Little Women Christmas Trivia
QUESTIONS
1. In the opening line of Little Women Jo grumbles “Christmas won’t be Christmas without any….” what?
a) Snow
b) Visitors
c) Presents
d) Parties
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a) Snow
b) Visitors
c) Presents
d) Parties
Answer: Presents.
2. What did Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy do with their special Christmas morning breakfast?
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Answer: They gave it to the Hummels, a poor German family in need.
3. On Christmas Eve, the March sisters put on a play written by Jo. What was the name of the play?
a) The Witch’s Curse, an Operatic Tragedy
b) Macbeth
c) By the Rude Bridge: an Etiquette Drama
d) The Curious Case of the Pickled Limes
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a) The Witch’s Curse, an Operatic Tragedy
b) Macbeth
c) By the Rude Bridge: an Etiquette Drama
d) The Curious Case of the Pickled Limes
Answer: The Witch’s Curse, an Operatic Tragedy. Jo would have preferred to perform Shakespeare’s Macbeth if they’d “only had a trapdoor for Banquo.”
4. On Christmas day, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy each gave their mother a gift.
Which girl gave the following gift:
a) A bottle of cologne
b) A nice pair of gloves
c)
Handkerchiefs with “Mother”
sewn onto them
d) Slippers
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a) A bottle of cologne
b) A nice pair of gloves
c) Handkerchiefs with “Mother” sewn onto them
d) Slippers
Answer: A: Amy, B: Meg, C: Beth, D: Jo
5. In addition to many other novels, this author wrote the world’s most famous Christmas story. In Little Women the March sisters are fans of this author and form a club whose name is inspired by one of the author’s books. Who is the author and what is the name of the March sisters’ club?
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Answer: Charles Dickens. The Pickwick Club, or “P.C.” for short.
Concord Christmas & New Year Trivia
6. Concord, Massachusetts was settled in 1635. Which of the below residents were most likely to receive Christmas cards?
a) 17th century residents
b) 18th century residents
c) 19th century residents
d) All of the above
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a) 17th century residents
b) 18th century residents
c) 19th century residents
d) All of the above
Answer: C: 19th century residents and beyond. The idea of sending Christmas cards was started in 1843 by Englishman Sir Henry Cole. His artist friend John Hosley designed a three-sided card and the men marketed them. The idea caught on and the rest is history … and Hallmark.
7. What is the correct term for a resident
of Concord?
a) Concordite
b) Concorded
c) Concordian
d) Hey-youse
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a) Concordite
b) Concorded
c) Concordian
d) Hey-youse
Answer: Concordian.
8. Puritans. Fun. Two words you don’t often see together, and there’s a reason for that. In 1647, the Puritan-led Parliament in England did something that was later adopted in 1659 by the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Massachusetts residents who violated the decree were subject to a five-shilling fine. What did Parliament and the General Court do?
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Answer: They put a ban on Christmas. Unhappy with Christmas celebrations and its perceived pagan pageantry, the 1647 English Parliament said December 25th should be a day for fasting and humiliation to account for one’s sins. Inspired by this uplifting idea, the Massachusetts Bay Colony General Court implemented the ban in 1659 and made it a criminal offence to publicly celebrate Christmas. In Massachusetts, the ban was repealed in 1681. One hundred and seventy five years later, in 1856, Christmas officially became a state holiday.
9. A New Year’s Eve tradition in England and the Massachusetts Bay Colony included firing shots into the air. If you lived in Concord before 1752, on what day would you pick up your musket to participate in this tradition?
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Answer: March 24th. Unlike their European neighbors who used the Gregorian calendar, England and her Colonies (including Massachusetts) followed the Julian Calendar until 1752. New Year’s Eve was March 24th; New Year’s Day, March 25th.
10. Name the drink! A beverage so special that Thomas Jefferson thought it would replace tea and coffee in America, and Little Women’s Jo March wondered if it was “the nectar drunk by the gods.” What is it?
Click to show the answer
Answer: Hot Chocolate!
Contact Barrow Bookstore for a list of sources. Barrowbookstore@gmail.com.
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For more than 50 years, Barrow Bookstore has been a favorite of residents and visitors alike, specializing in Concord authors and history, children’s books and literature. The shop also provides a wide array of gently read and rare titles ranging from paperbacks to first editions and original manuscripts. Staff members have all worked as tour guides and reenactors in Concord and are happy to share their knowledge about the town and its history. Discover more at barrowbookstore.com.
