Shot In The Dark

My friend Tony doesn't like card games so, when he was given one for Christmas, he passed it on to me. It's called Shot In The Dark Xmas. [As a child I was taught to regard Xmas as an unacceptable, perhaps even evil, abbreviation but let's move on from that]

I am an inveterate and highly competitive gamer but, since I won't have the opportunity to play this one for another 11¾ months, I thought I should try some of the questions on you people. Brains at the ready! Some leeway will be allowed; bonus points for exactly correct answers.

Q1. How many Olympic-sized swimming pools can be filled with the beer that is consumed on the UK over the Christmas period?

Q2. How many medium-sized baubles are needed to decorate an average six foot Christmas tree?

Q3. How much would it have cost to buy 100g of gold, frankincense and myrrh on Christmas Day 2019?

Q4. In 2019, what was the world record for eating the most Brussels sprouts in 60 seconds?

Q5. In Greenland, what Christmas delicacy is supposed to taste like fresh coconut:

• A. blubber wrapped in whale skin
• B. eels cooked in milk
• C. polar bear tongue OR
• D. boiled penguin beak?

Q6. What is the length of the biggest Christmas cracker ever made?

Q7. In what year was the first Christmas tree decorated and by whom?

Q8. In the 1940s what was most commonly used as fake snow in films?

Q9. On what date does the average Brit eat their first mince pie of the year?

Q10. During a Christmas feast hosted by King Richard II of England in 1377, how many sheep and oxen were consumed in total?

Answers will appear on 9 January.

Acknowledgement to @ShotintheDarkGames (FB) shotinthedarkgame.co.uk