Vocab
What is the night before New Year’s called?
New Year’s Eve
Who will be the next president of the United States?
Joseph R Biden
In Spain on New Year’s Eve, people place 12 of this fruit in their mouth, one for each ring of the midnight bell.
Grapes
Finish this common phrase that people say for New Year’s: New Year, New ______?
Me/ You
What plant is used to make a Kadomatsu tree?
Bamboo, pine or ume
What kind of drink is a “glass of bubbly”? Hint - it’s alcoholic
Champagne
What month are the Tokyo 2021 Olympics set to begin?
July
In the Philippines, people use as many round things as possible - round clothes, round food - in order to invite what into their lives?
Money!
What is the common word for a New Year’s goal?
A Resolution
2021 is the Year of the Ox, according to the Chinese zodiac. What animal will represent 2023?
Rabbit
What is a sparkler? Hint - it is bright and you see it at parties
A firework!
Eurovision, the largest talent show in Europe, will be held in the Netherlands in May. What talent do people demonstrate at Eurovision?
Singing
In Denmark, people celebrate New Year’s by throwing kitchen crockery at the doors of their house. What is crockery?
Hard items used for holding food and drink: cups, bowls, plates
What is the most common New Year’s Resolution?
Getting fit / exercising / losing weight
In Japan, Buddhist temples ring in the New Year by ringing their bells how many times?
108
When does the New Year’s Countdown start?
23:59:50
What company developed the coronavirus vaccine?
Pfizer
What South American country celebrates the Takanakuy festival at New Year’s - an event where people beat each other up in bare-knuckle fights!
Peru
Out of 10 people, how many are thought to actually keep their Resolution?
1!
The Kagami mochi is topped with a 代々, for which the Japanese word for the colour orange comes. What is the word for 代々 in English?
Tangerine
At New Year’s, people try to “turn over a new leaf”. What do you think this means?
To do things differently and better.
NASA’s new Mars rover robot, Perseverance, will touch down on the red planet in February. What does perseverance mean?
The ability to continue: ganbaru, gaman
In South America, they like to colour and wear a particular item of clothing to welcome love, wealth and peace for the New Year? What kind of clothing is it?
Their underwear!
The practice of making New Year’s Goals began over 4,000 years ago in the Middle East. What country first did it? Hint: it was the first civilization to develop writing.
Bablyon / Mesopotamia
Nowadays, Oshougatsu falls on the 1st day of the Gregorian calendar - January 1st. What was the name of the old calendar system that Oshougatsu was calculated from?
Tenpo (天保)