Christmas Traditions Around the World Quiz

1. Children leave shoes by a window for 13 nights, hoping for gifts rather than a potato from a mischievous seasonal visitor. Where does this Yule Lads tradition come from?

2. Which meal is traditionally associated with Christmas Eve in many Czech households?

3. A colleague in Tokyo reserves a bucket of fried chicken weeks before Christmas, following a custom popularized by a major advertising campaign. Which country is especially associated with this modern tradition?

4. Many Orthodox Christians in one African country celebrate Genna in January, with worshippers often wearing white garments for church services. Which country is it?

5. A family lights one additional candle on each of the four Sundays before Christmas. Which seasonal object are they using?

6. In Catalonia, children sing to and tap a decorated log that is covered with a blanket and expected to produce small gifts. What is the log called?

7. Each Christmas Eve, a formal proclamation calling for peaceful celebration is read at noon in a historic city square. Which Finnish city hosts this Declaration of Christmas Peace?

8. A family in France settles in for a long festive Christmas Eve meal, sometimes held after Midnight Mass. What is this meal commonly called in French?

9. A Ukrainian household places a decorated sheaf of grain in the home as a link to harvest, family, and ancestors. Which traditional symbol is this?

10. At a Filipino Christmas celebration, you see illuminated star-shaped lanterns representing the Star of Bethlehem. What are these lanterns called?

11. Before a Polish Christmas Eve meal, relatives may break a thin embossed wafer and exchange good wishes. What is the wafer called?

12. Which folklore figure is said to visit children in Italy around Epiphany, traditionally traveling on a broom and leaving treats or coal?

13. In which country might decorated boats appear in town squares and homes during the Christmas season alongside, or instead of, decorated trees?

14. For nine evenings, neighbors reenact Mary and Joseph’s search for lodging by walking in procession and singing at selected homes. Which Mexican tradition is this?

15. On December 13, a girl wears a white robe, red sash, and crown of candles in a Scandinavian procession. Which observance is being marked?

16. In Puerto Rico, musicians surprise friends at night with singing and instruments; the hosts may join before the group continues to another home. Which tradition are they taking part in?