Time to celebrate Christmas, you know-alls.

'Nora's freezing on the trolley, swaller-dollar-cauliflower, alleygaroo!' Well, that's what Walt Kelly said we were singing. Let's prove him wrong.

Answer these simple questions about popular carols.

1. Describe the sleigh in which you are 'dashing through the snow'. It's a one-horse open sleigh, so there. The horse is in a hurry, he wants his dinner.
2. What kind of bed doesn't the Baby Jesus have in 'Away in a Manger'? A crib. The Mothercare shop was closed for the holiday.
3. How many lords are leaping in that irritating carol? Ten. Didn't anybody miss them in Westminster? (Probably not.)
4. At what time of day are the three ships sailing in on Christmas Day? In the morning. Early rising ships.
5. Why should the gentlemen be merry and not dismayed? Because Jesus was born on Christmas Day. That's their excuse and they're sticking to it.
6. Who got Mary the cherries in 'The Cherry Tree Carol'? Jesus. He asked the tree to bow down, which is a cool trick when you haven't been born yet.
7. How many las are there in a line of 'Deck the Halls"? Eight. (We counted on our fingers.)
8. Which bears the crown of all the trees that are in the wood? The holly. Old rivalry, apparently.
9. The 'trees of nature fruitless be' compared to what tree? The apple tree. If that carol doesn't give you goosebumps, you're immune to the season.
10. What other US cities feature prominently in Kelly's 'Deck Us All with Boston Charlie'? Walla Walla, Wash(ington), and Kalamazoo. It's just so much fun to sing 'Kalamazoo'.

We hope this quiz will have set you to singing. And we wish you and yours a lovely holiday, however, whenever, and wherever you celebrate it!

Dmitri Gheorgheni

22.12.14 Front Page

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