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About This Quiz
New Year's Eve is known around the world as the party of the year, and New Year's Day is the day when everyone nurses the hangover of the year. But how much do you really know about the history and traditions of New Year's?
Who declared January 1st to be the start of the new year?
Nero
Julius Caesar
In 46 B.C.E., Roman emperor Julius Caesar was attempting to lengthen the Julian calendar in order to help it line up with solar and lunar calendars. He added two months, one of which was named January, in honor of the god of doors and gates, Janus. Since Janus has two faces, one looking forward and one looking back, Caesar felt that it was appropriate to have January start the new year. His thinking was that Janus had the ability to look back on the past while looking ahead to the present and future.
Caligula
Marc Antony
As Christianity spread, the new year was moved to what month?
March
As most people know, Christianity has a history of absorbing and repurposing pagan holidays to match up with holy feasts. In this case, the start of the new year was moved to Annunciation Day (March 25) which commemorates the angel Gabriel's proclamation to Mary that she would give birth to Jesus.
June
October
December
What authority figure moved it back to January?
The Emperor
The King
The Queen
The Pope
In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII declared the Julian calendar obsolete and created the Gregorian calendar, which is still used today. Pope Gregory made the correction by changing the factors of leap days and moving the calendar up by 10 days. He then reset the start of the year to occur on January 1st.
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In what decade did the ball drop in Times Square begin?
1880s
1900s
The first Times Square Ball drop was in 1907. It was inspired by a maritime tradition called "dropping a time ball," which allowed sailors to adjust their chronometers while at sea.
1940s
1970s
What does "auld lang syne†mean?
The end of the year
For old times' sake
People around the world (and fans of "When Harry Met Sally") know that it's tradition to sing "Auld Lang Syne" at midnight. Most people attribute the lyrics to famed Scottish poet Robert Burns but this is not entirely accurate. In 1788, the Scots Musical Museum received a letter from Burns including the words to the song. He noted in his letter that it was an old Scottish folk song, handed down from the days of the oral tradition, but he was given credit for being the first person to commit the words to writing.
Happy new year
Scotland is cold
In Spain, what fruit is eaten at midnight?
cherries
grapes
In Spain and many other Spanish-speaking countries, it is customary to eat twelve grapes at midnight, one at each chime of the clock. Each grape symbolizes a month of the upcoming year, and eating the grape is said to bring you luck.
strawberries
oranges
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What source of protein is eaten in many parts of the world?
Crickets
Legumes
Legumes, a blanket term for plants that bear fruit in an easily splittable pod, are an excellent source of protein AND luck. Because legumes tend to look like coins on the outside, people eat them to invite wealth in the new year. In Italy, lentils are the most popular choice, and in the southern half of the USA, black-eyed peas are the favorite.
Tofu
Oatmeal
What type of meat is traditionally eaten at New Year's?
Pork
In many cultures around the world, pigs are seen as signs of wealth and prosperity. As such, pork is the meat of choice for New Year's in Cuba, Portugal, Austria, Hungary, and parts of the northern US.
Chicken
Lamb
Beef
What shape of pastry is popular on NYE?
Star
Triangle
Square
Circle
Reflecting the belief that life is connected and the year has gone full circle, people in many countries like to eat round pastries on New Year's. This is a particularly common tradition in Mexico, Greece, and The Netherlands.
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Scandinavian countries enjoy what dessert during their New Year's festivities?
Chocolate cake
Jello
Rice pudding
Rice pudding is a holiday staple in Scandinavia, Sweden and Norway, in particular. The custom is to hide an almond in the pudding; whoever finds the almond will have a year full of good fortune.
Toffee pie
What item is dropped in the town center at midnight?
Pickles
Potatoes
Keys
All of the above
Yes, the Times Square Ball isn't the only spectacle dropped at midnight. Among other things, a giant pickle is dropped in both Mt. Olive, North Carolina and Dillsburg, Pennsylvania. Boise, Idaho drops a giant potato. Frederick, Maryland drops a giant key. Other interesting midnight drops include Bethlehem, PA's giant marshmallow Peep, Mobile, AL's Moon pie, and Pensacola, FL's pelican.
The government of what country fell to a coup on New Year's Day?
Cuba
On New Year's Day in 1959, Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement successfully captured Havana. Dictator Fulgencio Batista fled the country to the nearby Dominican Republic, and Castro soon assumed power.
Yugoslavia
South Africa
China
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What famous historical document was signed on New Year's Day?
The Magna Carta
The Declaration of Independence
The Treaty of Versailles
The Emancipation Proclamation
On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln officially signed the final draft of the Emancipation Proclamation. A preliminary version of the decree had been released the previous September, following the Union victory at Antietam.
What is the name of the parade held in Philadelphia every New Year's Day?
The Drummer's Parade
The Summer's Parade
The Mummer's Parade
The Mummer's Parade combines the British tradition of mummery with influences from Swedish, Finnish, and German culture, and has been officially marched every year since 1901, though unofficial mini-parades are said to have happened as early as 1876. Groups march in four separate categories (comics, fancies, string bands, and fancy brigades) and the best entry in each category wins.
The Strummer's Parade
Who hosted a live New Year's Eve special for 33 years?
Johnny Carson
Dick Clark
Starting in 1970, Dick Clark, host of American Bandstand, began hosting a live New Year's Eve show called "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve." He hosted for 33 consecutive years until he had a stroke in December of 2004. Regis Philbin stepped in to cover for a while. Clark officially handed over the reins to Ryan Seacrest in 2006 and continued to make guest appearances until his death in 2012.
Ryan Seacrest
Frank Sinatra
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In what Mediterranean country do children sing New Year's carols to earn treats?
Turkey
Spain
Greece
Done on both Christmas and New Year's Eves, children in Greece go door to door singing songs called kalandas, which bless the house to which they are being sung. In return for the songs blessing their houses, neighbors reward the children with candy and dried fruits.
Croatia
What country celebrates with a festival called Hogmanay?
Scotland
Hogmanay is celebrated throughout Scotland and each region has its own traditions. Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, has a tradition of swinging fireballs. In Dundee, they carry a decorated herring through the streets. In Edinburgh, a cannon is set off at each stroke of midnight.
Italy
Canada
Germany
What is traditionally lit at midnight around the world?
Wooden torches
Cannons
Candles
Fireworks
Fireworks were invented in China in the 7th century to scare off evil spirits. They were made with gunpowder, which is considered one of the Four Great Inventions of ancient China, the other three being printing, papermaking, and the compass.
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What is the name of the New Year's Parade held in Pasadena, CA?
The Fishbowl Parade
The Pasadena Parade
The Football Parade
The Rose Parade
The Rose Parade, also known as The Tournament of Roses Parade, began in Pasadena in 1890. In 1902, The Rose Bowl game was created as a way to fund the parade. In 2011, Honda began sponsoring the parade, but the Rose Bowl game continues to be played.
What animal-named challenge often takes place on New Year's Day?
Polar Bear Plunge
A tradition specific to the Northern Hemisphere, Polar Bear Plunges are organized events where participants essentially run into near-freezing bodies of water. They are usually fundraisers for charities, such as the Special Olympics and the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
Dog Race
Cat Climb
Lemur Laps
What age is the human representation of the New Year?
Baby
The outgoing year is often personified as Old Man Time, who hands over the role of Time to a baby. The baby wears a sash with the new year printed on it. As the story goes, the baby will grow into an old man over the course of the year, and the cycle will begin again the following year.
Teenager
Young adult
Old adult
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Why are most places closed on New Year's Day?
It's a public holiday.
New Year's Day is a public holiday in most of the world, including the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, and others. Schools, post offices, government facilities, and banks are closed. While not required by law, most businesses also tend to be closed that day.
Retailers assume people won't shop that day.
Everyone is too hungover to work.
What are you talking about? Everything is open on New Years Day!
What physical gesture do people usually do at midnight?
Shaking hands
High-fiving
Hugging
Kissing
One of the biggest stresses for single people on New Year's Eve is "who am I going to kiss at midnight?" People kiss at midnight due to the belief that kissing someone at the stroke of midnight ensures that the couple will still be together and happy at the start of the next new year.
What garment do people in Latin America color-code in accordance with their wishes for the new year?
Pants
Shirts
Socks
Underwear
In many Latin American countries, people believe that the color of the underwear they are wearing on New Year's will influence the type of year they'll have. Yellow is said to bring prosperity and success, red brings love, white brings peace and harmony, and green brings well-being and good health.
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What song, made famous by Ella Fitzgerald, asks about going on a date on New Year's Eve?
Will you go out with me?
Let's hang out at midnight!
What are you doing New Year's Eve?
Written by Frank Loesser in 1947, the song has been covered by more than 40 artists. It first charted when The Orioles performed it in 1949, but it was Ella Fitzgerald's 1960 version that truly helped make the song a classic.
Let's spend the night together!
What 1960s TV show marathons on SyFy every year?
Lost in Space
Thunderbirds
The Twilight Zone
The Syfy channel has been streaming New Years and 4th of July "Twilight Zone" marathons for over twenty years. "The Twilight Zone" aired 156 episodes throughout its 1959-1964 run and served as a platform for stars such as Robert Redford, William Shatner, Burt Reynolds, Dennis Hopper, Carol Burnett, and Buster Keaton.
Star Trek
What long-running cartoon marathons on FXX every year?
American Dad
Futurama
Family Guy
The Simpsons
Beginning as a short on "The Tracy Ullman Show" in 1987, "The Simpsons" was an immediate hit. In 1989, America's favorite dysfunctional family got its own half-hour show on Fox. Throughout its 28 seasons, "The Simpsons" has earned 31 Primetime Emmy Awards, 30 Annie Awards, a Peabody Award, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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In Finland, fortunes are told by melting what metal and throwing it into water?
Gold
Tin
In Finland, and some other countries, tin is melted down until it is molten and then the molten tin is put in cold water. Once it cools and hardens, fortunes are told based on both the shape the tin takes and the shadows it casts on the ground.
Silver
Lead
How many times do Buddhist temples in Japan ring their bells to ring in the new year?
1
50
108
Buddhist temples ring their ceremonial bells 108 times to help banish the 108 Kleshas, negative states of mind such as anxiety, fear, anger, and jealousy. The bell is rung 107 times on December 31st, and once after midnight on January 1st.
Depends on the year
What is the traditional drink to imbibe at New Year's?
Champagne
Champagne was originally viewed as a mistake resulting from over-fermentation, but in the 17th century, began to be associated with royalty and class. In addition to its fancy reputation, popping the cork at midnight adds an extra sense of fun.
Rum
Whiskey
Red Wine
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What iconic 70s pop band recorded a song to welcome the 80s?
The Bee Gees
The Jackson 5
ABBA
ABBA recorded "Happy New Year" for their album, Super Trouper, which reached Number 17 on the Billboard Charts. The lyrics reflect on the past decade and the future decade, asking "It's the end of a decade / In another 10 year's time, who can say what we'll find? / What lies waiting down the line, at the end of '89?"
ZZ Top
What should be left open at midnight?
Hands
Hearts
Windows
Doors
Tradition says that doors must be left open at midnight to let the spirits of the last year escape. It's believed that the new year cannot arrive until the old year has left.
What weather phenomenon is used to predict the tone of the upcoming year?
The wind
Legend has it that the wind can predict the future on New Year's. Wind from the south will bring both good weather and good fortunes. Northern wind predicts a year of bad weather. Eastern wind brings disasters and famine. Western wind is a mixed bag, bringing "plentiful supplies of milk and fish," but also predicting the death of someone very important. The best outcome is no wind at all, which foretells that "a joyful and prosperous year may be expected by all."
The rain
The temperature
The cloud cover
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What major life change do some people choose to undertake on New Year's Eve?
Being born
Getting divorced
Getting married
Yes, a case could be made for "being born" to be the right answer, but births tend to be slightly more spontaneous than weddings. Inspired by the legend of kissing at midnight being good luck for relationships, many couples choose to tie the knot on New Year's, timing the ceremony so "you may kiss the bride" comes right before midnight.
Graduating high school
Which is not a danger of New Year's Eve?
Drunk driving
Being burned and/or blinded by fireworks
Being accidentally shot
None of the above
Most people are aware of the dangers of drunk driving, and hopefully, most people know the fireworks can cause burns or blindness. People tend to forget that in some regions, people fire guns in the air at midnight, and those bullets have to come back down, often striking people as they do. Other dangers include being robbed, being drugged, and being assaulted. Please be careful out there, folks!
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