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Seven days of questions and answers

Easter Trivia Answers Archive

Review earlier daily rounds, reveal the correct answer, and use the short explanation to learn the fact behind each question. Page 7 of 12 covers seven completed UTC days.

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Daily round

  1. What liturgical period of approximately 40 days of fasting and penance precedes Easter Sunday?

    Answer: Lent

    Lent is a roughly 40-day season of preparation that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends before the Easter Triduum.

  2. The astronomical event that can cause Easter to fall as late as April 25 in some years is related to what?

    Answer: A full moon falling after March 21

    Easter is observed on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the spring equinox, which can push the date to April 25.

  3. What is the primary reason animal welfare organizations in several countries advise against giving live rabbits as Easter gifts?

    Answer: Most rabbits given as gifts are surrendered within months

    Shelters consistently report a spike in abandoned rabbits in the weeks and months following Easter, as many recipients are unprepared for the decade-plus commitment, specialized veterinary care, and social needs of a pet rabbit.

  4. Which 15th-century Italian painter created the Legend of the True Cross fresco cycle in San Francesco at Arezzo?

    Answer: Piero della Francesca

    Piero della Francesca painted the extensive fresco cycle "The Legend of the True Cross" in the Bacci Chapel of San Francesco in Arezzo during the 1450s, covering events from the Passion through the discovery of the cross by Saint Helena.

  5. In the traditional Stations of the Cross, how many stations trace the events from Jesus' condemnation to his burial?

    Answer: Fourteen

    The traditional devotion of the Stations of the Cross consists of 14 stations following Jesus from his condemnation by Pilate through his crucifixion, death, and placement in the tomb.

Daily round

  1. Which bird is a traditional Christian symbol of peace and sometimes appears in Easter artwork?

    Answer: Dove

    A dove is a longstanding Christian symbol of peace and the Holy Spirit and can appear in Easter-season art.

  2. In Bermuda, Good Friday kite-flying is a popular tradition. What shapes are the kites most commonly made in?

    Answer: Hexagonal with long tails

    Bermudians craft colorful hexagonal kites with long, flowing tails and tissue-paper hummers that buzz in the wind, flying them on Good Friday in a tradition that blends Christian symbolism of the ascension with older folk customs.

  3. Which ecclesiastical computation method, developed in the medieval period, was used to calculate the date of Easter each year?

    Answer: The Computus

    The Computus was the medieval system of calendar calculation used to determine the date of Easter, involving the interplay between the solar year, the lunar month, and the fixed date of the vernal equinox.

  4. Food coloring is the most common way to dye Easter eggs today. Which natural ingredient produces a blue tint on eggshells?

    Answer: Red cabbage

    Red cabbage leaves contain anthocyanins that turn eggshells blue when used as a natural dye.

  5. Which early spring flower has the botanical genus name Galanthus?

    Answer: Snowdrop

    Snowdrops belong to the genus Galanthus and often flower near the end of winter or in early spring.

Daily round

  1. Which spring flower, a member of the Liliaceae family, is commonly called the "Lent lily" in England because it typically blooms during the Lenten season?

    Answer: Daffodil

    The wild daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) is traditionally known in parts of England as the Lent lily because its flowering period closely aligns with the weeks of Lent leading up to Easter.

  2. What is the name of the prayer service held at the tomb of Jesus in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Holy Saturday?

    Answer: The Holy Fire ceremony

    The Holy Fire ceremony takes place at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Holy Saturday, during which the Orthodox patriarch enters the tomb and emerges with a flame that is passed among the faithful.

  3. The word 'vernal' is commonly paired with 'equinox' around Easter. What does 'vernal' mean?

    Answer: Spring

    Vernal derives from the Latin word vernus, meaning of or related to spring.

  4. In Matthias Grünewald's Isenheim Altarpiece, what distinctive feature characterizes the depiction of the resurrected Christ?

    Answer: He radiates light against a dark landscape, contrasting with the suffering crucifixion panel

    Grünewald's altarpiece contrasts the gruesome crucifixion with a luminous resurrection panel where Christ glows with golden light against a deep landscape, symbolizing the victory over death.

  5. What is Tenebrae, a service observed during Holy Week?

    Answer: A service of gradually extinguished candles on the last three days of Holy Week

    Tenebrae is a liturgical service held on Wednesday evening of Holy Week (or spread across Thursday, Friday, and Saturday) in which candles are progressively extinguished to symbolize the gathering darkness after the crucifixion.

Daily round

  1. The word 'maundy,' as in Maundy Thursday, is thought to derive from the Latin word for what?

    Answer: Command

    Maundy likely comes from the Latin mandatum, meaning commandment, referring to Jesus' new commandment to love one another as recorded in the Gospel of John.

  2. Which jewelry house created the Imperial Easter eggs commissioned by Russia's imperial family?

    Answer: House of Fabergé

    The House of Fabergé produced the famous jeweled Imperial Easter eggs for members of Russia's imperial family.

  3. How is the date of Easter determined in Western Christianity?

    Answer: The first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox

    Western Christianity calculates Easter as the first Sunday following the first ecclesiastical full moon that occurs on or after the March 21 vernal equinox.

  4. In Eastern Orthodox iconography, which event is most commonly depicted directly below the resurrection (Anastasis) icon?

    Answer: The Harrowing of Hell

    The Orthodox Anastasis icon shows Christ descending into Hades to liberate the righteous dead, commonly referred to as the Harrowing of Hell, and is the central image of Orthodox Easter theology.

  5. What is the traditional name for the Sunday before Easter that commemorates Jesus' entry into Jerusalem?

    Answer: Palm Sunday

    Palm Sunday recalls the Gospel accounts of Jesus entering Jerusalem riding on a donkey while crowds spread palm branches on the road, an event mentioned in all four canonical Gospels.

Daily round

  1. In a botanical egg-dyeing technique, what is held against the shell before wrapping and dyeing to leave a plant-shaped silhouette?

    Answer: A small leaf or flower

    A small leaf or flower can be pressed against the shell under a tight wrapping so the dye leaves its silhouette behind.

  2. What is the historical origin of the 40-day duration of Lent?

    Answer: It matches the number of days Jesus spent in the wilderness before his public ministry

    The 40 days of Lent mirror the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness as described in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, which themselves echo the 40 years the Israelites wandered in the desert.

  3. Which Bach work was first performed on Easter Sunday in 1725?

    Answer: Easter Oratorio

    Bach's Easter Oratorio, BWV 249, originated in a cantata first performed on Easter Sunday in 1725.

  4. The "Easter lily cactus" (Echinopsis multiplex) is a flowering plant known for producing large, fragrant white blooms that open at what time of day?

    Answer: Night

    The Easter lily cactus produces trumpet-shaped white flowers that typically open in the evening or at night, lasting only through the following day, which is a characteristic trait of many Echinopsis species.

  5. Fanesca is a thick, hearty soup served during Holy Week in which South American country, containing up to twelve different types of grains and beans?

    Answer: Ecuador

    Fanesca is a traditional Ecuadorian Easter soup made with salt cod, pumpkin, milk, cheese, and twelve different grains and legumes, said to represent the Twelve Apostles and the diversity of Andean ingredients.

Daily round

  1. Which herb, often called "pasque flower" from the Old French for Easter, is a spring-blooming purple wildflower found across European meadows?

    Answer: Pulsatilla vulgaris

    Pulsatilla vulgaris, the pasque flower, takes its common name from "Pâques," the French word for Easter, because it typically blooms around the holiday in its native European and central Asian grasslands.

  2. In France, what massive edible structure is traditionally constructed in town squares on Easter Monday as part of a communal celebration?

    Answer: A giant omelette

    The town of Bessières in southwestern France is famous for its Fraternity of the Giant Omelette, which cooks over 4,500 eggs in a massive pan in the town square each Easter Monday, a tradition linked to Napoleon's visit.

  3. In Christian art, the Latin title Agnus Dei identifies Christ with which animal?

    Answer: Lamb

    Agnus Dei means Lamb of God, a title represented by a lamb in Christian art and liturgy.

  4. Which long-eared Australian marsupial is featured in Easter-themed conservation fundraising because rabbits are invasive there?

    Answer: Bilby

    The bilby, a nocturnal marsupial with long ears, has been championed since the 1990s by Australian conservationists as a native alternative to the rabbit, which is an invasive pest in Australia, with chocolate bilbies sold to raise funds for bilby conservation.

  5. The tradition of the "Easter sunrise service" originates from which biblical account that early Christians reenacted by gathering outdoors at dawn?

    Answer: The women discovering the empty tomb at early dawn

    The Gospel accounts describe women visiting Jesus's tomb "very early in the morning" on the first day of the week and finding it empty, which inspired the longstanding Christian practice of holding outdoor worship services at sunrise on Easter morning.

Daily round

  1. Which spring bulb flower, native to Central Asia, is one of the earliest to bloom and often appears around Easter?

    Answer: Crocus

    Crocuses are among the first spring bulbs to bloom, often pushing through snow in late winter or early spring.

  2. The Easter Lamb cake, baked in a lamb-shaped mold and frosted with white icing, is a tradition most strongly associated with which European-American communities in the United States?

    Answer: German-American

    The lamb cake tradition was brought to the United States by German immigrants, who used cast-iron molds to bake a pound-cake-style lamb dusted with powdered sugar or coated in white frosting, often with a small flag inserted as a finishing touch.

  3. What does the Paschal candle symbolize in Christian liturgy?

    Answer: The light of Christ rising from the tomb

    The Paschal candle is lit at the Easter Vigil to symbolize the risen Christ as the light of the world; it is used throughout the Easter season and at baptisms and funerals.

  4. The phrase 'spring forward, fall back' is a mnemonic for what seasonal practice?

    Answer: Adjusting clocks for daylight saving time

    The mnemonic reminds people to set clocks one hour ahead in spring and one hour back in autumn for daylight saving time.

  5. Which liturgical color is commonly used for Easter Sunday celebrations in Western churches?

    Answer: White or gold

    White or gold is commonly used at Easter to express celebration, light, and resurrection in Western liturgy.