Around the World
Switzerland has been involved in this number of World Wars.
Answer: What is zero? Switzerland is the country with the oldest policy of neutrality in terms of armed global wars. They are not alone. Austria, Ireland, and Costa Rica have similar policies.
These root vegetables are often confused with yams.
Answer: What are sweet potatoes? Sweet potatoes are indigenous to North America, and yams come from Africa. Did you know that sweet potatoes were originally white or yellow on the inside? They have been hybridized to give them their orange color.
Winter begins on this date in the northern hemisphere.
Answer: What is December 21 or 22? In the northern hemisphere, the first day of winter is known as the winter solstice. It’s the shortest day of the year.
The 2022 Winter Olympics are being held in this city.
Answer: What is Beijing? Did you know the Winter Olympics have never been held in the southern hemisphere?
Presidents’ Day was originally created to honor this president.
Answer: Who is George Washington? Rutherford B. Hayes established Presidents’ Day.
The longest street in the world is claimed by this North American country.
(Bonus: how long is the street?)
Answer: What is Canada? The street is Yonge Street, located in Toronto. It’s 1,178 miles long and runs from Lake Shore in Toronto to Rainy River, which is on the Ontario/Minnesota border.
This bright root vegetable is said to be good for the eyes.
Answer: What is carrot? It contains carotene and vitamins A and K.
Winter officially ends in this month in the northern hemisphere.
Answer: What is March? After the first of the year, you’ll begin to notice the days grow longer as we head toward spring.
The five rings on the Olympic flag represent this.
Answer: What is participating continents? The intersecting circles represent friendship.
Instead of falling on the same date every year, Presidents’ Day falls on this day of the week
Answer: What is Monday? It falls on the third Monday of February. People were requesting a holiday to honor Abraham Lincoln, so they changed Washington’s Birthday to Presidents’ Day in 1971 as part of the Uniform Holiday Monday Act.
The people of this U.S. territory have voted to become the 51st state three times.
Answer: What is Puerto Rico? Did you know that Americans who work in Puerto Rico for the entire year and derive their income solely from Puerto Rican enterprises do not have to pay federal income taxes?
This licorice-tasting root vegetable is topped with dill-like fronds.
Answer: What is fennel? You can eat it raw in salads or roast it and top it with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. The fronds can be used like any other fresh herb.
This is the coldest CONTINTENTAL state in the United States.
Answer: Of the continental states, Montana registered -70 in 1954. If you are looking to escape to someplace warmer, there is only one state to never have a negative temperature. Hawaii's low is a balmy 15.
The first Winter Games were held in this European country.
Answer: What is France? They were held in 1924 in Chamonix (shah-muh-NEE).
He was the first president to live in the White House and the second president of the United States.
Answer: Who is John Adams? George Washington chose the location but did not live there.
This continent in the southern hemisphere is the only continent in the world with no active volcanic activity.
Answer: What is Australia? Even though Australia has roughly 150 volcanoes, they are all categorized as dormant or extinct. None have erupted in the last 4,000 to 5,000 years.
Vidalia is one of the sweetest and mildest varieties of this root vegetable.
Answer: What is onion? Many Vidalia onions are grown in Georgia and are low in sulfur.
Couples are twice as likely to split up between the year-end holidays of Christmas and New Year’s and this next winter-time holiday.
Answer: What is Valentine’s Day? It is believed the stress of the holidays and low energy during winter causes moodiness that leads to this tendency.
This Scandinavian country has won the most gold medals during all the Winter Olympics.
Answer: What is Norway? Before 2022’s Winter Games, it had won 329 medals, with the United States coming in second place with 282. The Norwegians have won 107 of the medals for cross-country skiing.
George Herbert Walker Bush did not like this vegetable and, quite famously, let everyone know it.
Answer: What is broccoli? The running joke about his dislike of broccoli started when he said that workers in the Office of Personnel Management would get merit pay “in broccoli.”
At its closest point, Alaska is just three miles from this country.
Answer: What is Russia? The Bering Strait separates two islands, one belonging to each country.
These little, red-skinned, crunchy jewels are often sliced thin and added to salads.
Answer: What are radishes? They contain fiber as well as vitamin C.
Sunsets are more dramatic during the winter due to the lack of this.
Answer: What is humidity (or moisture, etc.)? The moisture-free air allows the sun to shine more vividly.
These four-legged mammals aided humans in a demonstration sledding event at the 1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.
Answer: What are dogs? The demonstration event was dog sledding. Canada took the gold medal in the event.
He won a Pulitzer Prize for his book Profiles in Courage.
Answer: Who is John F. Kennedy? He wrote it in 1956 while convalescing after back surgery, and it highlights men who played a role during critical points in American history. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1957.