Sciences
Six! This is due to ice having a natural hexagonal crystalline structure.
How many candles are on the Hanukkah Menorah?
Nine! Eight candles symbolize the number of days that the Temple lantern blazed; the ninth, the Shamash, is a helper candle used to light the others.
Which popular winter activity is the basis for three Olympic sports?
Sledding! Luge, skeleton and bobsledding are all based on this kid friendly activity.
How many Ice Ages as the world had?
Five! They all have different names which are Huronian, Cryogenian, Andean-Saharan, Karoo and Quaternary.
Which peoples have over 50 words for snow in their language?
The Inuit! They have 50 words for snow, a fact that was discredited as pure speculation, and then confirmed as roughly accurate.
Besides weasels, foxes and some types of caribou, which animal turns their coat white for winter?
Hares! The color change is thought to be at least partially linked to photoperiod, which is the amount of light received during the day.
When was Kwanzaa founded?
1966! This holiday lasts a week from December 26th to January 1st.
Which fun winter sport was documented as being done as early as 5000 BCE (Before Common Era)?
Skiing! The oldest documented evidence of skiing is found in the region of Norway and Sweden from primitive carvings. Until the 1800's, skiing was primarily used only for transport.
When was the first ever photo recorded snowball fight?
1897! The picture shows the group of men and women engaging in the first ever recorded snowball fight and at one point, even a cyclist riding down the snow-covered street gets pelted and thrown off his bike.
Which planet besides earth has experienced snow storms?
Mars! It happens during the summer in the north.
Besides nuts and berries, what is a popular food for squirrels to store away for the winter?
Mushroom Jerky! Red squirrels seem to be the most creative with this treat
Where did the name Santa Claus originate from?
It’s from Sinterklaas, which means Saint Nicholas in Dutch, the language of the Netherlands!
Snowmen are a popular past time when outside in the cold months. Where in the world was the biggest recorded snowman built? (Hint: Central Europe)
Donnersbachwald, Austria! The whole town together built a giant snowman named Riesi, which reportedly reached 38.04 meters / 124.8 feet
Where did the deadliest blizzard take place? (hint: Southwest Asia)
Iran! It was a week-long period of low temperatures and severe winter storms, lasting 3–9 February 1972, resulted in the deaths of over 4,000 people.
Besides humans, which animal has been recorded enjoying participating in snowball fights?
Japanese macaques (snow monkeys)! Young macaques appear to enjoy stealing each others snowballs, then battling to retrieve them.
How fast can the average snowflake fall (use Kilometers per hour)?
7 kpm! Snowflakes can fall at a speed anywhere between a leisurely one to a breakneck 14 kpm, depending on the environmental conditions in the air as they drop.
Yule is a Pagan holiday that is thousands of years old and was originally celebrated as Jol. Which Yule tradition has been mainstreamed into current holiday culture, even being reused for the Christmas holiday?
Yule Log! It is thought that the original Yule log was a large log that burned throughout the entire multiday festival, for as many as 12 days. A popular modern take on the Yule log is a roulade-style cake decorated to look like a log.
When was the first Winter Olympics held?
1924! Around 250 athletes from 16 countries competed in Chamonix, France. There were 16 events, including cross-country skiing, ski jumping, and ice hockey.
1922 marks the year the only time measurable snow fell in the hottest place in the world. Where did this record snowfall take place? (Hint, its in the USA)
Death Valley, California! Official records note 0.5 inches of snow
Where did the most snow in a 24 hour period fall in the world? (hint: Europe)
Capracotta, Italy! The date was March 5th, 2015
Knowing that snowfall cannot occur outside of freezing temperatures, how far south can regular seasonal snow fall (use Longitude and Latitude)?
Latitude 35° North and 35° South.
Las Posadas is a holiday typically celebrated each year between December 16 and December 24. Celebrated by most Latin American countries, what are two countries that celebrate it?
Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Philippines, Nicaragua, Cuba, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador
Thought to have originated in Scandinavia as early as 1000 BCE, ice skating has become one of the most popular winter activities. What were the first skates made out of?
Rib bones of elk, oxen, and reindeer! It is not known when exactly a metal runner was introduced, but early Dutch prints depict skates with metal blades.
What was the coldest temperature recorded on earth?
-53.6 Celsius! This was recorded on July 21, 1983 at the Russian operated Vostok station on Antarctica.
What is the fear of snow called?
Chionophobia! It derives from the Greek word for snow Chion.