 12. At Hogmanay, the Scottish New Year celebration, what is "first-footing"?

    1. Jumping over a bonfire
    2. The first visitor of the new year crossing your threshold, traditionally with a gift
    3. A midnight swim in the sea
    4. A foot race through the town
    Show answer

    B. The first visitor of the new year crossing your threshold, traditionally with a gift

    After midnight, the first person to enter a home is thought to set the household's luck for the year, and often brings a gift such as shortbread, coal or whisky.

    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogmanay

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