Pop Quiz: New Years Traditions
- <p>
A. Times Square, New York<br />
B. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil<br />
C. The Champs Elysees, Paris<br />
D. Sydney, Australia</p>
- <p>
While Sydney boasts the second-largest New Year's celebration (and the year's first), it pales beside the 2 million to 2.3 million people who descend on <a href="http://www.travelchannel.com/interests/holidays/articles/worlds-best-new-years-eve-parties" target="_blank">Rio de Janeiro's</a> Copacabana Beach every year.</p>
- <p>
A. Scottish<br />
B. English<br />
C. Canadian<br />
D. American</p>
- <p>
"Auld Lang Syne" is truly an international song. Written by Scottish national poet Robert Burns, it became a signature song for Canadian bandleader <a href="http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2011-12-30/lifestyle/35287090_1_auld-lang-syne-auld-lang-syne-burns" target="_blank">Guy Lombardo</a>. In 1929, Lombardo sang the song on his New Year's radio broadcast from New York's Roosevelt Hotel, and it soon entered into his yearly New Year's repertoire.</p>
- <p>
A. The U.S.<br />
B. Russia<br />
C. Italy<br />
D. Germany</p>
- <p>
<a href="http://12most.com/2011/12/29/12-fascinating-sparkling-wines/" target="_blank">Germany</a> produces 430 million bottles of sparkling wine per year -- a fair bit less than France's 500 million. Spain is third, Italy is fourth, and the U.S. and Russia are tied for fifth, with 150 million bottles each.</p>
- <p>
A. 103 feet<br />
B. 152 feet<br />
C. 177 feet<br />
D. 189 feet</p>
- <p>
In 1988, physics professor <a href="https://secure.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?newsdate=5/7/2012&navigation=nextprior&category=LIFE&storyID=937515&TextPage=2" target="_blank">Heinrich Medicus</a> set the world record for a popped champagne cork. At New York's Woodbury Winery and Cellars, he set a bottle at 45 degrees, on a four-foot elevation, and sent a cork flying 177 feet, nine inches.</p>
- <p>
A. Shirt<br />
B. Hat<br />
C. Armband<br />
D. Underwear</p>
- <p>
In Mexico, <a href="http://www.123newyear.com/newyear-traditions/mexican.html" target="_blank">underwear</a> is a virtual wish list of New Year's desires. For love, people wear red, while green signifies money. White suggests hopes for peace and yellow indicates a desire for plenty.</p>
- <p>
A. Collard greens<br />
B. Boiled codfish<br />
C. Lobster<br />
D. Grapes</p>
- <p>
Symbolizing an influx of cash in the New Year, <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/newyearsday/luckyfoods" target="_blank">collard greens</a> are a classic New Year's food in the South. In Denmark, people traditionally go for boiled codfish -- a nice break from their rich Christmas food. As for grapes, Spanish farmers in 1909 began encouraging people to eat twelve grapes at midnight -- one for every hour of the New Year; in addition to celebrating the new year, this helped them get rid of their grape surplus. As for lobsters, it's considered bad luck to eat any animal -- such as a lobster or a chicken -- that walks backward.</p>
- <p>
Denmark<br />
Australia<br />
Italy<br />
Czech Republic</p>
- <p>
While some countries, like Denmark and Australia, make fireworks a central part of their national New Year's traditions, almost every country celebrates with some form of controlled explosion.</p>
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