35 New Year Trivia Questions To Test How Well You Know The Holiday
New Year symbolizes a new beginning. It's a time to remember the passing year and promise to do better in the next. And what better way to do that other than to host a new year's eve celebration? We often ring in the New Year by celebrating with our family and friends. However, we do need to pace ourselves if we want to usher in a new beginning. Why not take a few minutes of downtime amidst all the partying and enjoy some New Year Trivia?
I have curated a few interesting questions about this holiday to make downtime more interesting. Dive in to see how well you know this holiday.
35 New Year Trivia Question And Answers
Q1. Which calendar marks January 1st as the beginning of the year?
A. Gregorian calendar
Q2. The naming of January is derived from which Roman God?
A. Janus
Q3. Which countries celebrate New Year based on the Lunar calendar?
A. China, Korea, Vietnam, and Tibet.
Q4. What is the song sung traditionally at midnight on New Year in America?
A. "Auld Lang Syne"
Q5. Where did the tradition of kissing at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Originate?
A. The precise origin is unknown, but the custom is often traced back to two winter festivals: Saturnalia in ancient Rome and Hogmanay, a Viking tradition still celebrated on New Year's in Scotland.
Q6. When did the New Year's Eve Ball make its maiden descent from the flagpole atop One Times Square?
A. 1907
Q7. What were the years when the New Year's Eve Ball did not descend in Times Square?
A. 1942 and 1943, the ceremony was suspended due to the wartime "dimout" of lights in New York City.
Q8. When was the first-ever celebration of New Year's Eve in Times Square held?
A. 1904
Q9. What other event coincides with Times Square's first New Year's Eve celebration?
A. The opening of the city's first subway line.
Q10. How big is Time's Square New Year's Eve Ball?
A. 12 Feet in diameter
Q11. The Waterford crystal Times Square New Year's Eve ball drop is viewed by how many people on television each year?
A. About 1 billion
Q12. Which Pagan holiday still influences several New Year's and Christmas traditions?
A. Saturnalia.
Q13. Where were the first New Year's celebrations recorded?
A. The city of Babylon in ancient Mesopotamia
Q14. Which king accepted January 1st as the date for New Year In 46 B.C?
A. Julius Caesar
Q15. What is the most common resolution for the New Year?
A. To get healthier
Q16. Where did the tradition of eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve start?
A. Spain
Q17. When does the idea of the ball "dropping" signify the passage of time date back to?
A. 1833
Q18. Which country practices the tradition of molybdomancy to foresee people's fortune for the next year?
A. Finland
Q19. What was the original reason for the time balls being invented?
A. To help sailors coordinate their navigation equipment.
Q20. Which Australian city has the largest New Year's celebration?
A. Sydney
Q21. Which movie generated the highest box office sales for one New Year's Day show?
A. James Cameron's "Avatar"
Q22. Name the host for the first broadcast of the Times Square New Year's Eve celebration.
A. Guy Lombardo
Q23. Fireworks for the New York New Year's Eve celebration were first used in which year??
A. 1904
Q24. How is the arrival of the New Year marked in Miami, Florida?
A. By a metal foot that is 35 feet in size, called Mr. Neon.
Q25. How many times are the bells rung for the New Year in Buddhist temples in Japan?
A. 108
Q26. What is another name for Chinese New Year?
A. Spring Festival
Q27. Which country has the tradition of baking coins into sweets for good luck in the New Year?
A. Bolivia
Q28. Which country does polar bear plunge to ring in the new year?
A. Canada
Q29. Writing your New Year's wish on a piece of paper and burning it is a tradition for which country?
A. Russia
Q30. Popping firecrackers to ward off evil on New Year is a tradition in which country?
A. Hawaii
Q31. Why is the Lunar Calendar also known as the Xia Calendar?
A. The legend holds that it dates from the Xia dynasty (the 21st to 16th centuries BCE).
Q32. Who do you kiss at midnight on New Year's Eve if you are in Scotland?
A. Unlike America, you are supposed to kiss everyone in the room in Scotland.
Q33. Which country in the Central Pacific is the first location to ring in the new year each year in the Central Pacific?
A. The island nation Kiribati.
Q34. When did the use of a baby to symbolize New Year start?
A. Ancient Greece
Q35. What is New Year in Sunni Islamic culture referred to as?
A. Hijri New Year
Wrapping It Up!
Hope you had as much fun learning about New Year as I did compiling these questions. I sure learned a thing or two. Think up more questions and traditions to share with your friends and family to make things more interesting.
Hope everyone has a great New Year!
A dreamer and an idealist in a long-term relationship with food and sleep, Lopamudra is more than thrilled to be part of the marketing team at Vantage Circle. When she is not in the vicinity or thinking about food, you can find her curled up in a corner with a good book and music. For any related queries, contact editor@vantagecircle.com.
