h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

6. Nathan's parents ask him what he wants for Christmas. He tells them he wants an apple that includes a CD burner, fast Internet access, and blank discs to burn CDs. What is Nathan asking for?

a computer
a car that is apple red
a piece of fruit
an apple red CD burner.

7. Which of the following is NOT a type of currency?

a nickel
a quarter
a 16 dollar bill
a 5 dollar bill

8. Ginger, a senior in high school, wants to deal with animals as a future career. Which job would she be interested in?

Being a medical doctor
Being a psychologist
Being a neurosurgeon
Being a vet

9. Believe it or not, Kristin actually enjoys eating anchovies. Which food would you most likely find anchovies on?

Lasagna
Ravioli
A turkey sandwich
Pizza

10. Oscar who is 11 years old likes watching a show that has a character named Donatello in it. Which of these following television shows will please our buddy Oscar?

The Power Ranger
Spongebob Squarepants
The Brady Bunch
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Answers to the 10 questions

1. October
2. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
3. Cat
4. Thermometer
5. Sesame Street
6. A computer
7. A 16 dollar bill
8. Being a vet
9. Pizza
10. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

You make a list (again), reminding yourself to get a Christmas candle. Why do Irish people put candles in their windows at this time?

Xmas is a common abbreviation of Christmas but from what alphabet does this originate?

Why was Jesus born in Bethlehem, according to the Gospel of Luke?

Whose eyes were made of coal?

Who wrote the song "White Christmas" for the film "Holiday Inn"?

Who wrote the oratorio "The Messiah"?

Who wrote 'A Christmas Carol'?

Who wrote "A Child's Christmas in Wales"?

Who started the custom of kissing under the mistletoe?

Who sent the first Christmas card?

Who brought 'Frosty the Snowman' back to life?

Which very popular sporting event is held every year on boxing day in Australia?

Which tradition in recent years has become popular in Australia especially with emigrants and tourists?

Who invented the Christmas cracker?

Answers

Hospitality. This is a very old tradition. A candle was a sign of welcome for a stranger, to have no light meant to be saying 'No Room' to the Christ child.

Greek. The X in Xmas originates from the symbol X in the Greek alphabet, called Chi, which is pronounced with a hard ch (like the K in the Latin alphabet used by many Western languages). The Greek Chi or X is the first letter in the Greek word Christos (Christ).

His father went home for a census. See Luke 2:1-6.


Frosty.

Irving Berlin. "White Christmas" was sung by Bing Crosby. The film starred Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds, and Virginia Dale.

George Handel.

Charles Dickens.

Dylan Thomas.


Those amorous Englishmen!. The Druids took mistletoe far too seriously to do anything frivolous like kissing under it! Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that grows on various trees, especially apple trees, and it was held in great veneration by the Druids, especially when they found it on an oak tree. Don Juan was a famous kisser year 'round, and didn't need mistletoe as an excuse! I made up the bit about the ugly women. As for those amorous Englishmen, the tradition began in the early seventeenth century, and it was customary for a man to remove a berry each time he kissed a girl under the mistletoe. When there were no more berries left, no more kisses were to be exchanged. That rule has long since gone by the board!

Henry Cole, director of the Victoria and Albert museum in London in 1843.

Santa Claus worked his magic!

Boxing day test cricket match. The Sydney to Hobart yacht race is also held on this day. The test match will be held at the famous M.C.G. More than 160,000 people are expected to watch this event live.

Christmas in July. This tradition was started by an Irish group of tourists in the Blue Mountains N.S.W. These people had visited Australia in July, when it started to snow and reminded them so much of Christmas back in Ireland they asked the people were they were staying if they could have a Christmas dinner. It has been celebrated every year since.

Tom Smith. The Christmas cracker was invented in 1847 by London confectioner Tom Smith. James Gosling invented the Java programming language, Martin Cooper invented the mobile phone, and Rudolf Diesel invented the diesel internal combustion engine.

Why are you asking the questions and then giving the answers out... or should I already know the answer to that one

manda