MR’s De-Evolution Quiz – Holidays

Been a while for one of these…… One for one on the points….. Since we are approching the Holiday season, how about a few questions on Holidays?…….

1. What does “auld lang syne” mean?….
2. What Holiday is associated with the Lord of Misrule?….
3. How many gifts would you have if you recieved all the gifts mentioned in the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas?……
4. Why is “Groundhog Day” observed in February?…..
5. When was “Thanksgiving” made a national holiday?…..
6. Why is the word “Christmas” abbreviated as “Xmas”?…..
7. What is the name of Santa’s brother?……

15 Responses to “MR’s De-Evolution Quiz – Holidays”

  1. Off the tip o’ me brain:

    3. 66.
    4. If they wait much longer then the little buggers will wake up.
    6. X is a sign for the cross.

  2. Uff, I meant:

    3. 78

  3. 2: Christmas?

    4: It wouldn’t do much good to decide how much more winter we’re having in, say, July.

    6: I think X is a sign for Christ. However, growing up I was always told that Xmas was a way to say it without having to Christ’s name.

    7: Fred Claus…played by Vince Vaughn. Coming to theatres near you on Nov. 9th, 2007.

  4. We’ll go through them by the numbers:

    Izard gets One (1) Point for #2: Christmas – In medievel England, the Lord of Misrule was the leader of Christmas revelries….
    Sorry, Zook, #3 is a trick question….. The opertive word is all…..
    #4 We all know that Groundhog Day is supposed to tell us how much more Winter we are going to have, But, celebrating it in February in ,say, Australia wouldn’t work either, would it, Izard?……
    #6 The “X” Doesn’t represent the cross, nor is it an attempt to take “Christ” out of Christmas……
    #7 I don’t know about movie “Claus’s”, the answer I have is based in legend and his job is to visit every home on New Year’s Eve after the children are asleep, and if plates are set out for him, he fills them with cakes and cookies…..

    So…… #2’s down – that leaves a six-pack to go…….

  5. 3. 1 + 3 + 6 + 10 + … + 12(1 + 12)/2 = 364. You can either add these twelve numbers up manually, or use the neat-o hockey stick trick on a Sierpinski triangle.

    6. Chi-rho is an old abbreviation for Christ; Capital Chi looks like a big X. The liturgical churches (e.g. Orthodox, Catholic, Episcopalian, Lutheran) have the big “XP” in various places.

  6. I thought we could edit our posts….

    Of course I mean Pascal’s triangle, not Sierpinski. Fractals on the brain, I guess.

  7. 3. I defer to your judgment, but it seems like an interpretation problem. Does the verse for each day mean that all of the gifts were re-received each day, or does it merely recapitulate the gifts received on previous days. (How many beers would I have drunk if I drank *all* of the beer in “100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall”? Would I still be able to type?)

    1. Doesn’t it mean “old long ago” or something like the same?

    7. Wouldn’t it be more useful for Santa’s brother to come before Christmas and hand out cookies? That way I’d have something to pay the fat man off with…

  8. Zook gets One (1) Point for #1 – auld lang syne = “old long ago”

    HS gets One (1) Point for #3 – 364….. It was a trick question…. What would you do with all that stuff, anyway?……

    #6 hint: Looking for a different language, HS….. A little more history: “Xmas” meaning “Christ’s Mass”, was commonly used in Europe by the sixteenth century…….

    #7 Yeah, Zook, I agree, but, according to a Pennsylvannia Dutch and French tradition, he gives out the cookies on New Year’s Eve…

    That takes care of #1, #2, & #3 – Four (4) to go…….

  9. #4 hint – A little more background: German immigrants to Punxsutawney, PA, brought an older version of Groundhog Day to America – one in which badgers predict the weather. The immigrants discovered that, in the United States, groundhogs are easier to find. This should help you find the answer….
    #5 hint – It was in the 1800’s….. Looking for the exact year…. A famous President officially proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday, to be held on the last Thursday of November….. In 1939, to stimulate the Depression economy, FDR moved the date of Thanksgiving up one week….. After two years of public protest, Congress passed a law establishing the fourth Thursday in November as the official Thanksgiving…. I’m looking for the first date in the 1800’s…..

    I’ll give hints on #6 and #7 tomorrow if needed…..

  10. #6 hint – The “X” is the first letter in the word “Xristos” meaning “Christ” in another language….. Since this is most of the answer, I guess I’m looking for what language….. I can’t go much further with this, other than giving the answer…..
    #7 hint – I’ve gave everything about this one, except his actual name, so, here is his last name – Nichols…. Need the first name, which has a lot to do with Christmas…..

    Tomorrow I’ll make it so easy, you can’t miss the answers….. Sunday, I’ll give all remaining answers, and, Post a new Quiz…. Want to get as many Quizzes in by the deadline to give everyone a chance to win…..

  11. #11 by huskysooner

    MR, I’m pretty sure I answered #6 in my previous message. Chi-rho isn’t Hebrew, Aramaic, or Flemish, eh? Chi is the Greek letter shaped like an “X.”

  12. Apparently, It’s all Greek to me….. You are correct, HS, the word “Xristos” is Greek for Christ – hence “Xmas”….. One (1) Point to HS for #6…..

    That leaves #4, #5, and #7…….

  13. #4 hint – Another name for “location”….. Also starts with an “L”….
    #5 hint – Lincoln was the President, and the date was 186_……
    #7 hint – Your sleigh would not be complete without these…..

  14. #4 By your hint, locale, locality, locus. I’m going for locale, A place regarded as an environment. According to my Thesaurus. My other guess according to the wording of the question. February is considered to be the middle of the winter season.
    #5 1863
    #7 The only thing that comes to mind is St.Nickolas. Other than that I cant find any reference to Santa’s Bro.

  15. J.J. gets One (1) Point for #5 – the year was 1863…… All misses on #4 and #7……

    #4 Answer – Latitude…. At the latitude of Punxsutawney, a groundhog emerges from hibernation in February…..

    #5 Answer – Bells….. Yep, Santa’s brother’s name is Bells Nichols…..

    A new Quiz today or tomorrow…….

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