The great Canadian Christmas quiz

Answers
Christmas across Canada
1. C Winnipeg earned this title because its frequent and abundant snowfalls each December virtually guarantee a white Christmas, providing ideal weather for skating, sleigh rides and roasting chestnuts over an open fire.

2. D Belsnicklers or Mummers wear masks and costumes, disguise their voices and sing and dance before going to the next house. If the host can't guess their identities, he or she must come along with them and join in the holiday fun.

3. B Along with daily gift-giving, a traditional Inuit Christmas often includes a festive dinner that features caribou, seal or arctic char with tea and bannock.

4. C A traditional réveillon, or "waking up," is eaten after people return from Midnight Mass.

5. C Santa was the attraction in Toronto's Santa Claus Parade. In 1906, Santa arrived in a coach pulled by four white horses. In 1982, the parade became a nonprofit organization. The last Eaton's store closed its doors on Feb. 26, 2002. Today, the parade has grown to more than 25 floats, 24 bands and 1,700 participants.

6. D Japanese oranges arrive in Canada during winter. As a result, they have been making spirits bright and filling the Christmas stockings of kids of all ages for well over 100 years.

Christmas entertainment
1. D "Barenaked for the Holidays" is actually a pretty traditional album featuring "O Holy Night," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and a duet with Michael Bublé.

2. C The Canadian content of this "South Park" episode refers to "The Wizard of Oz" via lines such as, "I don't think we're in America anymore" and "The Only Road in Canada," which alludes to The Yellow Brick Road, and our prime minister as an illusionary figure controlled by someone hidden behind a screen.

3. D John Candy and Catherine O'Hara also appeared together as cast members of "SCTV," Canada’s long-running, irreverent sketch comedy series with Dave Thomas, Rick Moranis, Joe Flaherty, Andrea Martin, Eugene Levy and Martin Short – all of whom gained fame in movies.

4. D Pierre and Margaret Trudeau had three sons, two of whom were indeed born on Christmas Day: Justin in 1971 and Alexandre, who was born on Dec. 25, 1973.

5. B "The Huron Carol," or "Jesous Ahatonhia," ("Jesus, He Is Born") was written in the native language of the Huron/Wendat people by missionary Jean de Brébeuf in 1643. The English version "Twas in the Moon of Wintertime" was written by Jesse Edgar Middleton in 1926.

6. D As TV fans are well aware, the sole Christmas-themed episode of "Corner Gas" was originally telecast on Dec. 12, 2005. Although this was the first show to be filmed in Rouleau, Sask., during winter, snowmaking machines had to be called in to provide the white stuff.

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