- The Three Magi (and the word itself!) are, in some traditions, believed to take their origin from which monotheistic religion, centred in Iran?
- Aeschylus’ Persians focuses on the disastrous naval defeat in 480 BC of which invading king?
- How exactly was Julius Caesar related to Octavian, or Augustus, who was named as the former’s primary heir?
- Give the dates over which the Roman festival of winter feasting, Saturnalia, extended?
- Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale features two kings, Leontes and Polixenes – can you name their respective kingdoms (one of which, landlocked, mysteriously has a coastline)?
- As the myth goes, Oliver Cromwell single-handedly banned Christmas. But for how many years were the festivities foiled during the English Civil Wars and the Interregnum?
- The Koh-i-Noor diamond is believed to have historical origins going back to the 14th century, but in what century is it first verifiably recorded as featuring on the Mughal’s Peacock Throne?
- A Christmas Carol (1843) was the first of how many ‘Christmas Books’ written by Charles Dickens? Name one of the others for a bonus point!
- The Battle of Adwa in 1896 saw which modern-day African nation defeat which colonial power?
- King Charles III is set to broadcast his fourth Christmas address this year – how many would he be behind his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, should all go ahead as expected?
Scroll down for the answers…
- Zoroastrianism.
- Xerxes I.
- Great-nephew or great-uncle – Octavian was the grandson of Julia, Caesar’s sister.
- 17th-23rd December.
- Sicily and Bohemia.
- 16 – each Christmas from 1644 to 1659.
- 18th century – it is mentioned 1740s invasion of Northern India by the Persian Afsharids.
- 5 – any of The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth, The Battle for Life, The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain.
- Ethiopia and Italy.
- 66 (of the 70 she did, the Queen’s 1969 speech was only written and never broadcast).
