Aviva Trivia Blog

In all of Ireland, female fairies have quite a difficult time during childbirth.  In fact, many of the children born to fairies are born with deformities or stunted growth.  Of those that survive, many of them are traded off or exchanged for human children unbeknownst to the human parents. 
Adult fairies are repelled by their ugly [...]

On June 30th 1908, there was an explosion in central Siberia.  That fact alone may not seem particularly remarkable, but when other aspects of the explosion are taken into consideration, you may wonder how an event so big on a global scale could remain a total mystery, even to this day.
Even the bombing of Hiroshima [...]

The world population is said to be over 6.5 billion.  But where do all those billions of people live?  Here are some interesting facts about where we dwell on this big globe of ours.
China:
With a population of 1.3 billion, China tops this list of the world’s most populous countries.  In fact, 1 out of every [...]

Towns across the United States are well known for one thing or another.  Some of these things should be shouted aloud and others should simply be kept quiet.  Either way, the choice is yours to make whether you consider the claim to fame that these cities spout so proudly to be virtuous of the title.
Vineland, [...]

Russian nesting dolls, more accurately termed matryoshka, are not the old Russian relics we think they are despite being one of the most recognizable features of Russian folk art.  Roughly a century old, the art of the matryoshka has become a universal symbol of Russia and these beautifully created nesting dolls are beloved by collectors [...]

Willow Creek, California, has the distinction of being named the “Bigfoot Capital of the World.”  Located in Humboldt County, Willow Creek is a mountain community.  Additionally, it is located on the Trinity River.  Willow Creek is located to the north of San Francisco.
This town has held the name since the 1950s when a logger brought [...]

Washington, Missouri has the distinction of being named the “Corncob Pipe Capital of the World.”  The company whose work led to this distinction is the Missouri Meerschaum Company, one of the world’s largest producers of corncob pipes.  This town sits in the low hills along the Missouri River.  Two famous Americans who have favored corncob [...]

1. It seems that no one really seems to know who wrote “Twas the Night Before Christmas”
2. For many years credit for the poem was given to Clement Clarke Moore. It was thought that he wrote the poem for his three daughters in 1822.
3. The poem was published anonymously about a year later… on December [...]

The Grogoch, originally from Scotland, settled in Ireland a long time ago.  He is a strange creature that is half human and half fairy, appearing to look somewhat like an aborigine.  No female grogoch has ever been seen, so it is assumed that only males exist.  His stature is short, which makes him appear to [...]

Many of the traditions and symbols that we cherish during the Christmas season trace their origins back to the solstice festivals of ancient peoples, which celebrated the returning of light after the long period during which the days had grown shorter and shorter. The early Christian Church initially repressed many of these practices, but they [...]

Have you ever wondered about holiday spices?  How are they important?  And what are they used for?  Can we live without them?  Not if you love pumpkin pie, you can’t!
Trading in spices goes back before recorded history.  Early written records and letters are full of references to illustrate the importance of spices to our early [...]

Kangaroos are marsupial mammals, meaning, they are warm-blooded animals who raise their offspring in a pouch on the mother’s tummy.
Kangaroos are native to Australia where most marsupials live. 
Kangaroos are divided into red and gray species.  Red kangaroos thrive in the desert regions of the continent; gray kangaroos range in the grassy forests of Eastern and [...]

Citrus x limon, better known as the lemon is a citrus tree primarily grown in Mediterranean countries such as Italy and Spain, but also is grown commercially in the United States, India and Brazil as well as some other tropical and subtropical locales.  The following factual offerings provide a vast array of information about growing [...]

Green is one of the most abundant colors in nature — with almost all the vegetation on this earth being green.
Scientists say that each color has its own vibration frequency. The color green has a wavelength of 500 to 565 nanometers in the visible spectrum. It comes in several shades. An interesting fact is that [...]

Take an organism and surgically install a backpack of electrodes and a microprocessor to its thorax. Now use a remote control to send signals to the backpack to control the creature’s movements. If you equip enough organisms in this manner, and if they are large and powerful enough, and your method of control contains enough [...]

Christmas trees have simply become a part of our holiday celebrations, but  I was surprised to learn just how many superstitions are connected with the trees. I don’t think that I will take them as much for granted as I once did. There is a lot more to that decorated tree than meets the eye!
1. [...]

The thought of mistletoe has lodged itself in my brain and having some spare time this afternoon, I decided to see what I could find out about the tradition of kissing beneath a few sprigs.   
*1. We have all heard about kissing under the mistletoe, but what I didn’t know is that with each kiss, one [...]

The poinsettia is a beautiful red flower that is given most around the holidays, especially Christmas. The poinsettia has a long history, but one of the most interesting points of history is how the poinsettia made its way to America finding its first home in Greenville, South Carolina.
The poinsettia originated in Southern Mexico and the [...]

1. There have only been seven white Christmases in England in all of the 20th century.
2. In 1647, Oliver Cromwell made it an offence to celebrate Christmas. It was overturned in 1660.
3. Santa Claus is referred to as Father Christmas. His costume often features a long red cape trimmed with white fur.
4. Caroling began in [...]

Bringing home and decorating the Christmas tree is one of the most exciting events of the year for families around America.  It marks the beginning of the holiday season and a time of cheer for many people.  Families decorate the tree with lights and ornaments so they can watch it glitter and shine throughout December.  [...]