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Christmas Trivia Questions and Answers
Updated 5 min read
Here are 40 Christmas trivia questions and answers, split into four rounds of ten so they are ready for a quiz night, a classroom or a long car ride. Each answer is hidden until you tap it, so you can read the questions out loud without spoiling anything.
The questions mix easy ones for kids with a few that will stump the adults. When you have finished, try the holiday round in our Trivia Quiz, which has its own set of multiple choice questions.
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Round 1: Songs and poems
Question 1: In "The Twelve Days of Christmas", how many swans are a-swimming?
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Answer: Seven, on the seventh day.
Question 2: What does "my true love" send on the tenth day of Christmas?
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Answer: Ten lords a-leaping.
Question 3: Which Christmas song was played in space in December 1965?
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Answer: "Jingle Bells".
The Gemini 6 astronauts played it on a small harmonica and bells they had smuggled aboard.
Question 4: "Silent Night" was first performed in 1818 in which country?
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Answer: Austria.
It was sung in German, as "Stille Nacht", in the village of Oberndorf near Salzburg.
Question 5: Who wrote the song "White Christmas"?
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Answer: Irving Berlin.
Question 6: Who wrote and recorded "Feliz Navidad" in 1970?
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Answer: José Feliciano.
Question 7: What are the first words of the poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas"?
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Answer: "'Twas the night before Christmas".
Question 8: How many reindeer are named in that 1823 poem?
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Answer: Eight.
Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid and the two now usually spelled Donner and Blitzen. Rudolph came much later.
Question 9: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer first appeared in 1939 in what?
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Answer: A booklet written by Robert L. May for a department store to give away to shoppers.
The famous song followed ten years later.
Question 10: In the song, what brings Frosty the Snowman to life?
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Answer: An old silk hat.
Round 2: Films, books and ballet
Question 11: In "A Christmas Carol", what is the name of Scrooge's dead business partner?
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Answer: Jacob Marley.
Question 12: How many spirits does Marley warn Scrooge will visit him?
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Answer: Three: the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come.
Question 13: What is the name of Bob Cratchit's youngest son?
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Answer: Tiny Tim.
Question 14: By how many sizes does the Grinch's heart grow?
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Answer: Three sizes.
Question 15: What is the name of the Grinch's dog?
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Answer: Max.
Question 16: Who composed the music for the ballet "The Nutcracker"?
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Answer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
It premiered in St. Petersburg in 1892.
Question 17: In "The Nutcracker", who does the Nutcracker lead his soldiers against?
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Answer: The Mouse King.
Question 18: In the film "It's a Wonderful Life", what happens every time a bell rings?
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Answer: An angel gets his wings.
Question 19: In which town is "It's a Wonderful Life" set?
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Answer: Bedford Falls.
Question 20: In the 1990 film "Home Alone", what is the name of the boy left behind?
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Answer: Kevin McCallister.
Round 3: Traditions around the world
Question 21: In Iceland, how many Yule Lads visit children in the days before Christmas?
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Answer: Thirteen.
Question 22: In Italy, which kindly old woman on a broomstick brings gifts on the night before Epiphany?
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Answer: La Befana.
Question 23: Las Posadas, a Christmas celebration in Mexico, lasts how many nights?
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Answer: Nine nights, from December 16 to December 24.
Question 24: The name Santa Claus comes from the Dutch name for Saint Nicholas. What is it?
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Answer: Sinterklaas.
Question 25: The real Saint Nicholas was a bishop in Myra. Which country is Myra in today?
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Answer: Turkey.
Question 26: On which date is Boxing Day?
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Answer: December 26.
Question 27: Epiphany, also called Three Kings' Day, falls on which date?
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Answer: January 6.
Question 28: Which British royal couple helped make the Christmas tree popular after an 1848 drawing showed them around a decorated tree?
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Answer: Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
Question 29: A London sweet maker named Tom Smith invented which Christmas table tradition in the 1840s?
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Answer: The Christmas cracker.
Question 30: What small object was traditionally stirred into a British Christmas pudding to bring luck to whoever found it?
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Answer: A silver coin, usually a sixpence.
Round 4: History, food and nature
Question 31: In which year did Christmas become a federal holiday in the United States?
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Answer: 1870.
Question 32: The poinsettia is native to which country?
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Answer: Mexico.
It is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States minister to Mexico.
Question 33: Why is Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean called that?
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Answer: A ship's captain sighted it on Christmas Day in 1643.
Question 34: The word Noel comes from a Latin word meaning what?
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Answer: Birth (natalis).
Question 35: What three gifts did the wise men bring, according to the Bible?
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Answer: Gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Question 36: Early tinsel, made in Germany, was cut from what metal?
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Answer: Real silver.
Question 37: A bûche de Noël is a cake shaped like what?
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Answer: A log, the Yule log.
Question 38: Traditional mince pies were once filled with what, besides fruit and spices?
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Answer: Real minced meat.
Question 39: How many sides does a typical snowflake have?
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Answer: Six.
Question 40: Under which plant are people supposed to kiss at Christmas?
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Answer: Mistletoe.
How to run a Christmas trivia night
These 40 questions make a quiz of about 45 minutes. A few simple choices make it run smoothly:
- Play in teams of two to five. Mixed ages work well, since kids often know the songs and films while adults know the history.
- Read each question twice and give about 30 seconds before moving on. Collect answer sheets at the end of each round, not each question.
- Score one point per answer. Allow half points for close answers, such as "a coin" for question 30. Decide before you start whether spelling counts.
- Swap answer sheets for marking so every team checks another team's paper while you read the answers out.
- Add a picture or puzzle round. Hand out a printable Christmas word search and give a bonus point to the first team to finish.
- Finish with a tie breaker. Ask for the nearest number: for example, how many gifts are given in total in "The Twelve Days of Christmas"? (364, counting every repeat.)
Short on time or playing alone? The holiday questions in our Trivia Quiz give you ten multiple choice questions a round, show the right answer after each one, and keep your best score.
Easiest questions for kids
Playing with young children? These are the ones most kids can answer: questions 7 (the poem's first words), 10 (Frosty's hat), 13 (Tiny Tim), 15 (the Grinch's dog), 26 (Boxing Day), 39 (the snowflake) and 40 (mistletoe). Let them answer first, then open the floor to everyone.
Questions
What are some good Christmas trivia questions?
Good ones mix easy and hard: how many reindeer are named in "'Twas the night before Christmas" (eight), who composed "The Nutcracker" (Tchaikovsky), and how many Yule Lads visit in Iceland (thirteen).
How many gifts are in "The Twelve Days of Christmas"?
364 if you count every gift each time it is repeated in the song, or 78 if you only count each new day's gifts once.
Are these Christmas trivia questions good for kids?
Most are family friendly, and the guide lists the easiest ones for young children. A few, like the history questions, are better for teens and adults.
Can I play Christmas trivia online?
Yes. Arcade Pantry's Trivia Quiz has a holiday category with multiple choice questions you can play free in your browser.
Can I print these questions?
Yes. Open all the answers you want to show, then use your browser's print option. The site header and footer are left off the printout.