New Year Around the World

Midnight Customs

1. 100 In Spain, people eat one of these fruits with each strike of the clock at midnight. Which fruit? Response: grape The Twelve Grapes (Spanish: las doce uvas (de la suerte), lit. 'the twelve grapes (of luck)') is a Spanish tradition that consists of eating a grape with each of the twelve clock bell strikes at midnight of 31 December to welcome the New Year. Source: Wikipedia, “Twelve Grapes”
2. 200 How many times do most Japanese Buddhist temples ring their bell on New Year's Eve? Response: 108 times Most temples ring the bell 108 times. Source: Wikipedia, “Joya no Kane”
3. 300 In which Madrid square did Spain's midnight fruit-eating custom start? Response: the Puerta del Sol The most famous is where the tradition started, the Puerta del Sol in Madrid. Source: Wikipedia, “Twelve Grapes”
4. 400 In Scotland, what is the first person through the door on New Year's Day called? Response: the first-foot In Scottish, Northern English, and Manx folklore, the first-foot (Scottish Gaelic: ciad-chuairt, Manx: quaaltagh/qualtagh) is the first person to enter the home of a household on New Year's Day and is seen as a bringer of good fortune for the coming year. Source: Wikipedia, “First-foot”
5. 500 Japan's New Year's Eve temple bell custom began in the Zen temples of which Chinese dynasty? Response: the Song dynasty The custom of ringing the temple bell 108 times in Zen temples originated in the Zen temples of the Song dynasty in China. Source: Wikipedia, “Joya no Kane”

Scottish New Year

1. 100 Which poet wrote the words of Auld Lang Syne in 1788? Response: Robert Burns The text is a Scots-language poem written by Robert Burns in 1788, but it is based on an older Scottish folk song. Source: Wikipedia, “Auld Lang Syne”
2. 200 In Scotland, the first visitor of the new year traditionally brings which fuel into the house? Response: coal Many customs of first-footing (bringing coal, knocking on doors, group singing Auld Lang Syne to pass from the old to the new) parallel those of Samhain, the Celtic celebration marking the end of the harvest season, in which people recited verses door-to-door in exchange for food, and lit ritual bonfires. Source: Wikipedia, “First-foot”
3. 300 In 1799 Auld Lang Syne was set to what kind of traditional tune? Response: a pentatonic tune In 1799 it was set to a traditional pentatonic tune, which has since become standard. Source: Wikipedia, “Auld Lang Syne”
4. 400 Besides New Year's Eve, at which two kinds of events is Auld Lang Syne often heard? Response: funerals and graduations It is also often heard at funerals and graduations and as a farewell or ending to other occasions; for instance, many branches of the Scouting movement use it to close jamborees and other functions. Source: Wikipedia, “Auld Lang Syne”
5. 500 "For auld lang syne" loosely means "for the sake of" what? Response: old times Consequently, "For auld lang syne", as it appears in the first line of the chorus, might be loosely translated as "for the sake of old times". Source: Wikipedia, “Auld Lang Syne”

The Ball Drop

1. 100 In which New York City square does a ball drop at midnight on New Year's Eve? Response: Times Square The Times Square Ball is a time ball located in New York City's Times Square. Source: Wikipedia, “Times Square Ball”
2. 200 In which year did the first ball drop take place? Response: 1907 First held on December 31, 1907, to welcome 1908, the ball drop has been held annually since, except in 1942 and 1943 in observance of wartime blackouts during World War II. Source: Wikipedia, “Times Square Ball”
3. 300 The first ball was made of wood and which metal? Response: iron The ball has been updated six times to reflect improvements in lighting technology: the original ball was 5 feet (1.5 m) in diameter, constructed from wood and iron, and illuminated with 100 incandescent light bulbs. Source: Wikipedia, “Times Square Ball”
4. 400 Which newspaper owner first organized the ball drop? Response: Adolph Ochs The event was first organized by then-New York Times owner Adolph Ochs, expanding upon New Year's fireworks displays he held at the building since 1904 to promote its status as the Times' headquarters. Source: Wikipedia, “Times Square Ball”
5. 500 Why was there no ball drop in 1942 and 1943? Response: wartime blackouts First held on December 31, 1907, to welcome 1908, the ball drop has been held annually since, except in 1942 and 1943 in observance of wartime blackouts during World War II. Source: Wikipedia, “Times Square Ball”

How the Year Begins

1. 100 On which date is New Year's Day in the Gregorian calendar? Response: 1 January In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Day is the first day of the calendar year, 1 January. Source: Wikipedia, “New Year's Day”
2. 200 January is named after which Roman god of gateways and beginnings? Response: Janus In pre-Christian Rome, under the Julian calendar, the day was dedicated to Janus, god of gateways and beginnings, for whom January is also named. Source: Wikipedia, “New Year's Day”
3. 300 What do we call a promise to do better that a person makes as the year begins? Response: a New Year's resolution A New Year's resolution is a tradition, most common in the Western World but also found in the Eastern World, in which a person resolves to continue good practices, change an undesired trait or behavior, accomplish a personal goal, or otherwise improve their behaviour at the beginning of a calendar year. Source: Wikipedia, “New Year's resolution”
4. 400 Which ancient people held a 12-day New Year festival called Akitu? Response: the Babylonians Around 2000 B.C., the Babylonians celebrated the New Year during a 12-day festival called Akitu (starting with the vernal equinox). Source: Wikipedia, “New Year's resolution”
5. 500 Besides 1 March, 25 March and Easter, which winter date did parts of Christian Europe once use to start the year? Response: 25 December From Roman times until the mid-18th century, the new year was celebrated at various stages and in various parts of Christian Europe on 25 December, on 1 March, on 25 March and on the movable feast of Easter. Source: Wikipedia, “New Year's Day”

Parades and Parties

1. 100 In which California city is the Rose Parade held on New Year's Day? Response: Pasadena The Rose Parade, also known as the Tournament of Roses Parade (or simply the Tournament of Roses), is an annual parade held mostly along Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California, United States, on New Year's Day (or on Monday, January 2 if New Year's Day falls on a Sunday). Source: Wikipedia, “Rose Parade”
2. 200 Which college football game follows the Rose Parade in the afternoon? Response: the Rose Bowl The parade is followed in the afternoon by the Rose Bowl, one of the major bowl games in college football. Source: Wikipedia, “Rose Parade”
3. 300 Besides marching bands and riders on horseback, what kind of floats fill the Rose Parade? Response: flower-covered floats Produced by the non-profit Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, the parade usually starts at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time (UTC–8), and includes flower-covered floats, marching bands, and equestrian units. Source: Wikipedia, “Rose Parade”
4. 400 Many Christians go to what kind of church service on New Year's Eve? Response: a watchnight service Many Christians attend a watchnight service to mark the occasion. Source: Wikipedia, “New Year's Eve”
5. 500 When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, on which day is the Rose Parade held? Response: Monday, January 2 The Rose Parade, also known as the Tournament of Roses Parade (or simply the Tournament of Roses), is an annual parade held mostly along Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California, United States, on New Year's Day (or on Monday, January 2 if New Year's Day falls on a Sunday). Source: Wikipedia, “Rose Parade”

Final round: Bells on the Air

Japan's New Year's Eve temple bells were nearly forgotten until broadcasts in which medium spread the custom again? Response: radio According to Hirayama Noboru of Kanagawa University, the custom of Joya no Kane was mostly forgotten by the Meiji era, but it spread throughout Japan again in the early Showa era through radio broadcasts. Source: Wikipedia, “Joya no Kane”