Codex of FaithsAn illustrated atlas of belief

Codex of Faiths · codexoffaiths.com

Festivals of the year: quiz worksheet

A printable worksheet for the classroom: 10 multiple-choice questions on the festivals of the world’s religions, with an answer key and explanations on the last page.

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Circle the letter of the best answer.

  1. Vaisakhi recalls the founding of the Khalsa in 1699. Which faith keeps it?

    1. A Jainism
    2. B Islam
    3. C Buddhism
    4. D Sikhism

  2. Which festival celebrates the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad?

    1. A Eid al-Fitr
    2. B Mawlid
    3. C Eid al-Adha
    4. D Ashura

  3. When does Nowruz, the Persian new year, begin?

    1. A At the spring equinox
    2. B At the first new moon of the year
    3. C On 1 January
    4. D At the winter solstice

  4. Which festival is known for throwing coloured powder?

    1. A Holi
    2. B Diwali
    3. C Maha Shivaratri
    4. D Navaratri

  5. Paryushana, a time of fasting and asking forgiveness of all beings, belongs to…

    1. A Hinduism
    2. B Jainism
    3. C Sikhism
    4. D Buddhism

  6. Whom does the Japanese festival of Obon honour?

    1. A The rice harvest
    2. B The emperor
    3. C The spirits of the ancestors
    4. D The sun goddess Amaterasu

  7. What do Bahá’ís celebrate during the twelve days of Ridván?

    1. A The end of the Fast
    2. B The birth of the Báb
    3. C Bahá’u’lláh’s declaration of his mission in 1863
    4. D The founding of the Universal House of Justice

  8. Which festival retells the exodus from Egypt at a seder meal?

    1. A Sukkot
    2. B Passover
    3. C Shavuot
    4. D Purim

  9. The festival of the river goddess Osun is held each August in which country?

    1. A Nigeria
    2. B Ghana
    3. C Brazil
    4. D Benin

  10. Why do most Orthodox churches keep Easter on a different date from Western churches?

    1. A They follow the Hebrew calendar for Passover only
    2. B They wait for the full moon of May
    3. C They keep it on a fixed date
    4. D They calculate it with the Julian calendar

Answer key

  1. D · Sikhism. Vaisakhi, on 13 or 14 April, is also a harvest festival in Punjab, marked with processions (nagar kirtan).
  2. B · Mawlid. Mawlid falls on the 12th of Rabi al-Awwal; many Shia Muslims keep the 17th.
  3. A · At the spring equinox. Nowruz falls on 20 or 21 March, and is kept across Iran and Central Asia and by Zoroastrians and Bahá’ís.
  4. A · Holi. Holi, at the full moon of Phalguna in March, follows a bonfire on the night before.
  5. B · Jainism. It lasts eight days for Shvetambaras and ten for Digambaras, in August or September.
  6. C · The spirits of the ancestors. Lanterns guide the spirits home and dances welcome them, in mid-August in most of Japan.
  7. C · Bahá’u’lláh’s declaration of his mission in 1863. He declared his mission in the Ridván garden outside Baghdad; it is the holiest Bahá’í festival.
  8. B · Passover. Passover begins on the 15th of Nisan, in March or April, with matzah eaten for the week.
  9. A · Nigeria. It takes place in the sacred grove at Osogbo, a UNESCO World Heritage site; the king of Osogbo sets the date each year.
  10. D · They calculate it with the Julian calendar. Both use the same rule, but with different calendars, so the dates often differ by one or more weeks.

From Codex of Faiths, codexoffaiths.com. You may print and copy this worksheet for teaching.