The 12 Days of Trivia
Holiday trivia by Andy Moseley - reprinted with permission from the December 2000 Mariners’ Log
If you are like me, you know all of the words to “The 12 Days of Christmas.” If nothing else, can make it to the seventh day without mixing things up. Well, I decided to add a twist to my usual Who Wants to Be a Millionaire-style trivia by asking only 12 quetions. Each question deals with a particular day of the song. Easy enough? That’s what you think!
Day 1. “On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree.” Who played the mother on The Partridge Family?
A) Bea Arthur
B) Shirley Jones
C) Susan Dey
D) Florence Henderson
Day 2. “On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.” On what kind of food do European turtle doves usually feast?
A) A diet of seeds
B) Worms
C) Ants
D) There’s no such thing as a European turtle dove.
Day 3. “On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.” How do you say the word hen in French?
A) hen
B) dove
C) coq
D) poule
Day 4. “On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.” Which of the following is not a real calling service?
A) 10-10-321
B) 10-10-912
C) 1-800-COLLECT
D) 1-800-CALL-ATT
Day 5. “On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.” Which of the follow ingredients is not necessary to make golden herb-crusted sweet onion rings?
A) Dijon mustard
B) flour
C) water
D) onions
Day 6. “On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me six geese a-laying, five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.”How many eggs do Canadian geese end up a-laying on average?
A) Four to seven
B) Seven to ten
C) Ten to twenty
D) Canadian geese don’t lay eggs
Day 7. “On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying, five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.” Which country won the most gold medals in swimming in the 2000 Summer Olympics?
A) United States
B) Australia
C) Netherlands
D) Italy
Day 8. “On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me eight maids a-milking, seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying, five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.” How many glasses of milk can a cow make in a day if it eats corn, grass, and hay?
A) 25
B) 50
C) 75
D) 100
Day 9. “On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me nine ladies dancing, eight maids a-milking, seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying, five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.” Which of the following is not a popular ballroom dancing song?
A) “Parma Waltz”
B) “Tango Terrific”
C) “Charlamaine”
D) La Bomba
Day 10. “On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ten lords a-leaping, nine ladies dancing, eight maids a-milking, seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying, five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.” Who was the editor of the book Leaping Poetry: An Idea With Poems and Translations?
A) Shel Silverstein
B) Robert W. Bly
C) Robert Ulrich
D) Victoria Flag
Day 11. “On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me eleven pipers piping, ten lords a-leaping, nine ladies dancing, eight maids a-milking, seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying, five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.” In what state is Pipersville located?
A) Pennsylvania
B) Georgia
C) New Hampshire
D) Montana
Day 12. “On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me twelve drummers drumming, eleven pipers piping, ten lords a-leaping, nine ladies dancing, eight maids a-milking, seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying, five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.” Who is the drummer for the musical group Chicago?
A) Tommy Lee
B) Tris Imboden
C) Mongoose McQueen
D) Sammy Sosa
13. Bonus question: How much would it cost for my true love to buy me all 12 items on the list, according to PNC Bank?
A) $14,040.17
B) $15,340.17
C) $25,000.00
D) $1,000,000.00
Now, check your answers here.
