Question 1

In which city is the famous New Year's Eve ball dropped?

Accepted Answer

New York City. The ball descends the flagpole on One Times Square in the final minute of the year.

Question 2

In which year did the first Times Square ball drop take place?

Accepted Answer

1907, ushering in 1908. The New York Times organised it after the city banned the fireworks display it had used for the previous few years.

Question 3

How did the New York Times mark the new year before the ball drop began?

Accepted Answer

With fireworks. The fireworks were banned after hot ash fell on the streets below, so a lowered ball replaced them.

Question 4

The modern Times Square ball is covered in triangles made by which crystal maker?

Accepted Answer

Waterford Crystal. The current geodesic ball carries thousands of Waterford crystal triangles and LED lighting.

Question 5

Which song is traditionally sung at midnight in English-speaking countries?

Accepted Answer

"Auld Lang Syne". The tune is a Scottish folk melody and the words are usually attributed to Robert Burns.

Question 6

Which Scottish poet wrote down the lyrics of "Auld Lang Syne"?

Accepted Answer

Robert Burns. Burns sent the words in 1788 to The Scots Musical Museum, a song anthology edited by James Johnson, saying he had taken them down from an old man singing.

Question 7

What does the phrase "auld lang syne" roughly mean?

Accepted Answer

"Old long since", or "times gone by". The song is a toast to old friendships and the days behind you.

Question 8

Which American host presented New Year's Rockin' Eve for decades?

Accepted Answer

Dick Clark. Clark hosted the show from the 1970s until shortly before his death in 2012.

Question 9

Which Australian city is famous for its harbour bridge New Year's Eve fireworks?

Accepted Answer

Sydney. Sydney is one of the first major cities to reach midnight, so its fireworks open the global broadcast each year.

Question 10

Roughly how many hours pass between the first and the last places on Earth to enter the new year?

Accepted Answer

26 hours. Time zones run from UTC+14 to UTC-12, so the new year takes about 26 hours to sweep across the planet.

Question 11

Which Pacific island nation is among the first places on Earth to see the new year?

Accepted Answer

Kiribati. Kiritimati, or Christmas Island, sits in the UTC+14 zone, the furthest ahead in the world.

Question 12

Which parade is held in Pasadena, California, on New Year's Day?

Accepted Answer

The Rose Parade. The Tournament of Roses Parade has run since 1890 and is followed by the Rose Bowl football game.

Question 13

In Spain, people traditionally eat twelve of what at midnight?

Accepted Answer

Grapes. One grape for each chime of the clock, and each grape stands for a lucky month ahead.

Question 14

What is the Scottish name for New Year celebrations?

Accepted Answer

Hogmanay. Hogmanay has been the bigger winter festival in Scotland for centuries, with Edinburgh hosting a huge street party.

Question 15

In the Scottish tradition of "first footing", what is a first footer?

Accepted Answer

The first person to cross the threshold of a home after midnight. A dark-haired man bearing coal, shortbread or whisky is considered the luckiest first footer.

Question 16

In Japan, which noodles are eaten on New Year's Eve?

Accepted Answer

Soba (toshikoshi soba). The long buckwheat noodles stand for a long life, and cutting them cleanly means cutting off the old year.

Question 17

In Denmark, what do people traditionally do at the stroke of midnight?

Accepted Answer

Jump off a chair. Leaping into January is meant to bring good luck and leave bad spirits behind.

Question 18

In Italy, wearing underwear of which colour is said to bring luck at New Year?

Accepted Answer

Red. Red underwear is worn for luck and love in the year ahead in Italy and in parts of Latin America.

Question 19

In Greece, which fruit is traditionally smashed on the doorstep for luck?

Accepted Answer

A pomegranate. The more seeds that scatter, the more good fortune the household is said to receive.

Question 20

In Brazil, which colour is traditionally worn on New Year's Eve?

Accepted Answer

White. White stands for peace, and many people head to the beach to jump seven waves at midnight.

Question 21

The New Year water festival Songkran is celebrated in which country?

Accepted Answer

Thailand. Songkran marks the traditional Thai new year in April and is famous for its nationwide water fights.

Question 22

What is the Persian new year called?

Accepted Answer

Nowruz. Nowruz means "new day" and is celebrated in Iran and across Central Asia.

Question 23

Nowruz falls on which astronomical event?

Accepted Answer

The spring equinox, around March 20 or 21. The exact moment of the equinox is calculated each year and marks the start of the celebration.

Question 24

What is the Jewish new year called?

Accepted Answer

Rosh Hashanah. It falls in September or October and is marked by the blowing of the shofar, a ram's horn.

Question 25

Chinese New Year is set by which type of calendar?

Accepted Answer

A lunisolar calendar. The date falls between January 21 and February 20 because the calendar tracks both the moon and the solar year.

Question 26

Which calendar is used by most of the world today?

Accepted Answer

The Gregorian calendar. It replaced the Julian calendar, which had drifted about ten days out of step with the seasons.

Question 27

Which pope introduced the Gregorian calendar?

Accepted Answer

Pope Gregory XIII. The calendar carries his name and was introduced by papal bull in 1582.

Question 28

In which year was the Gregorian calendar introduced?

Accepted Answer

1582. Catholic countries adopted it first. Britain and its colonies did not switch until 1752, losing eleven days in the process.

Question 29

The month of January is named after which Roman god?

Accepted Answer

Janus. Janus was the god of doorways, beginnings and endings, which makes him a natural fit for the first month.

Question 30

How many faces is Janus usually shown with?

Accepted Answer

Two. One face looks back at the year that has gone and one looks forward at the year to come.

Question 31

In the earliest Roman calendar, which month began the year?

Accepted Answer

March. That is why September, October, November and December carry the Latin words for seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth.

Question 32

How many days are in a leap year?

Accepted Answer

366. An extra day is added to February to keep the calendar aligned with the solar year.

Question 33

The year 2000 was divisible by 100 but was still a leap year. Why?

Accepted Answer

Because it is also divisible by 400. Century years are only leap years when they divide by 400, which is why 1900 was not one and 2000 was.

Question 34

Which computer problem was feared as the calendar turned to the year 2000?

Accepted Answer

The Y2K bug (the millennium bug). Systems that stored years as two digits risked reading 00 as 1900. Most were patched before the deadline.

Question 35

What is the date of New Year's Eve?

Accepted Answer

December 31. The last day of the Gregorian year, followed immediately by January 1.

Question 36

Which drink is traditionally used for the midnight toast?

Accepted Answer

Champagne. Sparkling wine became the celebration drink of European courts and the habit stuck.

Question 37

Champagne can only be called champagne if it comes from which region?

Accepted Answer

The Champagne region of France. Sparkling wine made the same way elsewhere goes by other names, such as cremant or cava.

Question 38

Which type of resolution is most commonly reported at New Year?

Accepted Answer

Getting fit or exercising more. Fitness resolutions are usually near the top of annual surveys, trading first place with saving money.

Question 39

What does it mean to quit a habit "cold turkey"?

Accepted Answer

To stop all at once, with no tapering off. The phrase is common in resolution talk, particularly about smoking.

Question 40

Which figure is traditionally drawn wearing a sash marked with the coming year?

Accepted Answer

Baby New Year. The baby represents the year ahead and is often shown alongside Father Time, who represents the old year.

Question 41

Which ancient civilisation is credited with the earliest recorded new year celebrations?

Accepted Answer

The Babylonians. Babylon marked the new year with the Akitu festival in spring, tied to the first new moon after the equinox.

Question 42

Which sport dominates American television on New Year's Day?

Accepted Answer

American football. The college bowl games, including the Rose Bowl, are a New Year's Day fixture.

Question 43

What is a "polar bear plunge"?

Accepted Answer

A swim in freezing water on New Year's Day. Groups across North America and northern Europe run organised plunges, often to raise money for charity.

Question 44

In many countries, what is set off at midnight to mark the new year?

Accepted Answer

Fireworks. The noise was originally believed to drive away bad spirits before the year began.

Question 45

How many times does the Big Ben bell strike to mark midnight in London?

Accepted Answer

Twelve. The bell in the Elizabeth Tower strikes the hour, so twelve strikes mark midnight and the start of January 1.

New Year's Trivia Questions and Answers

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