The centrepiece of every Christmas, as far as I’m concerned, is the family quiz. As the oldest in my generation, I’ve spent more than a decade devising elaborate questions and playing quizmaster, occasionally devolving this responsibility to younger cousins who fancy their chances imposing discipline on my raucous Irish family.
The quiz sparks much disagreement but it is unfailingly a joyous affair, inspiring new entries in the annals of the family memes, such as the time an uncle who had drunk one too many insisted the answer to every question was “trousers”.
It’s just one of the games that bring my family together over Christmas. Each one acts upon our social dynamics differently, exposing submerged parts of our characters and eliciting the best and worst in us.