Trya quiz for ! " How do Australians celebrate Christmas? Why do the British wear paper hats at the table? And what is ? In our fun and informative quiz, put together by TOBY SKINGSLEY, you can test how much you know about Christmas in the English-speaking world - from the rush to send Christmas cards to friends, to the way families welcome on . And on page 19, we have some very special prizes for you in our Christmas competition. Good luck! The run-up to Christmas It's Christmas - well, almost. Allover the world, people are preparing for the big day by sending cards, shopping for Christmas gifts, decorating their homes and going to church. To start with, we've got some questions for you about the run-up to Christmas (Vorweihnachtszeit) in English-speaking countries.

1. In the US,the Christmas shopping season starts the day after Thanks- giving, which is known as a) Red Tuesday b) c) White Saturday

2. A highlight at many schools in December is the play, in which children dress up as biblical characters to tell the story of the birth of . a) shepherds' b) crib c) Nativity

3. Which word below (a-c) can be used with all the words in bold? calendar, candle, Sunday, wreath ([ri:S]: Kranz) _ a) b) Jesus c) angel

4. Children often write letters to Father Christmas with a list of what they would like for Christmas. In Britain, they can send these letters by post or throw them _ a) into special delivery vans b) on to the fire and up the chimney (Kamin) c) out of the window

5. Christmas cards are big business in the English-speaking world. In the US, roughly cards are sent each year. a) 2 million b) 200 million c) 2 billion CHRISTMAS CARDS 6. The church service (Cottesdienst) on the evening of 24 December is called Mass. In most English-speaking countries, people send a) midnight b) mid-evening c) mid-winter Christmas cards to friends and family in early December. The first commercial 7. Before going to bed on Christmas Eve (Heiligabend), families in the US was designed in 1843 by the British painter John often leave out for . Callcott Horsley. The card, pictured above, in- a) a pizza b) a doughnut and milkshake cluded the greeting "A Merry Christmas and a c) biscuits and a glass of milk Happy New Year to You". In the 1870s, Boston printer Louis Prang created the first mass- 8. Match the names of the typical Christmas decorations below with the produced Christmas cards in the US. Today, correct pictu re (1-7). cards typically show images linked with Christ- a) angel D b) bauble c) mas, such as Father Christmas, snowmen or d) fairy lights D e) holly f) robin holly (Stechpalme). g) D History and culture Where does the come from? Who created many of the popular US images of the holiday season (Weihnachtszeit)? And why was Christmas banned (verbieten) in Eng- land in the 1640s? You can answer these questions and more below.

1. The Christmas tree was brought to the US by German immigrants as early as the 17th century. But who made it popular in Britain in the mid-19th century?

2. Since 1947, Norway has given London a Christmas tree each year to say "thank you" for Britain's support during the Second World War. Where in London does it stand? _ a) Piccadilly Circus b) Trafalgar Square c) Covent Garden

3. Father Christmas has his origins in , who is - among other things - the patron saint (Schutzpatron) of _ a) children b) stockings (Strumpf) c) animals

4. Which 20th-century American artist created many of the popular images of Christmas in the UStoday? _ a) Keith Haring b) Norman Rockwell c) jackson Pollock

5. The Magi ['meId3aI] are said to have followed the Star of to find jesus. They are also known as the _ a) Persian priests b) Gospels c) Three Wise Men

6. In the 1640s, the statesman Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas celebrations in The Christmas tree as we know it today England because _ comes from Germany. There are several a) he never got what he wanted from Santa theories about how it became popular. b) Puritans didn't think the celebrations were religious enough One is that it originated from a fir tree c) celebrating could spread the plague (Pest) (Tonne) that appeared in a medieval (mittelalterlich) play about Adam and 7. Christmas is not the only festival that people celebrate in December. Use the Eve. German families used to decorate words in the box to complete the definitions below. this "paradise tree" with wafers (Oblate) in their homes on 24 December, which I Hanukkah I Kwanzaa I winter solstice was the feast day of Adam and Eve. In the course of time, biscuits and sweets a) is a celebration of African-American culture that takes place be- replaced the wafers, and candles and tween 26 December and 1 january. other ornaments on the tree became b) Around 21 December, pagans (Heide, Heidin) and Druids get together at common. Stonehenge in England to celebrate the _ Decorating the home with greenery was c) The eight-day jewish festival known as celebrates the rededica- a tradition of the ancient (['emf;mt]: tion (Wiedereinweihung) of the Temple in jerusalem. People light a candle on a alt) Romans in winter. The Egyptians menorah each night. [i'd3Ipfanl, Chinese and Hebrews ['hi:bru:J also believed that evergreens 8. In the US and , people often say " _ (Tannenbaum) were a sym bol of eternal holidays!" to include those who celebrate festivals other (ewig) life. than Christmas. a) seasonal b) merry c) happy The big day After weeks of waiting, Christmas Day has finally arrived. Children are excited about their presents, dinner is in the oven, and if you're in Aus- tralia, your picnic is probably packed. What else happens on Christmas Day in the English-speaking world?

2. Tick the statements below that are true. Father Christmas brings chil- dren presents ... a) in a sack. D b) on 6 January. D c) on a sleigh. (Schlitten) D d) through an open window. D e) only if they have been well-behaved. D f) by horse and carriage. (Pferdewagen) D

Christmas Day down under takes place during the summer, so many people enjoy the (a) outdoors. has some of the CHRISTMAS CRACKER same Christmas (b) as Britain, including dinner with all the (c) . Some people eat with custard The Christmas cracker was invented by (Vanillesauce) or (d) for dessert, too. However, many prefer London confectioner (Zuckerbdcker) Thomas to go for a picnic or spend time on the beach, where they might even see Smith in the 1840s. Originally, the crackers were surfers in red (e) costumes. Around 40,000 people flock packets of sweets wrapped in paper with a twist (stromen) to (f) Beach in Sydney on Christmas Day. Wrehungl at each end. Smith then added a chemical in the packaging so that they made a 4. Millions of families in Britain gather round the television at 3 p.m. on cracking sound when opened. Children loved Christmas Day to watch the _ them, and to attract (anlocken) adults, he also a) football results b) Queen's Christmas message put short mottos and poems in each packet. c) light show in Trafalgar Square Today, Christmas crackers usually contain small gifts and a paper hat instead of sweets. Each per- 5. Pulling a Christmas cracker is a vital part of Christmas dinner in son pulls a cracker with his or her neighbour at Britain and Australia. Crackers usually contain a small gift, a paper hat the dinner table before the Christmas meal be- and _ gins. When the cracker splits, the person left a) a joke b) a good-luck charm (ClOcksbringer) with the larger part keeps what is inside. Do you c) an after-dinner mint know what else is in a Christmas cracker? Then try question 5 on the left. 6. Match the typical Christmas foods on the left (a-g) with their defini- tions on the right. a) 1. (in Britain) small sausages wrapped in bacon b) Dundee cake 2. a drink mq,de with milk and egg and often mixed with cinnamon (Zimt) and alcohol c) Christmas pudding 3. a mixture used to fill turkey d) Brussels sprouts 4. a small, round tart with a sweet filling, popular in Britain e) 5. a fruit cake from Scotland, topped with almonds (Mandel) f) pigs in blankets 6. vegetables that look like little cabbages (Kohl) g) egg-nog 7. a rich (fett) dessert made with dried fruit To many people in Britain, the US and Australia, Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without certain music, film and theatre productions. See how much you know and recognize.

1. In Britain, a is a popular Christmas theatre production - and not just for children. What is special about a pantomime? Tick the statements below that are true. a) A woman plays the character of a young man. D b) A man plays the character of an old woman. D c) The tickets are always free. D d) The audience shouts at the actors. D e) Two actors dress up as an animal. D f) The main character dies at the end. D g) There are often matinee performances. D

2. Radio stations play lots of Christmas hits in December. Which of these songs was Britain's best-selling Christmas hit between 2000 and 2010? _ a) "Saviour's Day" (Cliff Richard) b) "Fairy tale of New York" (The Pogues, featuring Kirsty MacColl) c) "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (Band Aid 20)

3. Most Australians know the Christmas song "Six White Boomers" by Rolf Harris. It describes how Father Christmas's sleigh is actually pulled by six _ a) koalas b) dingos c) kangaroos

4. At first, he was the subject of a 1950s' song, then he appeared in a USanimated television series (ZeichentrickserieJ. It's Frosty _ British and US musicians have a great a) the Snowman b) the Reindeer (Rentier) c) the Gangster tradition of writing songs about Christmas. popular Christmas hits 5. Film versions of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carolappear on television screens include White Christmas, sung by Bing allover the English-speaking world at Christmas. What is the name of the main Crosby; Merry , Everybody by character? _ British band Slade; and Rockin' Around a) Oliver Twist b) Ebenezer Scrooge c) Samuel Pickwick the Christmas Tree, sung by Brenda Lee. In Britain, a yearly music tradition is 6. Traditional songs sung at Christmas by church choirs are called carols. Together the race in the music charts for the with Christmas poems, they are very popular in December. Fill in the gaps below Christmas Number One. Artists often to complete the lines from well-known Christmas carols and poems. release (verOffentlichen) special songs a) jingle, bells! jingle, bells! jingle all the way! to try and reach the top spot Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open s_e_g_! (Spitzenposition) . ("") b) 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a _ 0 _S_. ("A Visit from St Nicholas") c) On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me A Pjlrtridge in a p_a_ t_e_. ("The ") d) Away in a manger, no b for a bed, The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head. ("Away in a Manger") e) Silent night, holy night, S_ep_e_ds quake (Zittern) at the sight. ("Silent Night") And it's not over, yet Christmas isn't just about 25 December. In many English-speaking countries, the festive programme goes on long after Christmas Day, often into the new year. Answer these three questions to take part in our competition, in which you can win some great prizes (see below).

Boxing Day, on 26 December, is a public a) a set of questions about the Bible holiday in Britain, Australia and Canada. b) when Australians see how much weight they've put on Traditionally, it was the day when ser- c) an international cricket match vants and the poor were given gifts for Christmas. The day's name may come 2. Traditionally, hundreds of fox hunts take place in Britain on _ from the alms boxes (AlmosenbQchse) set December. up by churches for donations (Spende) a) 26 b) 27 c) 28 for the poor, which were opened on this day. Another theory is that servants who 3. If Christmas Day or Boxing Day falls at the weekend, British employees usually worked on 25 December got Boxing Day get the next working day off in _ off instead and received boxes of gifts a) tow b) replacement c) lieu from their employers.

Answers The run-up to Christmas Competition l-b; 2-c (nativity play: Krippenspie/); 3-a; 4-b; 5-c; 6-a; 7-c; If you can answer the three questions above, why 8.a-6; b-4;c-7;d-2; e-l;f-5;g-3 not enter our Christmas competition? History and culture l-a; 2-b; 3-a; 4-b; 5-c (die heiligen drei Kanige; Gospel: Evangelium); 6-b; First prize: a year's subscription to a dalango online 7. a) Kwanzaa ['kwa:nz~]; b) winter solstice video language course (www.dalango.de) worth (Wintersonnenwende); c) Hanukkah; 8~ € 179. You can choose English, Business English, The big day French, Italian or Spanish. 1~; 2-a, c, e; 3. a) festivities; b) traditions; c) trimmings Second prize: a six-month subscription to a dalango (Drum und Dran); d) brandy butter; e) Santa; course (see above), worth €120. f) Bondi; 4-b; 5-a; 6. a-4; b-5; c-7; d-6 (Brussels sprouts: Third prize: a voucher (Gutschein) for €50 to spend on books, CDs and games R05enkoh/); e-3; f-l (pigs in blankets: Wiirstchen im Speckman tel); g-2 (egg-nog: in our SprachenShop (www.sprachenshop.de). Eierl/kar) Music and entertainment Fourth and fifth prizes: the new board game ''A Weekend in London", worth 1-a. b, d, e, g; 2~; 3-c; 4-a; 5--b; €30, created by Spotlight in cooperation with Grubbe Media. 6. a) sleigh; b) mouse; c) pear tree (partridge: Rebhuhn; pear: 8im-); d) crib (Krippe; manger To enter, send a postcard marked "Christmas Quiz" with the answers to the three ['meJnd3~]: (Futter)Krippe); e) Shepherds (Schafer; quake: zittem) questions on this page to: Spotlight Verlag GmbH, Redaktion Spotlight, Post- fach 1565, 82144 Planegg, Germany. We will draw a winner from the correct entries we receive by 31 December 2010. The winners, ~o will be announced on www.spotlight-online.de. will be sent one of the prizes listed above.

Die Teilnahme ist unabhangig von einer Bestellung. Dk Gewinner werden nach dem Zufallsprinzip ausgelost und erhalten ihren Gewinn kostenfrei tiber- mittelt. Der Rechtsweg und eine Barauszahlung der Gewinne sind aus- geschlossen. Mitarbeiter des Spotlight Verlags und deren AngehOrige konnen nicht an der Verlosung teilnehmen.