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1. “D” A klaxon is actually a powerful electric horn. Its name comes from a German word meaning "shriek".

2. “D” In ancient Scandinavia, mistletoe was associated with peace and friendship. That may account for the custom of "kissing beneath the mistletoe".

3. “A” There once lived a woman so poor, says a Ukrainian folk tale, that she could not afford Christmas decorations for her family. One Christmas morning, she awoke to find that spiders had trimmed her children's tree with their webs. When the morning sun shone on them, the webs turned to silver and gold. An artificial spider and web are often included in the decorations on Ukrainian Christmas trees.

4. “C” A ring means you will get married; while a thimble predicts spinsterhood. The idea of hiding something in the pudding comes from the tradition in the Middle Ages of hiding a bean in a cake that was served on Twelfth Night. Whoever found the bean became "king" for the rest of the night.

5. “A” Frumenty was a spiced porridge, enjoyed by both rich and poor. It was a forerunner of modern Christmas puddings. It is linked in legend to the Celtic god Dagda, who stirred a porridge made up of all the good things of the earth.

6. “C” The names of the wise men, with their places of origin, their stations in life, and even their number, come from legend and story, not from strictly religious tradition. One historical source gives them the Persian names Hormizdah, Yazdegerd and Perozadh. A teleost, on the other hand, is actually a fish. The word refers to any member of the large group that includes eel, salmon and plaice.

7. “B” In "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" Holmes manages to recover the jewel but, in the spirit of the Christmas season, allows the repentant thief to go free - on the condition that he leave England for ever.

8. “B” The Father Christmas Letters consists of letters written to the Tolkien children by Father Christmas. It was published in 1976. The illustrated letters describe adventures and events at the North Pole.

9. “B” A Christmas Carol tells the story of one harrowing Christmas Eve in the life of a miser named Ebenezer Scrooge. The book was an instant hit, and Dickens wrote a new Christmas story each year from then on.

10. “B” Scandinavian Christmas festivities feature a variety of straw decorations in the form of stars, angels, hearts and other shapes, as well as the Julbukk.

11. “B” One explanation for this St. Stephen's day custom refers to a legend in which the saint was given away by a chattering wren while hiding from his enemies. Children cage the wren to help it do penance for this misdeed. Often the children carry a long pole with a holly bush at the top - which is supposed to hide a captured wren. An artificial wren may also be used.

12. “B” The King of the Mice, usually represented with seven heads, leads his troops against the nutcracker's toy soldiers. He loses the battle when Clara, the heroine, stuns him with a shoe.

13. “D” In addition to their painted flesh, endored birds were served wrapped in their own skin and feathers, which had been removed and set aside prior to roasting.

14. “B” "Lambswool" was the drink that filled the wassail bowl. Sugar, eggs and spices were added to the ale, and toast floated on top with the apples. Poor people would bring their mugs to the door hoping for a share of the steaming drink.

15. “B” When the room is dark, a bowl of raisins soaked in brandy is lit. Who will be brave enough to claim the prize from the fierce dragon flames?

16. “D” Goose clubs were popular with working-class Londoners, who paid a few pence a week towards the cost of a Christmas goose. The week before Christmas, London meat markets were crammed with geese and turkeys, many imported from Germany and France.

17. “C” Mulled wines were popular festive drinks in 19th-century London. They were undoubtedly much safer to drink than the untreated water. To make Smoking Bishop, take 6 bitter oranges and stick them with 6 cloves each. Put them in a bowl, cover with (cheap) red wine, and set in a warm place for a day. Squeeze the oranges into the wine and strain. Add port. Heat, and serve with a cinnamon stick.

18. “D” The turkeys were walked to market. The boots protected their feet from the frozen mud of the road. Boots were not used for geese: instead, their feet were protected with a covering of tar.

19. “B” The Internet Movie Database lists hundreds of movies with "Christmas" in the title. Amongst those you may not yet have seen: A Messy Christmas (1921), An All Dogs Christmas Carol (1998), Goat Christmas (1997) and The Bad Man's Christmas Gift (1910).

20. “B” The pungent burning stench drives off, or at least helps discourage, the Kallikantzaroi. Other techniques include hanging a pig's jawbone by the door and keeping a large fire so they can't sneak down the chimney.

21. “B” Handel (1685-1759) seems to have been a kind and generous man. The Messiah was written to aid charities in Ireland. It was a success there from its original performance, though it was not immediately popular in England. Handel's favorite charity in London was the Foundling Hospital. He conducted performances of The Messiah there until 1754.

22. “C” In Mexico, the poinsettia is known as the "Flower of the Holy Night". It was brought to America by the diplomat Joel Poinsett in 1829. Among other accomplishments, Poinsett also played an important part in founding the Smithsonian Institution.

23. “D” Prang was a Bavarian-born lithographer. He settled in Boston, Massachusetts in the 1850s and established a successful printing business. He invented a way of reproducing color oil paintings, the "chromolithograph technique", and created a card with the message "Merry Christmas" as a way of showing it off. He went on to produce a series of popular Christmas cards. By 1881 he was printing more than five million cards annually.

24. “C” No doubt Kipling's fine writing contributed to the enormous success of the broadcast, which was also heard overseas. It began, "I speak now from my home and from my heart to you all..." Queen Elizabeth II continues the Christmas broadcast tradition to this day.

25. “D” The gifts are usually given after the traditional Christmas feast of twelve meatless dishes, which itself does not begin until the first star appears. Each diner at this special meal - the Kucios - must at least sample each of the dishes.

26. C
27. A
28. B
29. B
30. D
31. C
32. C
33. C
34. D
35. A
36. D
37. D
38. D
39. B
40. C
41. A
42. C
43. A
44. A
45. C
46. C
47. A
48. A
49. B
50. C