Quiz! Dark Christmas

Curious Quiz, December 2024

As the days darken and Yuletide approaches, it’s time to light an advent candle and gather around the decorated tree. Christmas has long been associated with ghost stories, but how well do you know you dark Christmas facts?

There is no hidden connection this time, but do check out some of my previous quizzes if want another challenge. Scroll down for hints and further down for answers and let me know in the comments how you did. The first person to get full marks wins a Curious Quiz award valued approx. one figgy pudding.

Questions

1. Who directed The Nightmare Before Christmas?

2. In which children’s novel does Father Christmas return after a long period of banishment?

3. In 1950 the Austrian government printed pamphlets warning the public about the bad effects on the mental health of children caused by what frightening traditional Christmas character?

4. In The Nutcracker, what kind of animal is the villainous king?

5. Which side of the English Civil War used Father Christmas as a symbol of their cause?

6. Every Christmas in Slottstorget Castle Square in Gävle, Sweden, a giant straw effigy of which animal is burned?

7. Ignorance and Want are the names of two allegorical children who appear briefly in which nineteenth century Christmas-themed story?

8. Terrifier 3 is the first Christmas instalment in the disgustingly violent Terrifier series, but what is its central antagonist actually called?

9. In Ukraine, which creepy crawly was said to have decorated a poor widow’s Christmas tree with silver and gold?

10. What Christmas artefact might you find in the Basilica of Saint Nicholas?

Hints

1. It’s not Tim Burton.

2. Tolkien complained that it didn’t make sense for him to appear in this fantasy world.

3. He has a long tongue and horns.

4. He is only menacing because Clara has shrunk to the size of a toy soldier.

5. The two sides of the war were the Parliamentarians (Roundheads) and the Royalists (Cavaliers).

6. It’s an animal often associated with witchcraft in European legend.

7. There are ghosts in this story too.

8. It’s ‘something the Clown’ and it’s both an abbreviated man’s name and a subject you study at school.

9. It’s a creature that might decorate your tree too — though I doubt the sunlight will turn its traces into precious metals as it does in the story.

10. Mentioning this to your children might spoil their Christmas.

Answers

1. Henry Selick.

2. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis

3. Krampus. The pamphlet was called ‘Krampus Is an Evil Man.’

4. Mouse.

5. The Royalists. He came to represent tradition whereas Cromwell (head of the Parliamentarians) had abolished Christmas.

6. A goat.

7. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

8. Art the Clown.

9. This is the ‘Legend of the Christmas Spider.’ Ukrainian trees are decorated with cobweb ornaments for this reason.

10. The bones of Saint Nicholas.

How did you do? Did you get them all right? Let me know how you did below and remember to subscribe for more quizzes like this and share/recommend this Substack to help it grow.