A very happy Festive Season to all my readers. I’d like to thank you for reading the blog, which is approaching its 10^th birthday in February 2020, and for your thoughtful and interesting comments. Welcome to the 9^th Edition of the Life on La Lune French Christmas Quiz, my little Christmas gift to readers. Twenty questions on aspects of French history, culture, language, cuisine, geography and politics with multiple choice answers.

A few rules:

• Try to answer without using the internet if you can. You are, however, authorised to search this blog, and you’ll find the answers to some of the questions buried here somewhere.
• Beware, there are a few questions where more than one answer might be correct.
• Please don’t post up your answers in the comments section below. It spoils it for everyone else.
• Don’t take it too seriously; it’s all in fun.
• There are no prizes. Virtue is its own reward.
• I will provide the correct answers on Sunday 29^th December, so you have a week to puzzle over it.

A vos marques…prêt…partez !

1. Which is the tallest man-made structure in France?

a) The Eiffel Tower

b) The Millau Viaduct

c) The Tour First

2. Which cathedral celebrated its 900^th anniversary this year?

a) Sainte-Cécile in Albi

b) Saint-André in Bordeaux

c) Saint-Etienne in Cahors

3. A photo question. What is this building?

a) A barn

b) A pigeonnier

c) A church

4. Which famous work of art was hidden in the Abbaye de Loc-Dieu during World War II?

a) Delacroix’s ‘Liberty Leading the People’

b) Leonardo’s ‘Mona Lisa’

c) Rodin’s ‘The Kiss’

5. What is a cochonnet?

a) A piglet

b) An unpleasant person

c) A small ball used in boules

6. What is the English meaning of “un gros bonnet”?

a) A bighead

b) A bigwig

c) A big baby

7. Which flower is a symbol of those who have died for France?

a) Cornflower

b) Poppy

c) Chrysanthemum

8. In which French town was Marcel Pagnol born?

a) Avignon

b) Aubagne

c) Marseille

9. How often are French municipal elections held?

a) Every 4 years

b) Every 6 years

c) Every 7 years

10. What was a maladrerie?

a) A medieval prison

b) A house of ill repute

c) A leper colony

11. What symbol was a female farm worker supposed to wear when looking for work at a hiring fair?

a) A hen’s feather

b) An ear of wheat

c) A twist of wool

12. When was the last person executed by the guillotine in France?

a) 1973

b) 1977

c) 1981

13. What is a distinctive ingredient of pounti, an Auvergne pâté?

a) Chestnuts

b) Prunes

c) Saffron

14. The cultivation of which foodstuff was banned in France for a while during the 18^th century?

a) Maize

b) Potatoes

c) Tomatoes

15. Which grape variety must make up at least 40% of a Fronton wine to achieve appellation status?

a) Malbec

b) Négrette

c) Merlot

16 Which of the following alcoholic drinks is not allowed in the French workplace by law?

a) Pastis

b) Wine

c) Poiré

17. Which of the following is not made from grapes?

a) Cognac

b) Calvados

c) Armagnac

18. For how long was Louis XIX King of France?

a) 20 minutes

b) 20 days

c) 20 weeks

19. Apart from Emmanuel Macron, who currently holds the record (39), who was the youngest President of France at the time of taking office?

a) Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte

b) Raymond Poincaré

c) Valéry Giscard d’Estaing

20. How long did the Hundred Years War actually go on for?

a) 96 years

b) 103 years

c) 116 years

Have a great Christmas, and I’ll be back with the answers in a week’s time.

Bonnes Fêtes!

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