New Year
When did the first Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball drop?
A) 1899
B) 1907
C) 1919
D) 1925
1907
Where was the first recorded decorated Christmas tree in history?
Riga, Latvia (1510)
In which Riga park did streamer IShowSpeed bake bread and plant a tree during his visit to Latvia?
A) Forest Park
B) Arkādija Park
C) Esplanade Park
D) Victory Park
D) Victory Park (Uzvaras parks)
In which year did World War II end?
1945
In the episode of Friends ‘The One with the Holiday Armadillo’, who dresses up as an armadillo?
Ross Geller
What food is traditionally eaten in Spain at midnight on New Year’s Eve?
A) Churros
B) Grapes
C) Paella
D) Jamón
E) Raisins
Grapes
What are the colour of mistletoe berries?
White
During the protests in Latvia against withdrawing from the Istanbul Convention, what were people encouraged to bring with them?
A) Pots and pans
B) Latvian flags
C) Whistles
D) Musical instruments
Pots, pans, and other noise-making kitchen tools
Who was the first President of Latvia, elected in 1922?
Jānis Čakste
Special challenge!
How many of the world’s oceans can your team name?
the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern (Antarctic), and Arctic Oceans.
What type of calendar did early humans use before the invention of modern solar calendars?
A) Solar calendar
B) Egyptian Solar Calendar
C) Roman calendar
D) Lunar calendar
“Lunar Calendar.” - Because early humans (long before writing) used the moon phases to track time.
What name is given to small sausages wrapped in bacon, a staple at a British Christmas dinner?
A) Turkey Twisters
B) Pigs in Blankets
C) Holiday Sausage Wraps
D) Bacon Roll-Ups
B) Pigs in Blankets
Special challenge! This year is our final year of the Middle Years Programme. Which team can name the most IB Learner Profile traits?
Inquirer, Knowledgeable, Thinker, Communicator, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Risk-taker, Balanced, Reflective
Why is the White House white?
A) the color white symbolizes purity and goodness
B) President John Adams, who first lived there, wanted the house to match the white peonies in his garden.
C) Because the stone walls were coated in whitewash to protect the soft sandstone from weather damage.
D) White was the President’s personal favourite colour.
C
What is the deepest point in the ocean called?
Mariana Trench
Which country has a New Year’s tradition of throwing old furniture out the window?
A) Brazil
B) Argentina
C) Greece
D) South Africa
South Africa
Which team can name the most of Santa’s reindeer (plural)?
Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid,
Donder (often spelled Donner today), Blitzen, Rudolph.
Before going on stage at Eurovision, what special ritual do Tautumeitas perform?
A) They shout “Uga Buga!” while stomping on the floor
B) They form a circle and count from 10 to 1 in a high-pitched voice
C) They hum their chorus backwards for good luck
D) They put their hands together, lift them into the air, and shout “Šumbalumba!”
D) «Mēs saliekam kopā rokas un pēc tam, ceļot tās gaisā, sakām: «Šumbalumba.» Šis vārds neko nenozīmē, bet tas mūs sasmīdina, satuvina un tādā veidā arī atbrīvo,» skaidro Moiseja.
Before it became the famous art museum we know today, what was the Louvre used as?
A) A royal zoo where kings kept exotic animals
B) A school for young nobles and princes from all over Europe
C) A medieval fortress built to defend Paris
D) A marketplace where artists sold paintings
medieval fortress
Name all the planets in our Solar System.
1. Mercury
2. Venus
3. Earth
4. Mars 5. Jupiter 6. Saturn 7. Uranus 8. Neptune
What percentage of people keep their New Year’s resolutions for a full year?
A) 6%
B) 8%
C) 9%
D) 12%
Around 8%
The song “Jingle Bells” was originally written to celebrate what holiday?
A) Thanksgiving
B) New Year’s Eve
C) Christmas
D) Winter Solstice
E) St. Nicholas Day
F) The Feast of the Three Kings (Epiphany)
Thanksgiving
Which Latvian mayor in 2025 failed to receive security clearance?
A) Rēzekne
B) Liepāja
C) Ogre
D) Jūrmala
E) Rīga
Jūrmala - Gatis Truksnis resigned in 2025 because he did not receive the required security clearance (“pielaide valsts noslēpumam”) from the State Security Service. Without this clearance, he could not legally access classified information needed for his position, so he stepped down even though he plans to challenge the decision.
The sculpture “Divi Raiņi”, symbolizing Rainis’ ideas echoing across time and inviting personal reflection, was installed in which Latvian city?
A) Liepāja
B) Jelgava
C) Daugavpils
D) Rīga
D) Rīga - «Divi Raiņi» ir divas, identiskas formas ziņā, bet dažādas pēc izmēra, Raiņa skulptūras uz soliņa.
What is fog?
A) A cloud of dust that forms above mountains
B) A cloud of tiny water droplets at ground level
C) Steam rising from warm water
D) A type of rain that hasn’t fallen yet
A cloud of tiny water droplets at ground level that reduces visibility to less than 1,000 meters