World Quiz Questions

1. During spring in Japan, people gather beneath flowering cherry trees for picnics and viewing. What is this custom called?

2. A museum label describes brightly colored kente cloth, traditionally woven in narrow strips. With which present-day country is this textile especially associated?

3. Before modern instruments, which combination helped skilled Polynesian navigators voyage between distant Pacific islands?

4. A household with Persian cultural roots sets out symbolic items beginning with the Persian letter “S” and welcomes the arrival of spring. Which festival are they celebrating?

5. A visitor enters a milonga in Buenos Aires and sees couples performing a dance known for close partnership and intricate steps. Which dance is it?

6. In parts of West Africa, what is the traditional role of a griot?

7. A child receives a red envelope containing money during a family celebration common in Chinese communities. Which occasion is most closely associated with this custom?

8. At a cultural welcome in New Zealand, visitors see a coordinated Māori performance featuring chanting, forceful movements, and facial expressions. What are they most likely watching?

9. A family in Mexico prepares an ofrenda with photographs, candles, and marigolds to remember relatives who have died. Which observance are they marking?

10. At a Korean meal, which fermented vegetable dish—often made with cabbage and seasonings—might appear among the banchan side dishes?

11. In Rio de Janeiro, elaborately costumed samba schools process through the Sambadrome. Which celebration is taking place?

12. A learner is told to begin at the right side of the page and move left across each line. Which of these languages normally uses that writing direction?

13. After the Islamic month of Ramadan ends, which celebration begins?

14. At an Ethiopian meal, diners use pieces of a spongy, slightly sour flatbread to pick up stews from a shared platter. What is this bread called?

15. A performance combines expressive singing, guitar playing, rhythmic handclaps, and dramatic dancing. Which tradition from Andalusia is being presented?

16. A Swedish colleague suggests taking time for coffee, something sweet, and conversation. Which custom are they proposing?