General Holiday Trivia

30 questions · Answers revealed below each question · Print this set

1.Valentine's Day is celebrated on which date?
- A. March 14
- B. February 7
- C. February 14
- D. April 23
Show answer
February 14
Did you know? Valentine's Day falls on February 14, the feast day of St. Valentine.
2.The Easter Bunny tradition originated in which country?
- A. Netherlands
- B. Germany
- C. Switzerland
- D. France
Show answer
Germany
Did you know? The egg-laying hare "Osterhase" appeared in German folklore in the 1600s.
3.Memorial Day honors which group?
- A. Military personnel who died while serving
- B. Police and firefighters
- C. All veterans, living or dead
- D. Active-duty soldiers only
Show answer
Military personnel who died while serving
Did you know? Veterans Day (November 11) honors all US veterans; Memorial Day honors the fallen.
4.How many candles does a Hanukkah menorah hold in total?
- A. Seven
- B. Eight
- C. Nine
- D. Ten
Show answer
Nine
Did you know? The Hanukkah menorah holds eight candles plus the shamash (helper candle).
5.On which day is Labor Day observed in the United States?
- A. May 1
- B. The first Monday of September
- C. The last Monday of May
- D. September 1
Show answer
The first Monday of September
Did you know? Most countries observe workers' day on May 1; the US keeps the first Monday of September.
6.Veterans Day (November 11) marks the end of which war?
- A. World War II
- B. World War I
- C. The Civil War
- D. The Korean War
Show answer
World War I
Did you know? The WWI armistice took effect at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918.
7.St. Patrick is the patron saint of which country?
- A. Ireland
- B. England
- C. Wales
- D. Scotland
Show answer
Ireland
Did you know? St. Patrick is Ireland's patron saint, celebrated on March 17.
8.Which Roman god of desire is the classic figure of Valentine's Day?
- A. Neptune
- B. Cupid
- C. Eros
- D. Mars
Show answer
Cupid
Did you know? Cupid is the Roman counterpart of the Greek Eros.
9.How many nights does Hanukkah last?
- A. Eight
- B. Ten
- C. Seven
- D. Nine
Show answer
Eight
Did you know? Hanukkah lasts eight nights, commemorating the oil that burned for eight days.
10.On which date is Groundhog Day observed?
- A. March 2
- B. February 2
- C. February 14
- D. January 31
Show answer
February 2
Did you know? Groundhog Day falls on February 2 each year in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
11."Auld Lang Syne", the New Year's song, is based on a poem by which Scottish writer?
- A. Lord Byron
- B. William Wordsworth
- C. Walter Scott
- D. Robert Burns
Show answer
Robert Burns
Did you know? Robert Burns wrote down "Auld Lang Syne" in 1788, from older Scots verse.
12.In what year was the first Earth Day celebrated?
- A. 1970
- B. 1980
- C. 1975
- D. 1962
Show answer
1970
Did you know? The first Earth Day, on April 22, 1970, drew an estimated 20 million Americans.
13.Independence Day in the United States commemorates the adoption of which 1776 document?
- A. The Declaration of Independence
- B. The Bill of Rights
- C. The Articles of Confederation
- D. The Constitution
Show answer
The Declaration of Independence
Did you know? The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, 1776.
14.St. Patrick is said to have used which plant to explain the Holy Trinity?
- A. The thistle
- B. The daffodil
- C. The shamrock
- D. The rose
Show answer
The shamrock
Did you know? Legend says Patrick used the shamrock's three leaves to teach the Trinity.
15.Diwali, the festival of lights, is best known as a major festival of which religion?
- A. Zoroastrianism
- B. Hinduism
- C. Taoism
- D. Shinto
Show answer
Hinduism
Did you know? Diwali is also observed by Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists.
16.Which city's Hogmanay street party is one of the world's most famous New Year celebrations?
- A. London
- B. Edinburgh
- C. Glasgow
- D. Dublin
Show answer
Edinburgh
Did you know? Edinburgh's Hogmanay is one of the world's largest New Year celebrations.
17.Juneteenth (June 19) marks the 1865 announcement of the end of slavery in which state?
- A. Alabama
- B. Georgia
- C. Mississippi
- D. Texas
Show answer
Texas
Did you know? Union troops announced emancipation in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865.
18.In Spain, which tradition involves eating twelve grapes at midnight on New Year's Eve?
- A. Las Fallas
- B. La Tomatina
- C. Las doce uvas de la suerte
- D. El Rocío
Show answer
Las doce uvas de la suerte
Did you know? Eating the twelve grapes, one per chime, is a Spanish New Year's custom since the early 1900s.
19.Between which dates does Chinese New Year fall, depending on the year?
- A. January 21 and February 20
- B. December 21 and January 20
- C. January 1 and January 31
- D. February 21 and March 20
Show answer
January 21 and February 20
Did you know? Chinese New Year ranges from January 21 to February 20 on the Gregorian calendar.
20.Which chocolate company introduced the first heart-shaped Valentine's box in the 1860s?
- A. Hershey
- B. Lindt
- C. Nestlé
- D. Cadbury
Show answer
Cadbury
Did you know? Richard Cadbury designed the first heart-shaped box for Valentine's Day in 1868.
21.The tradition of New Year's resolutions is often traced to which ancient civilization?
- A. The Babylonians
- B. The Vikings
- C. The Romans
- D. The Egyptians
Show answer
The Babylonians
Did you know? Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year.
22.Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican victory at which 1862 battle?
- A. The Battle of the Alamo
- B. The Grito de Dolores
- C. The Battle of Puebla
- D. The Battle of San Jacinto
Show answer
The Battle of Puebla
Did you know? Cinco de Mayo marks Puebla (1862), not Mexican Independence Day (September 16).
23.Which celestial rule fixes the date of Easter?
- A. The first new moon after the winter solstice
- B. The second full moon of the calendar year
- C. The first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox
- D. The first crescent moon of spring
Show answer
The first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox
Did you know? This computus rule places Easter between March 22 and April 25.
24.Since what year has the ball dropped in Times Square on New Year's Eve?
- A. 1904
- B. 1929
- C. 1945
- D. 1907
Show answer
1907
Did you know? The first Times Square ball drop took place on December 31, 1907.
25.How many days are there from Ash Wednesday to Easter, Sundays included?
- A. 44
- B. 40
- C. 50
- D. 46
Show answer
46
Did you know? Lent runs 46 calendar days; the 40-day count excludes the six Sundays.
26.In what year was Kwanzaa first celebrated?
- A. 1956
- B. 1986
- C. 1966
- D. 1976
Show answer
1966
Did you know? Maulana Karenga created Kwanzaa in 1966.
27.Which city dyes its river green for St. Patrick's Day, a tradition since 1962?
- A. Dublin
- B. New York
- C. Boston
- D. Chicago
Show answer
Chicago
Did you know? Chicago has dyed its river green for St. Patrick's Day since 1962.
28.In the French April Fools' tradition, pranks traditionally end at what time?
- A. Three in the afternoon
- B. Sunset
- C. Midnight
- D. Noon
Show answer
Noon
Did you know? In France, the "poisson d'avril" custom traditionally ends at midday.
29.Who founded the American Mother's Day, first celebrated in 1908?
- A. Elizabeth Cady Stanton
- B. Anna Jarvis
- C. Woodrow Wilson
- D. Julia Ward Howe
Show answer
Anna Jarvis
Did you know? Anna Jarvis held the first Mother's Day service in 1908; Wilson made it official in 1914.
30.Thanks to the International Date Line, which Pacific island nation is among the first to greet the new year?
- A. Australia
- B. Japan
- C. Kiribati
- D. New Zealand
Show answer
Kiribati
Did you know? Kiribati's Line Islands sit at UTC+14, the world's earliest time zone.

Questions are for entertainment — difficulty ratings are a guide, and you know your crowd best. Always follow the rules of your venue or event.