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About This Quiz
Celebrate the festive spring holiday Easter by taking this quiz, which will set you straight on when it is observed, why it exists and — most importantly — which flavor jelly bean everyone is going to try to steal from your Easter basket.
Let's start off with a basic question. What does Easter celebrate?
Jesus' resurrection
Easter is celebrated to memorialize Jesus' rise from the tomb.
Jesus' death
Jesus' birthday
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What is Lent?
40 days when Catholics can't drink alcohol
40 days of religious observance
Many Christian denominations mark Lent with prayer, abstinence or fasting.
40 days where Christians can't eat meat
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What is a Paschal greeting?
the first words at an Easter Mass
the exclamation "hallelujah!"
a customary Easter greeting in some Christian cultures
It's roughly translated as "Christ is risen!"
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How is the date of Easter determined?
It's the first Sunday in April.
It's based on the lunisolar calendar.
And it gets even more complicated ...
It's the Sunday before equinox.
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The lunisolar calculations are based on what calendar?
Julian
Gregorian
both
Eastern Christianity uses the Julian; Western uses the Gregorian. So yes, the two arms of Christianity celebrate their biggest holiday on different dates.
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The Wednesday before Easter is sometimes called …
Super Wednesday
Spy Wednesday
Based on the formation of Judas Iscariot's betrayal, "Spy Wednesday" sounds more like a cool midweek movie feature on television.
Special Wednesday
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Maundy Thursday takes place when?
the Thursday before Easter
Several important rituals take place on Maundy Thursday, which is also called Holy Thursday.
the Thursday after Easter
neither
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What does "Maundy" refer to?
being sad
Monday
Jesus washing his disciples' feet
It refers to Jesus washing his disciples' feet. However, the word "Maundy" probably refers to the British "maunders," or beggars, who received tokens of charity from the king on Holy Thursday.
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Easter is also called Pasch, which shares a common root with what other religious holiday?
Ramadan
Pentecost
Passover
Many languages share the word for Passover and Easter or have similar variants.
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Why do Passover and Easter have the same name in lots of languages?
Early Christians centered the holiday around the Hebrew calendar.
They used the Hebrew calendar to line up Easter and Passover.
It's just way easier to have the same name.
Passover and Easter both mean "holiday" in Latin.
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Some people interpret what event as a Passover celebration?
eating chocolate rabbits
searching for Easter eggs
the Last Supper
Some interpretations of the Last Supper include Jesus holding a Passover Seder for the apostles.
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An English tradition around Easter is "clipping the church." What does it entail?
tidying gravestones
the congregation gathering around the church in a circle holding hands
Nobody is quite sure where it came from, but some British congregations still gather around the church on the Monday or Tuesday after Easter.
washing the church's windows
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Why is the Friday before Easter called "Good Friday"?
"Good" used to mean "bad."
because it's good Lent is almost over
probably because "good" meant "holy" at one point
It's not entirely known, but "good" probably just meant it was a pious holiday.
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Don't try to buy booze on Good Friday in what booze-loving country?
Ireland
Irish pubs are closed on Good Friday, and the sale of alcohol is illegal.
Australia
United Kingdom
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What baked good is traditionally eaten on Easter?
cinnamon rolls
hot cross buns
The icing "cross" on the bun is a reminder of Jesus on the crucifix.
carrot cake
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What book in the Bible refers to the Easter bunny?
Matthew
John
nice try
OK, there is no Easter rabbit to be found.
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Who is Eostre?
the goddess Easter was probably named for
the goddess whose pagan festival eventually became Easter
the (not entirely factual) goddess that the Internet claims was the basis for Easter
While claims abound that an Anglo-Saxon goddess named Eostre is the basis for Easter's name and appropriation, there's little evidence they're true.
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Where did rabbits first become associated with Easter?
Protestant parts of Europe
In the 17th century Germany brought the "egg-laying bunny" into the world.
South America
the United States
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What creature brings Easter eggs in Switzerland?
the reindeer
the cuckoo
The Easter cuckoo comes calling.
the dodo
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Why did decorating eggs become an Easter tradition?
It supposedly warded off salmonella in raw eggs.
to show joy at new beginnings
to designate eggs laid during Holy Week
Eating eggs during Holy Week was verboten, so the eggs were decorated to distinguish them.
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What president hosted the first Egg Roll on the White House lawn?
President Rutherford B. Hayes
The first official Easter Egg Roll was in 1878.
President Andrew Jackson
President James Madison
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Where were eggs supposedly rolled before the White House opened its gates to the practice?
the National Mall
Capitol Hill
The sour old Congress passed a law that the Capitol grounds couldn't be used as a playground.
the Smithsonian Institution
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Why is lamb a traditional Easter dinner?
Jesus' role as the "lamb of God"
the "sacrificial lamb" of Scripture
both
Both reasons probably play a part in why lamb is a popular Easter feast.
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What is a name for the Tuesday before Lent begins?
Mardi Gras
Shrove Tuesday
both
The first means "fat Tuesday," a day to celebrate gluttony before Lent; the other name comes from the word "shrive" and signifies a day where you confess your sins before Lent. Your choice.
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When were the earliest chocolate eggs made?
the early 19th century
France and Germany were the first to bring chocolate eggs to the hungry masses in the 19th century.
fifth century
1915
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When did the first Cadbury Creme Eggs appear on the scene?
1960s
1940s
1970s
They appeared in the 1970s. Creme-filled eggs were around for awhile, but Cadbury Creme Eggs are, as we all know, in their own league.
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In a move that outraged the British, Cadbury Creme Eggs went through what change in 2015?
A different chocolate is used.
Instead of Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate, plain old garbage cocoa-mix chocolate was used.
The "yolk" color changed from orange to yellow.
The size was reduced.
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Who manufactures Cadbury Creme Eggs in the US?
Cadbury
Nestle
Hershey
Which means you're not eating Cadbury chocolate on Easter morning if you're in the U.S.
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What is the most popular jelly bean flavor?
cherry
It's the cherry flavor. You can tell everyone that fun fact around the Easter table.
buttered popcorn
strawberry
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You Got:
/30
