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April - month of showers, in some areas of the world at least.
It's also the month of Easter, eggs, taxes...
What do you know of the customs and festivals of April?"
Test your trivia knowledge and find out!
(Answers appear when you hover over the Easter Basket
at the end of each question... but NO FAIR PEEKING!
Answers are also given at the end of the questions,
in the event some tricky rabbit stole them!)
The chocolate eggs will be in the shops before we know it, but is that really all Easter is about?
1. Easter is always in April. True or False?
2. What is the true meaning of Easter?
A) Every year the Easter bunny would give eggs to good kids
B) The Easter bunny got shot by a hunter
C) The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ
D) The celebration of the Passover
3. What are the 40 days before Easter known as?
A) Spring Equinox
B) Groundhog month
C) Spring fever
D) Lent
4. The word “Lent” means:
A) To live without
B) To let go
C) Lengthening of days
D) To live again
5. What does Palm Sunday celebrate?
A) A traditional Roman festival when dates were eaten
B) A traditional Jewish festival when people laid fresh palms in their homes on their floors
C) Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a colt
D) Jesus riding into Bethlehem on a donkey
6. For how many pieces of silver did Judas Iscariot betray Jesus?
A) 30
B) 20
C) 25
D) 100
7. What does Gethsemane mean?
A) Place of the Skull
B) Press of oils
C) Beautiful garden
D) Olive grove
8. Whom did Pilate release instead of Jesus?
A) Saul of Tarsus
B) Judas
C) Paul
D) Barabbas
9. What color was the cloak that Jesus wore when he went to the cross?
A) Purple
B) White
C) Green
D) Black
10. Who helped Jesus carry his cross?
A) Simon of Cyrene
B) Simon the Zealot
C) Joseph of Arimathea
D) Saul of Tarsus
11. Calvary is one name of the hill on which Jesus was crucified. True or False
12. What does Golgotha mean?
A) Crucifixion Hill
B) Place of the Skeleton
C) Death Mound
D) Place of the Skull
13. Which criminal accepted Jesus before he died?
A) The one on His left
B) The one on His right
C) Both
D) Neither
14. What was written above Jesus' head on the cross?
A) King of Kings
B) King of the Jews
C) King of the World
D) Son of God
15. What language was the message on the cross written in?
A) Latin
B) Hebrew
C) Greek
D) All of these
16. In whose tomb was Jesus buried?
A) Joseph’s (Jesus’ earthly father)
B) Pilate’s
C) His own tomb
D) Joseph of Arimathea
17. Who rolled away the stone from the mouth of the grave in which Jesus had been placed?
A) The gardener
B) Joseph of Arimathea
C) A soldier
D) An angel
18. How many people saw Jesus after He rose again?
A) 12 (His Apostles)
B) 24
C) 150
D) 500
19. The Easter lamb represents:
A) The blood that the Hebrews had to put on their doors so the angel of death would pass over them
B) Jesus, who is called the “Lamb of God” in the Bible
C) Superstition said a lamb is good luck
D) All of the above
20. The Easter lily symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus because:
A) It blooms in the spring
B) It emerges from a shell buried in the earth
C) It’s white and pure
D) All of the above
21. On which day is it traditional to make pancakes?
A) Ash Wednesday
B) Good Friday
C) Maundy Thursday
D) Shrove Tuesday
22. If you do this to an egg, it is said to protect you against lightning, hail and beehives.
A) Bury it in your garden or yard
B) Set it on your doorstep
C) Hang it in a sock or stocking from the nearest bush or tree
D) Throw it as far as you can in the air (outside, of course) and leave it where it drops
23. How long will a boiled egg keep in the refrigerator?
A) 24 hours
B) 3 days
C) 1 week
D) They don’t need refrigeration once cooked
24. Marshmallow candy that looks like baby chickens are called:
A) Peeps
B) Mallo-chix
C) Gummy Chicks
D) Chix
25. Purple is a common color for Easter. In the ancient world, the purple dye came from where?
A) Violets
B) Grapes
C) Shellfish
D) Crushed amethysts
26. In which country did April Fools' Day originate?
A) England
B) Italy
C) Germany
D) France
27. In the country it originated in you don't say 'April Fool' you say April ___'?
A) Donkey
B) Mule
C) Shower
D) Fish
28. April the first was at one time this day at the beginning of the year.
A) Good Friday
B) Easter Sunday
C) New Year’s Day
D) First Day of Spring
29. In which country are you called an 'April gowk' rather than an 'April Fool? If you're a Sassenach, you might not know this?
A) Canada
B) Ireland
C) Scotland
D) Australia
30. April is named for a Latin word - aprilis. What does it mean?
A) To get warmer
B) To rain
C) To open
D) To bloom
31. What is the gem associated with April?
A) Ruby
B) Jade
C) Diamond
D) Sapphire
32. Which of these flowers is considered the flower for April?
A) Rose
B) Daisy
C) Dandelion
D) Bluebell
33. This day, created to make people aware of environmental problems, was first celebrated internationally on April 22, 1970. What day is it?
34. The Anglo-American poet T. S. Eliot wrote 'April is the --------- month' What is the missing word?
A) Loveliet
B) Prettiest
C) Wettest
D) Cruellest
35. Which of the following disasters occurred in April?
A)
The
sinking of the Titanic
B)
The
eruption of Mount Vesuvius
C)
The
Black Death (plague) began in Europe
D)
The
Johnstown Flood
36.
Which event in U.S. history happened in April, 1865?
A)
The
first three amendments to the Constitution are added
B)
The
Metropolitan Museum of Art is founded in New York
C)
Webster's Dictionary is first published
D) General Lee surrenders to General Grant, thus ending the Civil War
37. In
April, 1877, what event made White House history?
A)
Third
floor added
B)
First
Easter Egg Hunt on the White House lawn
C)
Oval
Office made into the president's private office
D)
Secret
Service protection added for the first time
38. In the U.S., what happens in April more than in any other month?
A) Births of female infants
B) Hijackings
C) Marriages
D) Tornadoes
39. World Health Day is April 7. According to the Nutrition Pyramid, which food group should be eaten sparingly?
A) Fruits
B) Bread, cereal, pasta
C) Fats, oils, sweets
D) Vegetables
40. April is California Earthquake Preparedness Month. How are earthquakes measured?
A) By amount of damage
B) Very carefully
C) In degrees
D) On the Richter scale
41. Hans Christian Anderson was born April 1, 1805. Which of the following did he NOT write?
A) The Ugly Duckling
B) The Emperor’s New Suit
C) The Real Princess
D) The Brementown Musicians
42. April is Math Education Month. Which of the following does NOT describe pi?
A) A Greek letter
B) An irrational number
C) 3.14
D) A dessert with apples in it
43. On April 2, 1902, people could pay a dime and go under a tent in Los Angeles to see what for the first time?
A) The first automobile
B) A moving picture
C) A sideshow at the carnival
D) None of the above
44. On April 3, 1860, the first Pony Express riders left from Saint Joseph, Missouri, for San Francisco. How long did it take a letter to get to the West Coast?
A) Three days
B) Seven and a half days
C) 2 weeks
D) 1 month
45. The week of April 18-24 is National Sky Awareness Week. Since 1991, more than 40 states have issued proclamations in support of this growing celebration. Which of the following is the official theme of National Sky Awareness Week 1999?
A) The Sky: Where Meteorology and Astronomy Meet
B) The Sky: If It Were Green, You Wouldn't Know When to Stop Mowing
C) The Sky: A Window to Heaven
D) The Sky: Kissing the Ground for 10 Million Years
46. In June of 1995, a bizarre annual contest was held in England. One contestant played "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" to achieve what goal?
A) To prove that an entire song could be played on a recorder through one's nose with one breath of air
B) To draw worms out of the ground
C) To satisfy the "talent" requirement for an all-drag Paul Newman look-alike contest
D) To accompany his partner's attempt to gather stormclouds with his raindance
47. He fought the law and the law won… In March of 1992, the U.S. Tax Court ruled in favor of the Internal Revenue Service that Irwin Schiff would have to pay $92,000 in back taxes and penalties. Irwin Schiff is famous for authoring what book?
A) "I'm OK, You're Getting Audited by the IRS"
B) "How Anyone Can Stop Paying Income Taxes"\
C) "Everything You've Always Wanted to Know about the IRS But Were Afraid to Ask"
D) "Taxes Shmaxes"
48. God Bless America! In October of 1995, the estate of Stanley S. Newberg donated $5.6 million to the U.S. Department of Justice as thanks for accepting his family as immigrants from Austria in 1906. Based on the Federal budget of nearly 5 years ago, what portion of 1995's total government spending did Mr. Newberg's $5.6 million cover?
A) 2 minutes
B) 2 hours
C) 2 days
D) 2 weeks
49. Head ‘em up and move ‘em out! President Clinton had always been eager to trim the taxes of the American people. After being shocked to learn that there were 100,000 cattle guards in Colorado, President Clinton ordered the Secretary of the Interior to fire half of them immediately. What are cattle guards?
A) High-frequency whistles on trucks to frighten cattle off the roads
B) Ranch hands hired to patrol herds of cattle
C) Containment devices that vehicles, but not cattle, can cross
D) Barbed-wire fences
50. Interesting things that have been taxed include:
A) Bachelors (England in 1695 A.D., and Missouri in 1820 A.D.)
B) Beards (Russia, 1702 A.D.)
C) Cooking Oil (Ancient Egypt, approximately 2000 B.C.)
D) Souls (Russia, approximately 1682 A.D.)
E) Urine (Rome, 1 A.D.)
F) A and C
G) B and D
H) All of the above
I) None of the above
1. False – Easter is a moveable feast. It can be as early as March 22. The latest date it can be is April 25. Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the first full moon that occurs on or after March 21.
2. C) The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ - You could find out more about this in the Bible. (Matthew chapter 27)
3. D) Lent - Lent lasts for forty days before Easter, excluding Sundays, as they are considered to be 'festival' days. It begins on Ash Wednesday, the day after Shrove Tuesday. In the Catholic Church it ends on Maundy Thursday, whereas in the Anglican Church it ends on Easter Eve. Lent is a season of restricting the diet, as opposed to strict fasting. Nowadays people give up certain foods that they enjoy; in the past they would have given up meat, eggs, butter, fish and oil, amongst other things. Jesus went into the wilderness for forty days to fast and pray before beginning his ministry.
4. C) Lengthening days
5. C) Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a colt - Palm Sunday (also known as Passion Sunday) is the Sunday before Easter and is the starting-point of the passion story. In the Revised English Bible, Mark 11 v7, it says that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt: 'So they brought the colt to Jesus, and when they had spread their cloaks on it he mounted it.'
6. A) 30 - In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 26 verse 15 it describes how Judas went to the Chief Priests and they weighed out thirty pieces of silver for him. Judas later realized what he had done and no longer wanted the money, so it was used to buy the Potter's Field (also known as the Blood Acre) where foreigners were buried. The thirty pieces of silver as the price on Jesus' head had been prophesied by Jeremiah.
7. B) Press of oils - The Garden of Gethsemane is on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives, and so was planted with many olive trees (It is believed that some of those trees still produce olives today.) and had lots of olive presses as well. Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane after singing the Passover hymns, to pray. It was in this garden that they came to arrest him, following Judas' betrayal.
8. D) Barabbas - Every Passover the Roman Government would release the criminal that the people chose. Jesus wasn't a criminal, but people thought of Him as one. The people chose Barabbas to release.
9. A) Purple - In John 19 v2 and v5 it describes the cloak as purple; the soldiers put the cloak on Jesus after he had been flogged, along with a crown of thorns. Purple was an expensive colour dye to produce, and so was only worn by those rich enough to afford it. It is significant that Jesus was dressed in this royal colour at this time. The Romans chose this colour robe because they said he claimed to be king. This could also be a reason for the soldiers drawing lots for Jesus' clothes after his death. In church now, purple is the colour of Advent and Lent, as Christians prepare for their King.
10. A) Simon of Cyrene - Simon of Cyrene is named as the father of Alexander and Rufus (Mark 15 v21), although it is not known who Alexander and Rufus were. As Jesus had undergone so much suffering, he was in no fit state to carry his own cross, so the soldiers pressed Simon of Cyrene into service. This may have been common practice, as a huge cross would have been very weighty for even the strongest man.
11. True - Calvary (or Golgotha) was the hill that Jesus and two criminals were crucified on. It was called Calvary in one gospel, whereas it was called Golgotha in another.
12. D) Place of the Skull - It was called this because of all the people who died there.
13. B) The one on His right - Jesus told him that on that very day would he see Him in Heaven.
14. B) King of the Jews - Pilate told them to put this above His head because he truly was the King of the Jews. Part of this inscription was found.
15. D) All of these - Pilate wanted everyone to be able to read it.
16. D) Joseph of Arimathea, who also wrapped him in cloth and prepared Him for burial.
17. D) An angel - Matthew 28 v2 says, "Suddenly there was a violent earthquake; an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone, and sat down on it." The importance of Easter exceeds that of Christmas in the minds of Christians, because of the significance of the resurrection.
18. D) 500 - He appeared many times after He had risen.
19. E) All of the above
20. B) It emerges from a shell buried in the earth - The shell represents the tomb of Jesus, and the flower that blooms represents life after death.
21. D) Shrove Tuesday – Pancakes were made to use up the last of the eggs and butter before the Lenten fast. People would feast on meat and other rich foods, hence the name Mardi Gras – or Fat Tuesday – in French. The absence of eggs from the fasting diet could also have some part in the association of eggs with Easter.
22. A) Bury it in your garden or yard
23. C) 1 week – always keep them in the fridge!
24. A) Peeps
25. C) Shellfish (crushed) from the Mediterranean Sea
26. D) France
27. D) Fish (this is the English translation, of course) – Poisson d’Avril in French.
28. C) New Year’s Day
29. C) Scotland – To the Scots, a Sassenach is an English person. A gowk is a foolish person.
30. C) To open – Some also think April is named for Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love.
31. C) Diamond
32. B) Daisy – Some sources also consider the sweet pea as also being April’s flower.
33. Earth Day – Earth Day started as a student movement and was originally held on March 21.
34. D) Cruellest – These are the opening words of “The Waste Land”
35. A)
The sinking of the Titanic on
April 15, 1912
36. D) General Lee surrenders to General Grant, thus ending the Civil War
37. B) First Easter Egg Hunt on the White House lawn
38. D) Tornadoes
39. C) Fats, oils, sweets
40. E) On the Richter scale
41. D) The Brementown Musicians
42. D) A dessert with apples in it
43. B) A moving picture
44. B) Seven and a half days
45. A) The Sky: Where Meteorology and Astronomy Meet - This year recognizes the 9th annual celebration of National Sky Awareness Week. Organizers encourage everyone to look up at the many "things" in the sky such as birds, airplanes, and hot-air balloons.
46. B) To draw worms out of the ground - The contestant was competing in the 16th Annual World Worm-Charming Championship in England. Typically in this contest, garden forks or other tools are vibrated in the soil by competitors to coax up the worms. The world record is 511 worms in 30 minutes.
47. B) "How Anyone Can Stop Paying Income Taxes" – Schiff’s failed theory was that the IRS lacked the authority to tax anyone who did not file a return. Prior to losing his case, he had not paid taxes since 1973.
48. A) 2 minutes - Mr. Newberg's bequest would pay for even less today. As of April 1999, the national DEBT alone is in excess of $5.66 TRILLION. Today, Mr. Newberg's contribution would pay for about 5 minutes of INTEREST accrued on our outstanding debt.
49. C) Containment devices that vehicles, but not cattle, can cross - According to several published reports, before the cattle guards could be terminated (and before Clinton found out they were inanimate objects), Colorado Congresswoman Pat Schroeder requested that the cattle guards receive six months of retraining.
50. H) All of the above - Bachelors (England in 1695 A.D., and Missouri in 1820 A.D.); Beards (Russia, 1702 A.D.); Cooking Oil (Ancient Egypt, approximately 2000 B.C.); Souls (Russia, approximately 1682 A.D.); Urine (Rome, 1 A.D.). Besides taxing beards and souls, Peter the Great of Russia also taxed: hats, boots, beehives, basements, chimneys, food, clothing, birth, marriage, and burial.
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