Question 1: Happy 2024! Who introduced the idea of a 12-month year?
- Alexander the Great
- Nero
- Julius Caesar
Correct Answer: Julius Caesar
Fact: Julius Caesar proposed a 12-month calendar to replace the Romans' 10-month one. The Julian calendar went into effect on January 1, 45 BCE and eventually spread worldwide. It would be replaced by the Gregorian calendar in 1582, in order to calculate leap years properly and remain aligned with the solar year.
Question 2: What is a female fox called?
- Scamp
- Duchess
- Vixen
Correct Answer: Vixen
Fact: Red foxes, the most common fox species in the world, are fast and fiercely protective of their young. Fox kits are born blind, deaf, and toothless so vixens feed, protect, and warm their young for months. Once the kits are old enough to survive on their own, vixens return to a solitary lifestyle.
Question 3: What is the tradition of jumping into cold water on New Year’s Day?
- Polar bear plunge
- Sea lion swim
- Walrus waddle
Correct Answer: Polar bear plunge
Fact: Despite the lack of a thick layer of fur, swimmers in countries such as the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands have embraced the tradition of taking a rejuvenating dip into icy-cold waters on New Year's Day, or on Christmas or Boxing Day in the United Kingdom.