Anne here, and since Christmas is less than a week away, I’m offering you a Christmas Quiz. However, since I’m working madly towards an imminent deadline, I have recycled some of the questions from my previous quizzes. How many do you remember? You might know some, you might not, but as always, this is just for fun.
Write down your answers as you go, then pop over to the link at the end to see the answers. Then come back here and tell us how you went.
1) Which Christmas carol might have been sung by Regency people?
a) Hark the Herald Angels Sing
b) The First Noel.
c) God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.
d) We Three Kings of Orient Are.
2) The first member of the English royal family to display a Christmas tree was a) Queen Adelaide in 1820 
b) Queen Charlotte in 1800
c) Queen Victoria in 1848
d) Queen Caroline in 1825
3) Mince pies in the Regency contained:
a) ground nuts
b) dried fruit and meat
c) minced steak
d) chicken and other kinds of poultry
4). Stir-Up Day is:
a) The last Sunday before Advent, when the minister traditionally gives a fiery sermon to stir the congregation from sin and complacency.
b) The day when in the country, the winter hay is turned, to prevent it going moldy.
c) the day when all the members of the family gather to stir the Christmas pudding.
d) The day when the foxes are stirred from their dens to prepare for hunting on Boxing Day (26th December).
5). Syllabub is
a) a drink made of sweetened cream curdled in wine or cider.
b) a non-alcoholic drink popular at Christmas containing cream and cinnamon.
c) a game involving bobbing for plums floating in a tub of water.
d) a savory Christmas tart containing cream and eggs but no meat or salt.
6) The Christmas game “Hot Cockles”
a) involves snatching shells tossed in a bowl of burning wood shavings.
b) involves putting your head in someone’s lap and guessing who is smacking your bottom.
c) involves standing on one foot as long as you can while ducking balls of wool thrown at you.
d) involves hiding a golden shell (or nut) somewhere in a room and setting others to find it.
7) In the Regency era, the Christmas turkey:—
a) walked to London wearing special shoes
b) was shipped to London by boat, to keep them calm.
c) was brought to London by wagon, in specially constructed willow cages
d) wasn’t eaten at this time — everyone ate Christmas goose
8) In a traditional mummers’ Christmas play, a commonly appearing character was:—
a) the king
b) Saint George (of dragon fame)
c) Saint Nicholas
d) Oliver Cromwell
9) Frumenty was often served at Christmas. Frumenty is:
a) a dish made with grains, dried fruit, nuts and sugar
b) a hot spiced alcoholic drink
c) a sweet custard made with apples and cream
d) an oat biscuit studded with nuts
10) Bullet pudding was:
a) a game often played at Christmas
b) slang for a man sentenced to die by firing squad
c) a shooting competition where the winner won a pudding
d) a pudding containing a lucky silver bullet
11) A roasted capon was a dish commonly served at Christmas. A capon is:
a) a stuffed, rolled slice of belly pork. 
b) a kind of duck
c) a castrated cockerel
d) a pudding made of fruit and nuts
12) Which of these was thought to bring bad luck?
a) Dancing inside during the twelve days of Christmas
b) Dropping an uncooked potato on Christmas Day
c) Decorating with greenery before Christmas Eve
d) Hanging out green or blue stockings
I hope you enjoyed the quiz, and the pictures, which I got from this site.
Now you have noted your answers, click here and find out how many you got right. Then come back and tell us how you went, and whether you enjoyed it or not. I’ll send a copy of my Christmas novella (The Christmas Bride) to someone who leaves a comment.
Oh my, I didn’t do well. I only got 5 correct. I did enjoy learning some new facts.
Thanks, Sue. Yes, some of these were quite tricky. Glad you enjoyed it.
Only 7 right. I did guess at many of these and some of the answers really surprised me. Love these quizzes Anne.
Thanks, Mary — I’m glad you enjoyed it. I also like making up the quizzes.
Anne, the Mayhem Consultant is pleased at how well he did on your quiz. Given the number of Regencies he’s read, that’s not surprising! (I must admit I didn’t get the hot cockles one!)
Mary Jo, I’m delighted that the MH enjoyed it as well. He’s doing well as the husband of a Regency writer. And yes, the hot cockles one was tricky, I admit.
Hi Anne, thank you for posting this fun quiz. I was able to get six of them correct. It’s so interesting to learn what the Regency did during the Christmas holidays.
I already won your lovely novella, The Christmas Bride, in another drawing. Whoever wins it this time, will truly enjoy it.
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Thanks Patricia, I’m very pleased you enjoyed it. And also glad you enjoyed my Christmas novella.
I missed Hot Cockles and Bullet Pudding. That I knew the others I attribute to having paid attention to previous quizzes! But now I want to know how to play Bullet Pudding.
Excellent result, Lil. Somewhere in my old computer I have the rules to bullet pudding. I’ll have a look. But maybe try googling it first. Thanks for joining in.
I just looked it up, and it sounds like gloriously messy fun. I wonder if I can get my grandchildren to play.
Wow – I only got 4 right – I was positive about #2, but I was wrong! Very interesting, guess I have to pay more attention to details while reading. Some of the wrong options were very interesting.
Thanks Diane, yes, I chose the trickiest questions this time, I know. Glad you found it interesting.
I didn’t do too badly — I only missed 3! Numbers 2, 3 (which I answered too quickly), and 6. Thanks for the fun, and I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!
Thanks so much, Jane — and what an excellent result. I admit, I did choose some of the trickier questions. Glad you enjoyed it. And a very happy Christmas to you as well.
What a fun christmassy quiz! I only made the cut on three questions, but immediately noticed where I’d gone wrong when I got to the explanations! Thanks and merry Christmas!
Thanks, Jenni — glad you enjoyed it. I do enjoy making up these quizzes. All the best to you for Christmas.
Wow….I couldn’t believe the answer to #6….Definitely I guessed wrong on it. Missed #10 and couldn’t decide on #11 so put down 2 answers with a mark to the one I was leaning towards. So I’m saying I got 9 1/2 right grin…
I always enjoy your quizzes and I always learn something as well. Good luck with the mad writing.
Thanks, Vicki, that’s a good result. And yes, #6 is tricky, isn’t it? I’m glad you enjoy the quizzes. I like making them up as well. Thanks for the good wishes.
That was fun, Anne. I definitely did better on this quiz than the last one you posted.
Happy holidays to all the Wenches and to all the readers here!
Thanks, Kareni, seems you know your historical Christmases better than your Heyer. All the best to you and yours for the festive season.
I too learned some new ones. You really got me with the Hot Cockles game. I had no idea our decorous regency heroines would do anything so erotic, and in public too 🙂
I only got 7 right. I fell for No. 7, the turkey/goose one, because my first thought was of A Christmas Carol, which is Victorian, and Scrooge pays a street kid to go get a certain goose for the Cratchits (at least in the movies he does). So I thought turkeys were later and probably more American 🙁
I thought syllabub was a thing like a whipped pudding, light and fluffy, and served by plopping spoonfuls into a dish. I didn’t realize it was a drink. Now I will worry all night about what a fluffy dessert pudding was called 🙂
Thank you, Anne 🙂
Thanks Janice. Yes, there were a few questions that were tricky.
Syllabub IS a fluffy pudding as well — you’re not mistaken.
All the best for Christmas.
By the way, Anne, Happy Gravy Day!
(one of my favorite (very) short stories)
[explainer for others interested – https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/the-internet-loves-gravy-day-heres-the-story-behind-an-australian-christmas-anthem/3etzdcp4e%5D
Thanks, PN, but that link didn’t work. Sorry. 🙁
Portly Neighbor, I googled it and found this article.
Paul Kelly is an Australian singer, and I’m a huge fan. I’ll try this link.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-21/how-to-make-gravy-paul-kelly-gravy-day/103249536#
I’m a huge fan myself and have been for years – his characters seem to come alive for me. (I’ve wanted to say Happy Gravy Day for awhile now – but here in the states it would be “Huh? Paul Who?”). (7 of 10 on the quiz – but I can never remember what book the relevant scene I learned it from. “Boy I’d like to read that story again . . .”)
Hot Cockles- LOL – I definitely wouldn’t have believed that answer. I thought you put it in for fun. Merry Christmas Anne! Happy Holidays to all!
Thanks, Jeanne — yes, it was an irresistible inclusion. I figured most people would assume that. All the best for Christmas.
I definitely got 2 wrong- hot cockles was a surprise for sure! Happy holidays to all!
Thanks, Cindy — and all the best to you for the festive season.