Board Games
Toys
Christmas Music
Christmas Traditions
New Year's Traditions
100

What battery-powered board game has pieces called “bread basket,” “spare ribs,” “water on the knee,” and “funny bone"?

Operation


100

Yusheng Du, Max Park, and Feliks Zemdegs have all held the world record for the fastest time to "solve" what toy that was invented by a professor of architecture in 1974?

3x3x3 Rubik's Cube


100

According to Frederic Austin in his 1909 song "The Twelve Days of Christmas," his true love sent him one partridge in a pear tree, two turtle doves, and eventually 12 of what?

Drummers Drumming

100

In what country does Saint Nicholas is entirely different from Santa Claus. Over there, Saint Nicholas is a separate gift-giver that nods to the religious version of Santa and leaves small presents, such as coins and fruit, in the shoes of good children on the night of December 5th. But if they were naughty, children could wake up to find sticks, twigs, or switches in their shoes instead! 

German

100

In Spain, a tradition in the first seconds of the New Year is to quickly eat 12 uvas for good luck. In English, what fruit are uvas?

Grapes

200

What board game sees players searching Tudor Manor, the home of the recently deceased Boden 'Boddy' Black Jr?

Clue


200

When it was first sold in 1945, what classic stair-walking spring toy cost about $1, but was so popular that customers were willing to pay more when steel prices went up?

Slinky


200

Where is Santa Claus comin’ to, according to the 1930s Christmas standard written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie? The song tells the audience that they better watch out, and they better not cry.

Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town

200

While Christmas isn’t exactly a huge holiday there, some people do celebrate it, with Christmas Day feasts consisting of none other than buckets of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Not only is Colonel Sanders now synonymous with Santa Claus, but the brand even purveys Christmas-themed “Party Barrels” to mark the tradition. They include salad, cake, and plenty of fried chicken. what is the country

Japan

200

Literally meaning “new day”, Nowruz is the new year in the Solar Hijri calendar. The Solar Hijri calendar is the official calendar of which country, the second largest in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia?

 Iran

300

Although you might not know their names, you'll recognize their images. What classic board game features characters on its board officially named Jake the Jailbird (who is interminably in jail) and Officer Edgar Mallory?

Monopoly


300

The "Tickle Me" version of what Sesame Street character was the "it" toy of the 1996 holiday season, causing some shoppers to resort to violence to obtain the coveted toy?

Elmo


300

José Feliciano has recorded dozens and dozens of big hits; however, his most enduring track gets re-popularized every year and sports what two-word title that precedes “próspero año y felicidad” in the tune?

Feliz Navidad

300

In what country is it tradition on Christmas Eve, families don’t start eating dinner until someone spots the very first star shining in the sky. 

Poland

300

Literally meaning “head of the year”, what three-day holiday celebrates the Jewish New Year? In English it is sometimes referred to as the Feast of Trumpets.

Rosh Hashanah

400

What board game was originally created by Frenchman Albert Lamorisse and called "La Conquête du Monde" ("The Conquest of the World")? Parker Brothers purchased the rights to the game and launched it under its American name in 1959.

Risk


400

In 1968, Elliot Handler came up with what brand of toy cars as a competition to Matchbox? They are a two-word brand that starts with “H”, modeled as highly modified and fantastical, as opposed to realistic car toys.

Hot Wheels


400

What female rockabilly and country singer had a number of hits in the 1960s, with songs like “I’m Sorry” and “If You Love Me,” and crossed over into Christmas with the 1960 classic “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree?”

Brenda Lee

400

in _____ they serve a whopping 12 courses during their traditional Christmas feasts, and each one is dedicated to one of Jesus’ apostles. 

Ukraine

400

In Germany, New Year's Eve is known by what name that makes it sound like the star of the "Rocky" film franchise?

Silvester

500

Magnus Carlsen could tell you that the Sanskrit word chaturanga is the original word for what internationally famous board game which was invented in India?

Chess


500

According to a 1963 commercial, what toy uses "two-ordinary light bulbs and a special cooling chamber" to make "cakes, cookies, candy, brownies, pizza, pies, and biscuits"?

 Easy-Bake Oven


500

What popular singer of the 1960s with a romantic last name, who often sang for Phil Spector on songs like “He’s A Rebel”, recorded a Christmas standard in 1963 with “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)?

Darlene Love

500

Where do children leave mince pies  out for Santa instead of cookies.

England

500

Dressed in sequins and feathers, musicians known as Mummers parade down Broad Street in a New Year's Day tradition in what East Coast city?

Philadelphia

600

Created by Whit Alexander and Richard Tait in 1998, what “Board Game for Your Whole Brain” include themed characters such as Data Head, Word Worm, Creative Cat, and Star Performer?

Cranium


600

First sold in 1967 and still available today, what two-word toy has kids adorn a light panel with small colored pegs to produce different pictures and patterns?  

Lite-Brite


600

With over 10 million concert tickets sold, what band known for its featured string section, elaborate stage performances, extensive pyrotechnics, and Christmas-themed storylines was referred to by the Washington Post in 2007 as "an arena-rock juggernaut" and described their music as "Pink Floyd meets Yes and the Who at Radio City Music Hall?"

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

600

Pohutukawa is the official symbol of Christmas, often appearing in decorations and cards in what country?

New Zealand

600

What Southern rice dish considered lucky eatin' on  New Year's

Hoppin' John

700

Parker Brothers struck a deal with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's estate to namedrop "Sherlock Holmes" in early ads for what board game?

Clue


700

The Ohio Art toy company purchased the rights to manufacture l'Ecran magique ("the Magic Writer") and renamed the product to what more commonly-known name? The toy was released during 1960 and sold 600,000 units that first year, becoming one of the defining toys of the Baby Boom era.

Etch A Sketch


700

What holiday single, originally titled “The One-Horse Open Sleigh” by James Lord Pierpont in 1857, was the first song played in space in 1965 by Gemini 6A astronauts Walter Schirra and Tom Stafford?

Jingle Bells

700

where do Children place their shoes next to the fire so Santa (or “Sinterklaas”) will fill them with tiny gifts. Children also leave carrots in their shoes for Sinterklaas’ ride: a white horse named Amerigo. 

Netherlands

700

The ball that drops to commemorate New Year's Eve in Times Square, NYC, is covered in nearly 2,700 crystal triangles from what company named for a city in Ireland?

Waterford

800

Which board game involves climbing and falling down places at specific points?

Snakes and Ladders


800

While there have been many iterations since (“Extreme,” “Blast,” and “Beats” to name a few), the original version of the handheld audio game was released by Hasbro in 1996. What’s the toy’s name, which is also one of the commands it gives you?

Bop It


800

Famed for her five-octave vocal range, which American pop singer is known as "Songbird Supreme", "Queen of Melisma", and "Queen of Christmas?"

Mariah Carey

800

Historians say that the tradition of the “Yule Goat” goes all the way back to the 11th century, first appearing in Saint Nicholas lore as a goat figure that could ward off the devil. Nowadays, it’s often seen as an ornament on many Christmas trees. Some people even put giant versions of them in their yard as a holiday decorations in what country?

Sweden

800

Smashing plates on New Year's Eve is par for the course. In one tradition, people go around breaking dishware on the doorsteps of their friends and family. The more shards there are in front of your home the next day, the luckier and more well liked you are.in what country?

Denmark

900

Which board game involves a player asking an opponent about somebody's appearance?

Guess Who


900

What is the name of the 1998 toy released by Tiger Electronics that resembles either a hamster or an owl and spoke its own "language" that was gradually replaced by English?

Furby


900

"I played my best for him" and "He smiled at me" are both lyrics in what popular Christmas song that was first recorded in 1951 and details a poor young boy being summoned by the Magi to Jesus's birth?

The Little Drummer Boy

900

In ________, residents don’t head to church services in cars—but on roller skates. There are actually so many people who participate in this tradition that several city streets are closed to traffic on Christmas morning.

Caracas, Venezuela

900

in what country is New Year's dessert not just a treat, it's a game of chance. Guests eat vasilopita, or a cake or sweet bread that has a coin baked into it. Whoever finds the coin will have good luck for the next year! In Scandinavian countries, they do something similar with rice pudding 

Greece

1000

"Stained Glass of Sintra," "Summer Pavilion," and "Crystal Mosaic" are follow-up titles to what critically-acclaimed tile-laying board game released in 2017, which takes its title from the Portuguese word for "blue?"

Azul

1000

What was the first toy to be advertised on TV?

Mr. Potato Head 

On April 30, 1952


1000

The festive holiday phrase “‘tis the season” comes from the lyrics of what Christmas carol where you’d also find “boughs of holly,” “blazing yule,” and 52 “fa la, la, la, las,” give or take a couple?

Deck the Halls

1000

In _____, their version of Santa is named “Father Frost.” He doesn’t travel alone (specifically, with a “snow maiden”) and brings presents on January 7, which is when They celebrate Christmas

Russia

1000

On June 24, 2022, which stellar Māori New Year’s celebration was observed as a public holiday in New Zealand for the first time?

Matariki