Anne here, and for your entertainment here's another historical Christmas quiz, though this time the questions are not wholly restricted to the Regency era.
As usual, you will need a pen and paper to jot down your choices, then at the end, click on the link at the bottom of the page to check your answers. Then come back and tell us how you went and which snippet of historical knowledge you found most interesting.
1) Who could be called the original Christmas Grinch because of his hatred of Christmas? (Note: this was centuries before the word grinch was used.)
a) King George III.
b) Benjamin Disraeli.
c) Oliver Cromwell.
d) Charles Dickens
2) What was banned by the Puritans in the 1660s?
a) The eating of pork during the 12 days of Christmas.
b) Plum pudding.
c) Mistletoe.
d) Fox hunting
3) Why was the fourth Sunday before Christmas called Stir Up Sunday?
a) It was the day when the first earth sod was broken and wine poured in.
b) It was the traditional day for the making of Christmas pudding.
c) Ministers gave a diatribe against sin, a kind of spiritual purification before Christmas.
d) The day when Christmas wassail was traditionally brewed.
4) Why was George I called 'the Pudding King'?
a) Because he was very fat and pudding-shaped with skinny little legs.
b) Because he ate German puddings at every meal.
c) Because he spoke no English and people secretly called him "pudding head".
d) Because he brought the Christmas pudding back into fashion.
5) When were Christmas cards first sent in England?
a) In 1840 when the first "penny post" stamp was introduced.
b) In 1843 when a London art shop owner printed a thousand cards.
c) In 1844 as a commemoration of Tsar Nicholas's visit to London.
d) In 1837, when Queen Victoria, aged 18, ascended the throne.
6) Christmas Crackers were originally:—
a) A twist of colored paper containing sweets
b) A roll of colored paper containing love notes and dried rose petals
c) A small package of roasted and dried pork crackling
d) A twist of paper containing hot roasted chestnuts
7) Which of these Christmas Carols was NOT sung during the Regency? (1811-1820)
a) Hark the Herald Angels Sing
b) Joy to the World
c) Away In a Manger
d) The Holly and the Ivy
8) We know mistletoe was popular at Christmas, but did people prefer mistletoe with lots of berries or very few berries?
a) They didn't care about the berries, as long as the mistletoe was green.
b) They preferred fewer berries because mistletoe berries are poisonous.
c) They preferred lots of berries because it was one kiss for one berry.
d) They preferred fewer berries because they drop and make a mess.
9) Most mistletoe in England was obtained from:—
a) Oak Trees
b) Gypsies (travellers) selling it door-to-door
c) Orchards and the forest
d) Country fairs
10) What was a Yule Log?
a) A luscious rolled pastry filled with dried fruit and sugar.
b) A big log that was lit on Christmas day and would burn for days.
c) A list of everything naughty a child had done during the year.
d) A symbol of Christ's death on the cross.
11) What were Twelfth Night cakes?
a) Fruit cakes that contained a dried pea or bean.
b) Small orange cakes iced with marzipan.
c) Marzipan cakes shaped and painted like fruit.
d) Pancakes that were served for Twelfth Night supper.
12) What were mummers?
a) Temporary wet-nurses.
b) Keepers of secrets — the origin of the expression "to keep mum."
c) Men wearing bells around their knees who performed traditional dances.
d) Men in costume who performed short traditional plays.
Now you have noted your answers, click here to get the results. Then come back and tell us how you went and which snippet of historical knowledge you found most interesting — or the sneakiest or silliest answer choice.