World's Easiest Quiz!

                              (Passing requires only 3 correct answers …out of 10!)!!

1) How long did the Hundred Years' War last ?
2) Which country makes Panama hats ?
3) From which animal do we get cat gut ?
4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution ?
5) What is a camel's hair brush made of ?
6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal ?
7) What was King George VI's first name ?
8) What color is a purple finch ?
9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from ?
10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane ?

 ANSWERS

1) How long did the Hundred Years War last ?   116 years
2) Which country makes Panama hats ?     Ecuador
3) From which animal do we get cat gut ?   Sheep and Horses
4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution ?  November
5) What is a camel's hair brush made of ?   Squirrel  fur
6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal ?  Dogs
7) What was King George VI's first name ?   Albert
8) What color is a purple finch ?   Crimson
9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from ?     New Zealand
10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane ?    Orange(of course!)

Some More 4th of July Facts

• The 4th of July was not declared a national holiday until 1941.
• When the United States became a country in 1776, there were approximately 2.5 million people living in the country. This Fourth of July 2013, the population is around 313.2 million.
• The youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence was 26-year-old Edward Rutledge. The oldest signer was Benjamin Franklin. He was 70. Most of the signers were in their 30s and 40s.
• The American flag was adopted on June 14, 1777.

The 4th of July Quiz

Which three presidents died on the Fourth of July?
John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe. Adams, the second president, and Jefferson, the third president, both died on the same day in 1836.

What other presidents were near misses?
On July 4, 1850, President Zachary Taylor attended ceremonies for the Washington Memorial and returned to the White House for a bowl of cherries and milk. He became sick to his stomach that night and died five days later. On July 2, 1881, President James Garfield was shot. He died several months later.

How many people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th?
Two

When was the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence?
July 8, 1776. Actually, the Liberty Bell rang out from Independence Hall to summon the crowd.

On what date did most of the signers actually sign the doc?
August 2, 1776

Who was the oldest signatory?
Ben Franklin. He was 70.

Who was the youngest?
Edward Rutledge. 26 years old. He owned 50 slaves. Later became governor of South Carolina.

Which state had the most delegates sign?
Pennsylvania. There were nine.

Who was the last signatory of the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas McKean, January, 1777. He was at one time the president of the continental congress, later became a governor of Pa.

When did Abraham Lincoln give his 1863, July fourth address?
On July 7, 1863. On July 4, citizens in Washington were celebrating what appeared to be a victory at Gettysburg and wanted Lincoln to give a speech but he would only issue a short proclamation. He was waiting to get a complete report and for further news out west, where General Grant was laying siege to Vicksburg. He later found out that Vicksburg had fallen on July 4th. Lincoln gave his speech three days late.

What other countries celebrate the 4th of July?
Denmark, Norway, Sweden and England.

In what year did July 4 become a paid legal federal holiday?
It became an unpaid federal holiday in 1870. And a lot of trivia sites say that it became a paid holiday in 1941 but it was actually passed by congress in 1938.

How did Nathan’s, Fourth of July, Hot Dog contest begin?
It started out as a dispute among four immigrants over who was the most patriotic. And so, that explains why this country is overweight. We are patriotic?

What American President was famous for playing golf every Fourth of July?
Dwight D. Eisenhower.

What modern First Lady wore a bejeweled American Flag in her lapel on every Fourth of July? Pat Nixon, Jackie Kennedy, Hillary Clinton or Betty Ford?Jackie Kennedy. And the jewelry actually sells on e-bay.

What pitcher threw a no hitter on the fourth of July?
(Dave Righetti of the NY Yankees in 1983. But perhaps the wildest game ever played happened on July 4 between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets. It went 19 innings and ended close to 4 AM. Mets won 16-13.)

Interesting Facts About 4th of July!

• Fireworks are largely imported. According to the United States Census in 2011, Americans purchased $223.6 million of this product from China. The second highest import associated with this holiday is flags.

• Do you want to know more about the American flag? Visit iTunes. They created a special app to commemorate this special piece of cloth.

• Potatoes are BIG on the 4th of July. Celebrants crave potato salad and potato chips. Why? The saltiness is an attraction; this root vegetable also boosts the eater's mood.

• Citizens of Uncle Sam are extremely patriotic. Names for U.S. cities-townships express their zeal for the country. Several places have the word eagle, independence, and liberty in their titles.

• The split from British governing was challenging for American immigrants. Fortunately, this event didn't lead to a permanent fracture. In relationship. Trade between both countries is over $100 billion annually.

• The 4th of July became a national holiday in 1941. During the same year, the PGA establishes the Golf Hall of Fame. In addition, General Mills launches a new product: Cheerios.

• Since it's Independence, America's populations have grown by 150%. Millions of people populate each crevice of space making the creation of affordable living conditions a must. This truth is a reality despite fluctuations in the real-estate business.

• President Calvin Coolidge was born on July 4. He had several nicknames: Cautious Cal, Silent Cal, Cool Cal and The Sphinx of the Potomac. His term lasted almost six years.

10 Things You Never Knew About Chocolate

10. The Aztecs drunk it

Chocolate was originally a cold drink whisked from cocoa beans by the Aztecs – and women were not allowed to drink it.

9. It was more valuable than gold

When Cortes conquered the Aztecs in 1520, he found that cocoa beans were prized higher than gold.

8. It was named in the 17th century

The word ‘chocolate’ was first recorded in English use in 1604.

7. It helped found the British Museum

The British Museum owes its very existence to chocolate. It was based on the personal collection of Hans Soane, who invented milk chocolate.

6. Chocolate bar an English invention

The bar of chocolate was invented by JS Fry and Sons of Bristol in 1847.

5. Expensive egg

Last year’s most expensive chocolate egg was encrusted with more than 100 diamonds and made for La Maison du Chocolat with a £50,000 prize tag.

4. Royal approval

On New Year’s Day 1900, Queen Victoria sent 100,000 boxes of chocolates as a personal gift to soldiers fighting in the Boer War.

3. Brits can’t get enough of it

The average person living in the UK – man, woman or child – spends over £1 a week on chocolate.

2. The King loved it!

The last food Elvis Presley ate comprised four scoops of ice cream and six chocolate chip cookies.

1. Egg-cellent selection

Woolworths is this year selling 170 varieties of chocolate Easter egg.

The English Plural

We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,

Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?

If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?

Then one may be that, and there would be those,
Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!

Let's face it - English is a crazy language.
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger;
Neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren't invented in England.

We take English for granted, but if we explore its paradoxes,
We find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square,
And a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write, but fingers don't fing,
Grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?
Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend?
If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them,
What do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English
Should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.
In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?

We ship by truck but send cargo by ship...
We have noses that run and feet that smell.
We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway.
And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same,
While a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?
You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language
In which your house can burn up as it burns down,
In which you fill in a form by filling it out,
And in which an alarm goes off by going on.
And in closing... If Father is Pop, how come Mother's not Mop.???

Christmas Riddles

Q. What do you get if you cross mistletoe and a duck? A. A Christmas Quacker.

Q. What do call Santa when he stops moving? A. Santa Pause!

Q. Where does a snowman keep his money?A. In a snow bank.

Q. Why do mummies like Christmas so much?A. Because of all the wrapping!

Q. What goes in a chimney red and comes out of it black? A. Santa Claus.

Q. What's white and red and goes up and down and up and down? A. Santa Claus in an elevator!

Q. How do you scare a snowman?A. You get a hairdryer!

Q. What do they sing under the ocean during the winter?A. Christmas Corals!

Q. How much did Santa pay for his sleigh?A. Nothing, it was on the house!

Q. What is invisible and smells like milk and cookies? A. Santa's burps!

Q. What do snowmen do on Christmas?A. Play with the snow angels.

Q. Who says "Oh, Oh, Oh!"? A. Santa walking backwards!

Q. What nationality is Santa Claus? A. North Polish.

Q. How did the sheep say Merry Christmas?A. "Fleece Avoided."

Q. What do you call a Santa that sleeps all the time?A. Santa snores!

Q. Why was Santa's helper depressed?A. He had low ELF-esteem.

Q. What's a good holiday tip?A. Never catch snowflakes with your tongue until all the birds have gone south for the winter.

Q. What Christmas carol is a favourite of parents? A. Silent Night.

Q. What do you call a snowman in the summer? A. A puddle!

Q. What do snowmen eat for breakfast?A. Frosted Flakes..

Q. Why does Santa have three gardens ?A. So he can go HOE HOE HOE.

Q. Why did Sponge Bob have a great Christmas? A. Because he kissed a Krabby Patty.

Q. What does Santa clean his sleigh with? A. Comet.

Q. What do you get when you deep fry Santa Claus?A. Crisp Kringle.

Q. What do you get when you cross a snowman and a vampire?A. Frostbite.

Q. What's black and white and red all over?A. Santa covered with chimney soot.

Q. What did the snowman order at the fast food restaurant? A. An ice burger with chili sauce.

Q. Why is Santa so good at karate?A. Because he has a black belt!

Q. Why did the candy cane cross the road? A. Because it wanted to get a licking!

Q. Why did the elf push his bed into the fireplace? A. Because he wanted to sleep like a log!

Q. What do elves learn in school?A. The elf-abet.

Q. If athletes get athlete's foot, then what do astronauts get? A. Missile-toe.

Q. What kind of bug hates Christmas? A. A humbug.

Q. What two countries should the chef use when he's making Christmas dinner?A. Turkey and Greece.

Q. Who gives presents to baby sharks? A. Santa Jaws.

Q. What do you get when you cross a cat with Santa Claus?A. Santa-Claws!

Q. What's white, red and blue at Christmas time?A. A sad candy cane!

Q. What do you call a girl with a Christmas Tree on her head? A. Carol.

Q. What do you get when you eat Christmas decorations?A. Tinsilitis!

Q. What did Mrs. Claus say to Santa when she looked in the sky?A. "Looks like rain, dear."

Q. Why did Frosty have a carrot in his nose? A. Because he forgot where the refrigerator was.

Q. What do vampires sing on New Year's Eve?A. Auld Fang Syne!

Q. What did the Christmas tree say to the ornament? A. "Aren't you tired of hanging around?"

Q. Why are there only snowmen and not snowwomen?A. Because only men are stupid enough to stand out in the snow without a coat.

Q. What's Santa's favourite candy?A. Jolly Ranchers!

Q. What did the monkey sing on Christmas day? A. Jungle bells, Jungle bells...

Q. What do you call Santa Claus deep fried?A. Krisp Kringle.

Q. What did the reindeer say when he saw an elf?A. Nothing, reindeer can't talk.

Q. What do you call Santa when he goes down a chimney with a fire at the bottom?A. Krisp Cringle.

Q. What's a good holiday tip? A. Never catch snowflakes with your tongue until all the birds have gone south for the winter.

Q. What is big, red and flies in the sky? A. Santa Clause.

Q. Did you hear about the cracker's Christmas party?A. It was a BANG!

Q. What do you get if you cross an apple and a Christmas tree? A. Pineapple.

Q. Which elf was the best singer? A. ELFis Presley.

Q. What is the cleanest reindeer called?A. Comet.

Q. How do you know when Santa's in the room?A. You can sense his presents.

Q. What did the cow get for Christmas?A. A COWculator.

Q. What's red and white, red and white, red and white?A. Santa Claus rolling down the hill.

Q. What comes before Christmas Eve?A. Christmas Adam!

Q. Why did Jimmy's grades drop after the holidays? A. Because everything was marked down!

Thanksgiving Trivia

Thanksgiving Day is a very important day in the United States. There are many things that are especially related to the celebrations of the Thanksgiving Day. Some of such facts are mentioned here which will not only help you enhance your knowledge about Thanksgiving Day but also make you enjoy this day with even more zeal.

1. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States.
2. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the second Monday in October in Canada.
3. The Plymouth Pilgrims were the first to celebrate the Thanksgiving.
4. The pilgrims arrived in North America in December 1620.
5. The Pilgrims sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to reach North America.
6. The pilgrims sailed on the ship, which was known by the name of 'Mayflower'.
7. They celebrated the first Thanksgiving Day in the fall of 1621.
8. They celebrated the first Thanksgiving Day at Plymouth, Massachusetts.
9. The drink that the Puritans brought with them in the Mayflower was the beer.
10. The Wampanoag Indians were the people who taught the Pilgrims how to cultivate the land.
11. The Pilgrim leader, Governor William Bradford, had organized the first Thanksgiving feast in the year 1621 and invited the neighboring Wampanoag Indians also to the feast.
12. The first Thanksgiving feast was held in the presence of around ninety Wampanoag Indians and the Wampanoag chief, Massasoit, was also invited there.
13. The first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days.
14. President George Washington issued the first national Thanksgiving Day Proclamation in the year 1789 and again in 1795.
15. The state of New York officially made Thanksgiving Day an annual custom in 1817.
16. Sarah Josepha Hale, an editor with a magazine, started a Thanksgiving campaign in 1827 and it was result of her efforts that in 1863 Thanksgiving was observed as a day for national thanksgiving and prayer.
17. Abraham Lincoln issued a 'Thanksgiving Proclamation' on third October 1863 and officially set aside the last Thursday of November as the national day for Thanksgiving. Whereas earlier the presidents used to make an annual proclamation to specify the day when Thanksgiving was to be held.
18. President Franklin D. Roosevelt restored Thursday before last of November as Thanksgiving Day in the year 1939. He did so to make the Christmas shopping season longer and thus stimulate the economy of the state.
19. Congress passed an official proclamation in 1941 and declared that now onwards Thanksgiving will be observed as a legal holiday on the fourth Thursday of November every year.
20. Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the United States. But it was Thomas Jefferson who opposed him. It is believed that Franklin then named the male turkey as 'tom' to spite Jefferson.
21. The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade tradition began in the 1920's.
22. Californians are the largest consumers of turkey in the United States.
23. When the Pilgrims arrived in North America, the clothing of the Native Americans was made of animal skins (mainly deer skin).
24. On December 11, 1620 the first Pilgrims (or Puritans, as they were initially known) landed at Plymouth Rock.
25. By the fall of 1621 only half of the pilgrims, who had sailed on the Mayflower, survived. The survivors, thankful to be alive, decided to give a thanksgiving feast.

Halloween Traditions & Customs

 

Ever wonder how Halloween began and who started the eccentric practices which evolved into our celebrations today? Let's explore local and global customs and traditions that make Halloween what it is today -- and why it's so much fun.

Bonfires

In northern Ireland, it was customary for Druids to perform ritualistic ceremonies and make sacrifices to pacify their gods. The Celts would bring wood and start their Samhain bonfire or, fire festival, on the hilltop. Often, they would throw the bones of slaughtered cattle into the flames.

The word "bonfire" is said to be derived from such "bone fires." Bonfires and sacrifices guaranteed that the sun would burn brightly after a long, dreary winter. It's common to witness hundreds of traditional bonfires in Ireland every year on Halloween Night.

Costumes

Halloween costumes originated from the Celts when they lit huge bonfires and celebrated Samhain by dressing up in elaborate animal skins and heads to disguise themselves as spirits and demons so that the real ones couldn't distinguish them as being human. Their ceremonies consisted of dancing, telling stories, and reading fortunes.

Jack 'O Lanterns

The traditions of carving jack 'o' lanterns originates with the Celts. A miserable man named Jack, tricked the devil. Unable to enter heaven or hell after his death, he was destined to roam the earth listlessly. Jack placed a piece of coal into a carved-out turnip and used it as a lantern to keep the evil spirits away. Today, pumpkins (which are easier to cut) are carved into jack-o-lanterns, lit and placed outside of doorways for the same purpose.

Trick or Treating

The custom of trick or treating evolved in Ireland, centuries ago. In preparation for All Hollow's Eve, the the poor would call upon the rich folks and request money, gifts and food. The food was gathered for a huge feast and celebration.

UNICEF

A popular tradition in America, trick or treating for UNICEF began in 1950, when Philadelphia youngsters decorated milk cartons and collected money to help less fortunate children. UNICEF increases public awareness and raises funds to provide health care, nutrition, immunizations and clean water, around the world.