As Winter's grip tightens, the days shorten and the nights lengthen. It is by these signs meteorological and astronomical that we discern that it is once again that season when periodicals offer their readers a quiz to while away the dark evenings of the mid-winter holidays.

This year the questions concern midwinter religious celebrations.
1 Chanukah, the Jewish festival of lights and dedication, is celebrated on? (John 10:22)
a) 25th Kislev
b) 1st Tishri
c) 14th Nissan
2 The Jewish month of Kislev is equivalent to which month in the Roman calendar?
a) April
b) May
c) December
d) January
3 When was Mithras' birthday, the Iranian hero/deity adopted by many Romans in the second century CE?
a) 25th Kislev
b) 25th December
c) Winter Solstice
d) Spring Equinox
4 When did pagan Romans celebrate the 'Birth of the Invincible Sun' (natalis solis invicti)?
a) 25th Kislev
b) 25th December
c) Winter Solstice
d) Spring Equinox
5 When did Christians begin to celebrate Jesus' birth of 25th December?
a) Within a decade of His crucifixion
b) During the first century CE
c) During the third century CE
d) During the fourth century CE
6 According to tradition, which of the following were conceived by a deity/god and born of woman?
a) Gautama Siddhartha (the Buddha)
b) Mithras
c) Jesus
d) Alexander of Macedon
e) All the above
7 Why are evergreen plants such as holly, ivy and fir trees associated with Christmas?
a) They look nicer than leafless twigs
b) They are symbols of regeneration/rebirth amongst death
c) Jesus' cross made from holly and fir
d) Jesus' manger was made from holly and fir
8 Who said 'I was to bring people off from Jewish ceremonies, and from heathenish fables'?
a) George Fox
b) St Nicholas
c) Pope John Paul II
d) Martin Luther

Advice (because you can't have a Query without an Advice)

Another testimony held by early Friends was that against the keeping of 'times and seasons'. We might understand this as part of the conviction that all of life is sacramental; that since all times are therefore holy, no time should be marked out as more holy; that what God has done for us should always be remembered and not only on the occasions named Christmas, Easter and Pentecost.
From Quaker faith & practice 27.42

Answers will be revealed in January 2008.

Remember folks, don't write in with your answers, its just for fun!

Labels: quiz