Holidays & seasons quizzes

Halloween, Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, summer: quizzes for every occasion

Holidays & seasons brings together the occasions that mark the calendar year: solstices and equinoxes, Candlemas, Easter, Halloween, Christmas and Valentine's Day, along with summer breaks, back to school and get-togethers with friends. Along the way you meet the history of calendars, folk legends, food traditions and the symbols that different cultures have attached to the seasons.

Each sub-theme offers free quizzes at five difficulty levels, from very easy to expert, with an explanation after every answer so you learn where a custom comes from. It is a good way to test what you know about holidays and seasons, alone, with family or at a party.

Subthemes

Halloween Christmas Easter Valentine's Day Summer & holidays Back to school Party nights with friends

Quizzes

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Frequently asked questions about Holidays & seasons

What is the difference between a solstice and an equinox?

At the solstices, around 21 June and 21 December, the northern hemisphere has its longest and its shortest day of the year. At the equinoxes, around 20 March and 22 or 23 September, day and night are nearly equal in length. These markers result from the tilt of Earth's axis, about 23.4 degrees.

When is Candlemas and what does it celebrate?

Candlemas falls on 2 February, forty days after Christmas. This Christian feast marks the presentation of Jesus at the Temple and the blessing of candles, which gives it its name. In France, where it is called la Chandeleur, people eat crêpes that day, their round golden shape recalling the returning sun.

Why does the year start on 1 January?

The Julian calendar, introduced by Julius Caesar and applied from 45 BC, set the start of the year at 1 January. In the Middle Ages many regions began the year on other dates, such as 25 March or Easter. France made 1 January the official start of the year with the Edict of Roussillon in 1564.