77 Religious Holidays Quiz (Part 1)

[A] January 1 | Catholics kick off the New Year honoring Mary while everyone else nurses hangovers. This holy day of obligation replaced the ancient Roman feast of Janus, proving Christianity knew how to rebrand.

[C] January 5 | The tenth Sikh Guru was born in 1666 and created the Khalsa warrior tradition. Sikhs celebrate with processions and free community meals called langars that put potlucks to shame.

[A] January 6 | Kids in Latin America leave shoes out for gifts from the Three Wise Men on this date. In New Orleans, this kicks off Carnival season because any excuse for king cake works.

[B] January 7 | Orthodox Christians follow the Julian calendar, celebrating Christmas 13 days after everyone else. This means they get post-holiday sales on decorations, proving divine wisdom exists.

[D] February 13 | Jewish "New Year of the Trees" involves eating fruits and nuts ceremonially. Israeli environmentalists turned it into their Arbor Day, making tree-hugging religiously sanctioned.

[A] February 25 | Hindus stay awake all night honoring Lord Shiva with fasting and meditation. The cosmic dance of destruction and creation makes for one intense sleepover party.

[A] February 28-March 30 | Muslims fast from dawn to sunset for a month, developing superhuman patience. The pre-dawn meal Suhur turns everyone into temporary morning people against their will.

[B] March 5 | Christians get ash crosses on foreheads, confusing coworkers who think you forgot to wash. The ashes come from burning last year's Palm Sunday palms, recycling at its holiest.

[D] March 5-April 19 | Forty days of giving something up, turning Catholics into temporary vegans or social media ghosts. Fish Fridays single-handedly keep seafood restaurants profitable during this period.

[C] March 13 | The Fast of Esther commemorates the Queen's three-day fast before approaching the king. Jewish communities fast sunrise to sunset, making breakfast the most anticipated meal ever.

[A] March 13-14 | Jewish Halloween meets Mardi Gras with costumes, noisemakers, and triangular cookies. The commandment to drink until you can't tell hero from villain is actually religious law.

[B] March 13-14 | Hindu festival where throwing colored powder at strangers is encouraged behavior. White clothing becomes an extinct species as entire cities turn into rainbow explosions.

[B] March 15 | Bengali Hindus celebrate the mystic who proved all religions lead to the same truth. His teachings influenced everyone from Vivekananda to the Beatles' spiritual journey.

[D] March 20 | Persian New Year celebrates spring equinox with jumping over fires and goldfish on tables. The holiday predates most religions, proving spring cleaning is humanity's oldest ritual.

[C] March 20 | Bahá'í New Year coincides with spring equinox, starting their 19-month calendar. They celebrate with prayers, music, and definitely no work, making it universally relatable.

[C] March 25 | Catholics celebrate Angel Gabriel's pregnancy announcement to Mary exactly nine months before Christmas. Medieval mathematicians loved this kind of theological precision.

[D] March 30-31 | Muslims celebrate Ramadan's end with prayers, gifts, and eating during daylight like it's revolutionary. Sweet treats called ka'ak make dentists everywhere nervous.

[B] April 5 | Hindus celebrate Lord Rama's birthday with fasting and reading the Ramayana marathon-style. Baby Rama statues get rocked in cradles, making it surprisingly adorable.

[C] April 12-20 | Eight days of no bread products turns Jewish households into creative cooking laboratories. The Seder meal includes symbolic foods and enough wine to make the storytelling interesting.

[D] April 13 | Christians wave palm fronds celebrating Jesus's Jerusalem arrival, turning churches into temporary tropical zones. Kids everywhere discover palm fronds make excellent sword-fighting props.