Christmas trivia

Christmas trivia questions and answers

30 of 107 questions; play or print to get the rest. Tap a question’s answer line to see it.

1. In Italian folklore, who flies over Italy on a broomstick the night of January 5 to fill children's stockings?

   1. Babbo Natale
   2. La Fata Turchina
   3. La Befana
   4. Santa Lucia
   Show answer

   C. La Befana Her visit comes on the eve of Epiphany, celebrated on January 6, twelve days after Christmas Day.

2. Which 'singing cowboy' turned 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' into a hit record in 1949?

   1. Eddy Arnold
   2. Gene Autry
   3. Roy Rogers
   4. Tex Ritter
   Show answer

   B. Gene Autry Autry cut it for Columbia Records in Hollywood on June 27, 1949, and introduced it at Madison Square Garden.

3. In Ethiopia, where Christmas falls in early January, what is the holiday called in Amharic?

   1. Timkat
   2. Genna
   3. Meskel
   4. Enkutatash
   Show answer

   B. Genna Ethiopian Christmas is celebrated on January 7, which is Tahsas 29 in Ethiopia's own calendar.

4. In The Elf on the Shelf tradition, what happens if a child touches the scout elf?

   1. It loses its magic
   2. It flies away for good
   3. It falls asleep for a year
   4. It turns into snow
   Show answer

   A. It loses its magic Official rules say scout elves fly back to the North Pole on Christmas Eve to help Santa get ready for next year.

5. Sweden's Christmas Eve Donald Duck special airs at the same time every year. What time does it start?

   1. 6 p.m.
   2. 3 p.m.
   3. 9 a.m.
   4. 1 p.m.
   Show answer

   B. 3 p.m. Slate reported in 2009 that it ranked among Sweden's three biggest TV events, drawing 40 to 50 percent of the country.

6. The single 'Last Christmas' came out in December 1984. Which English pop duo performed it?

   1. Eurythmics
   2. Tears for Fears
   3. Pet Shop Boys
   4. Wham!
   Show answer

   D. Wham! Wham! member George Michael wrote and produced the song himself.

7. Who directed the stop-motion film The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)?

   1. Tim Burton
   2. Brad Bird
   3. Robert Zemeckis
   4. Henry Selick
   Show answer

   D. Henry Selick Tim Burton created the story and characters, but he did not direct the film.

8. Mistletoe, hung indoors for Christmas kisses, grows in the wild as what kind of plant?

   1. A parasite on trees
   2. A woodland fern
   3. A climbing vine
   4. A desert shrub
   Show answer

   A. A parasite on trees There are about 1,300 mistletoe species worldwide, more than 30 in the continental US and Canada, and all of them grow as parasites on trees and shrubs.

9. Dutch children receive their holiday gifts for the feast of Sinterklaas. On what December date is it celebrated in the Netherlands?

   1. December 1
   2. December 5
   3. December 13
   4. December 24
   Show answer

   B. December 5 Holland's tourism site says Sinterklaas matters more there than Santa Claus; the Christmas tree goes up after he departs.

10. Mexico celebrates Las Posadas from December 16 to 24. What does the Spanish word 'posada' mean in English?

    1. Inn
    2. Star
    3. Gift
    4. Candle
    Show answer

    A. Inn The tradition is also celebrated in Guatemala and parts of the southern United States.

11. In which country do millions of families celebrate Christmas with a bucket of KFC fried chicken?

    1. Thailand
    2. South Korea
    3. China
    4. Japan
    Show answer

    D. Japan Fortune reported in 2016 that about 3.6 million Japanese families celebrate Christmas with KFC.

12. During a December 1965 prank on Mission Control, astronauts on which NASA mission played 'Jingle Bells' with a harmonica and sleigh bells?

    1. Gemini 6A
    2. Apollo 8
    3. Mercury-Atlas 9
    4. Gemini 12
    Show answer

    A. Gemini 6A Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford pretended they had spotted a UFO, then broadcast the song on a harmonica and miniature sleigh bells.

13. Who composed the melody of 'Silent Night' in 1818, setting a poem by the priest Joseph Mohr to music?

    1. Franz Schubert
    2. Anton Bruckner
    3. Franz Xaver Gruber
    4. Michael Haydn
    Show answer

    C. Franz Xaver Gruber Gruber wrote the tune in the Arnsdorf schoolhouse on Christmas Eve, the same day the carol premiered.

14. Who stars as the Grinch in the 2000 live-action film How the Grinch Stole Christmas?

    1. Adam Sandler
    2. Jim Carrey
    3. Mike Myers
    4. Eddie Murphy
    Show answer

    B. Jim Carrey Carrey played the role under heavy makeup and layers of dyed yak fur in a film directed by Ron Howard.

15. The Polar Express (2004) is based on a children's book by which author?

    1. Roald Dahl
    2. Eric Carle
    3. Chris Van Allsburg
    4. Maurice Sendak
    Show answer

    C. Chris Van Allsburg Robert Zemeckis made the film with motion capture, and Tom Hanks played several roles, including the conductor.

16. Which two reindeer in 'A Visit from St. Nicholas' got their names from Dutch words for thunder and lightning?

    1. Dasher and Dancer
    2. Prancer and Vixen
    3. Donder and Blitzen
    4. Comet and Cupid
    Show answer

    C. Donder and Blitzen The first 1823 printing spelled the pair 'Dunder and Blixem'; later versions shifted to 'Donder and Blixen' and then 'Donder and Blitzen.'

17. Who traditionally sings out the winning numbers at Spain's El Gordo Christmas lottery drawing in Madrid?

    1. Schoolchildren
    2. Opera singers
    3. Town criers
    4. Radio hosts
    Show answer

    A. Schoolchildren In 2024, pupils from Madrid's San Ildefonso school drew the numbers from revolving orbs and sang results for nearly five hours.

18. The sleigh in 'A Visit from St. Nicholas' is pulled by a team of tiny reindeer. How many are there?

    1. Twelve
    2. Eight
    3. Nine
    4. Six
    Show answer

    B. Eight The poem shrinks everything: the sleigh is 'miniature,' the reindeer are 'tiny,' and St. Nicholas himself is 'a right jolly old elf.'

19. Mexico's Las Posadas processions in late December reenact whose search for a place to stay?

    1. The shepherds
    2. The three wise men
    3. Mary and Joseph
    4. The apostles
    Show answer

    C. Mary and Joseph Singers go door to door asking for shelter and are turned away until a host finally welcomes them in for a party.

20. In 1931, Coca-Cola commissioned which illustrator to paint the Santa Claus of its holiday magazine ads?

    1. N.C. Wyeth
    2. Norman Rockwell
    3. J.C. Leyendecker
    4. Haddon Sundblom
    Show answer

    D. Haddon Sundblom Sundblom's Santa oil paintings ran in Coca-Cola advertising from 1931 to 1964 and were adapted for billboards, posters and store displays.

21. In 'The Christmas Song,' what is roasting on an open fire?

    1. Marshmallows
    2. Chestnuts
    3. Apples
    4. Walnuts
    Show answer

    B. Chestnuts The song's original subtitle was actually 'Merry Christmas to You.'

22. The carol 'Silent Night' was first performed on December 24, 1818, in St. Nicholas church in which Austrian town?

    1. Innsbruck
    2. Vienna
    3. Oberndorf
    4. Salzburg
    Show answer

    C. Oberndorf That church no longer exists; the Silent Night Memorial Chapel now stands on the site in Oberndorf.

23. In The Santa Clause (1994), who plays Scott Calvin, the dad who ends up taking over as Santa?

    1. Tim Allen
    2. John Goodman
    3. Billy Crystal
    4. Robin Williams
    Show answer

    A. Tim Allen When Santa falls off the roof on Christmas Eve, Scott puts on the suit and is soon whisked to the North Pole.

24. In The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), what title does Jack Skellington hold in Halloween Town?

    1. The Pumpkin King
    2. The Ghost King
    3. The Shadow King
    4. The Skeleton King
    Show answer

    A. The Pumpkin King Catherine O'Hara voices Sally, a lonely ragdoll who fears Jack's new obsession with Christmas will bring him trouble.

25. In the animated film Klaus (2019), what job sends Jesper to the remote town of Smeerensburg?

    1. Schoolteacher
    2. Postman
    3. Toymaker
    4. Fisherman
    Show answer

    B. Postman Jesper must handle 6,000 letters in a year or be cut off from his family fortune; J.K. Simmons voices Klaus.

26. The tradition of building decorated gingerbread houses began in which country?

    1. Sweden
    2. Germany
    3. England
    4. France
    Show answer

    B. Germany The Brothers Grimm's tale of Hansel and Gretel features a house of sweets in the forest, though it is unclear whether the tale or the houses came first.

27. In A Christmas Story (1983), what present does Ralphie Parker want more than anything?

    1. A Schwinn bicycle
    2. A Flexible Flyer sled
    3. A Red Ryder BB gun
    4. A Lionel train set
    Show answer

    C. A Red Ryder BB gun A screen-used Red Ryder BB gun from the film went on display in 2015 at the A Christmas Story house museum in Cleveland.

28. Who plays Clark Griswold in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)?

    1. Steve Martin
    2. Dan Aykroyd
    3. Chevy Chase
    4. John Candy
    Show answer

    C. Chevy Chase Beverly D'Angelo returns as Clark's ever-optimistic wife Ellen in the 1989 comedy.

29. At the end of the story, when the Grinch finally understands Christmas, how many sizes does his heart grow?

    1. Five
    2. Four
    3. Two
    4. Three
    Show answer

    D. Three At the start of the book, the Grinch's heart is described as two sizes too small.

30. The tune of 'Carol of the Bells' comes from 'Shchedryk,' a folk song arranged in 1916 by a composer from which country?

    1. Ukraine
    2. Poland
    3. Hungary
    4. Romania
    Show answer

    A. Ukraine American choir director Peter Wilhousky later wrote the English words after the melody reminded him of bells.

Hosting a trivia night

• Teams of two to five keep everyone talking. Mix ages so the kids’ questions and the hard ones both get answered.
• One round per category works well: movies, songs, traditions, around the world, for kids.
• Read it twice, then give a short time to answer before you show the answer.
• Paper version? Print the question sheet for each team and keep the answer sheet for the host.

Questions

How do I host a Christmas trivia game?

Open Host a quiz on a TV, laptop or tablet everyone can see. Split into teams, read each question aloud, then tap Show the answer and give the point. Add up to eight teams; the scores stay on this device.

Can I play Christmas trivia with friends who are far away?

Yes. Play ten questions, then tap Get my link. Your friend gets the same ten questions and sees both scores when they finish.

Are there Christmas trivia questions for kids?

Yes. The kids page has only questions an 8 to 12 year old can enjoy, and it can be played, hosted or printed the same way.

Are the answers right?

Every answer is checked before it goes on the site. If you think one is wrong, write to [email protected] and we will look at it the same day.

Is it free?

Yes, with no sign-up.