Christmas Trivia Questions

Christmas traditions around the world trivia

Straw goats, Yule Lads, Las Posadas and a witch who brings presents.

1. 1.Which country is usually credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition?Answer: Germany. Prince Albert, who was German, helped make Christmas trees popular in England in the 1840s.
2. 2.What are the nine nights of candlelit processions before Christmas, from December 16 to 24, called in Spanish?Answer: Las Posadas. Las Posadas take place from December 16 to December 24.
3. 3.What is the Spanish word for Christmas?Answer: Navidad. Christmas Eve in Spanish is Nochebuena, "the good night."
4. 4.In Italian tradition, which kindly witch brings gifts to children on the night of January 5?Answer: La Befana. Children who misbehaved might find a lump of coal, which today is often made of candy.
5. 5.In the Netherlands, what do children leave in their shoes as a treat for Sinterklaas's horse?Answer: Carrots or hay. Sinterklaas arrives in November, and his big night is December 5.
6. 6.Which country sends a giant Christmas tree to Trafalgar Square in London every year?Answer: Norway. Norway has sent one every year since 1947 as a thank-you for Britain's help during World War II.
7. 7.On St. Lucia's Day in Sweden, December 13, what does the girl playing Lucia wear on her head?Answer: A crown of candles. Many celebrations now use battery candles for safety.
8. 8.What season is it in Australia at Christmas?Answer: Summer. Many Australians have Christmas lunch outdoors or at the beach.
9. 9.In Sweden, which animal is a traditional Christmas decoration made of straw?Answer: A goat. The town of Gävle has been building a giant straw goat since 1966.
10. 10.In the Philippines, what is the star-shaped Christmas lantern called?Answer: Parol. Parols are traditionally made from bamboo and paper.
11. 11.What kind of calendar counts down the days to Christmas with a little door for each day?Answer: An Advent calendar. The first printed ones appeared in Germany in the early 1900s.
12. 12.What is the poinsettia called in Mexico, where the plant comes from?Answer: Flor de Nochebuena. Nochebuena means Christmas Eve in Spanish, and the plant blooms around that time of year.
13. 13.On what date is Boxing Day celebrated?Answer: December 26. It is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and many other countries.
14. 14.On January 6, children in many Spanish-speaking countries get gifts from whom?Answer: The Three Kings. In Mexico, families share a ring-shaped sweet bread called rosca de reyes.
15. 15.In Iceland, how many Yule Lads visit children in the nights before Christmas?Answer: Thirteen. They come one at a time and leave small gifts in shoes on the windowsill.
16. 16.In the classic stories, where does Santa Claus live?Answer: The North Pole. In Finland, many people say Santa lives in Lapland.
17. 17.Which bishop, who lived in what is now Turkey, inspired the legend of Santa Claus?Answer: Saint Nicholas. He lived more than 1,600 years ago and was known for giving gifts in secret.

Trivia about 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and A Christmas Carol

Two classics everyone half remembers.

1. 18.What was the original title of the poem now known as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas?Answer: A Visit from St. Nicholas. It was first published, without the author's name, in a newspaper in Troy, New York, in 1823.
2. 19.In 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, how many reindeer pull the sleigh?Answer: Eight. In the first printing, the last two reindeer were called Dunder and Blixem.
3. 20.In the poem, what do the children dream of as they sleep?Answer: Sugarplums. A sugarplum was a small candy, often a seed or nut coated in layers of hard sugar.
4. 21.In the poem's famous opening, which small animal is "not stirring"?Answer: A mouse. The poem helped shape how Americans picture Santa today.
5. 22.In the poem, what does St. Nick lay beside his nose before he rises up the chimney?Answer: His finger. Then he gives a nod and is gone up the chimney.
6. 23.In the poem, the reindeer come "more rapid than" which birds?Answer: Eagles. Then St. Nick whistles and calls each reindeer by name.
7. 24.Which reindeer is named first in the poem?Answer: Dasher. The poem names all of them, from Dasher to the last pair.
8. 25.In the poem, St. Nick is described as a "right jolly old" what?Answer: Elf. He drives a miniature sleigh pulled by eight tiny reindeer.
9. 26.Who wrote A Christmas Carol?Answer: Charles Dickens. It was published in London in December 1843.
10. 27.What is Scrooge's first name in A Christmas Carol?Answer: Ebenezer. Today, "a scrooge" means someone who hates spending money.
11. 28.In A Christmas Carol, the ghost of which old business partner visits Scrooge first?Answer: Jacob Marley. Marley's ghost is wrapped in a heavy chain that he forged in life.
12. 29.After Marley, how many spirits visit Scrooge?Answer: Three. They are the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come.
13. 30.What is the name of Scrooge's hardworking clerk?Answer: Bob Cratchit. He works in a cold office with a tiny fire, because Scrooge keeps the coal box in his own room.
14. 31.In A Christmas Carol, what is the name of the clerk's youngest son, who walks with a crutch?Answer: Tiny Tim. He speaks one of the story's best-known lines: "God bless us, every one!"
15. 32.Which two-word phrase does Scrooge use to wave away Christmas?Answer: Bah! Humbug!. A humbug is a fraud or a trick, or something meant to fool people.
16. 33.In A Christmas Carol, who was Scrooge's kind, merry boss when he was young?Answer: Mr. Fezziwig. The Ghost of Christmas Past shows Scrooge the Christmas party Fezziwig threw for his workers.
17. 34.At the end of the story, what does Scrooge send to the Cratchit family?Answer: A prize turkey. Earlier in the story, the Cratchits shared a small goose.

Christmas carol trivia

Old carols, the Twelve Days and The Nutcracker.

1. 35.In which language was "Silent Night" first written?Answer: German. Its German title is "Stille Nacht."
2. 36.In which country was "Silent Night" first sung?Answer: Austria. It was first sung in the village of Oberndorf on Christmas Eve 1818, with a guitar.
3. 37.Which holiday song was first published as "One Horse Open Sleigh"?Answer: Jingle Bells. James Lord Pierpont published it in 1857, and it never mentions Christmas.
4. 38.Which holiday song did two astronauts play in space in 1965, on a harmonica and bells?Answer: Jingle Bells. The Gemini 6 crew played it as a joke after reporting a "sleigh" in orbit.
5. 39.In "The Twelve Days of Christmas," what is the gift on the first day?Answer: A partridge in a pear tree. The song first appeared in print in England around 1780.
6. 40.If you add up every gift in "The Twelve Days of Christmas," counting the repeats, how many are there?Answer: 364. That is one gift for almost every day of the year.
7. 41.In "The Twelve Days of Christmas," what are there five of?Answer: Golden rings. There are four calling birds, three French hens and six geese a-laying.
8. 42.In "Deck the Halls," what do you deck the halls with?Answer: Boughs of holly. The melody comes from an old Welsh New Year's song.
9. 43.What is the original title of the carol "O Christmas Tree"?Answer: O Tannenbaum. Tannenbaum means fir tree.
10. 44.In "Good King Wenceslas," on which feast day does the king look out on the snow?Answer: The Feast of Stephen. The Feast of Stephen is December 26, the same day as Boxing Day.
11. 45.What is it called when groups go door to door singing Christmas songs?Answer: Caroling. The word "carol" once meant a song sung while dancing in a circle.
12. 46.Who composed the music for the ballet The Nutcracker?Answer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. It was first performed in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1892.
13. 47.Which bell-like keyboard instrument plays the melody in "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy"?Answer: The celesta. The celesta was fairly new at the time, and its tinkling sound made the music feel magical.
14. 48.In "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," which dessert do the singers ask for?Answer: Figgy pudding. Figgy pudding is a steamed pudding, often made with figs and other dried fruit.

Christmas food trivia

Cakes, breads, cookies and sweets from around the world.

1. 49.Lebkuchen, a kind of gingerbread, is a famous Christmas treat from which country?Answer: Germany. The city of Nuremberg has been famous for its lebkuchen for centuries.
2. 50.What is the French Christmas cake shaped like a log called?Answer: Bûche de Noël. It is usually a rolled sponge cake decorated to look like tree bark.
3. 51.Panettone, the tall Christmas bread, comes from which Italian city?Answer: Milan. It is a dome-shaped sweet bread full of raisins and candied fruit.
4. 52.Which Christmas bread from the city of Dresden is dusted with powdered sugar and often filled with marzipan?Answer: Stollen. The city of Dresden has been known for its Stollen for more than 500 years.
5. 53.What flavor are classic red and white candy canes?Answer: Peppermint. Early candy canes were plain white. Red stripes became common in the early 1900s.
6. 54.Which nuts are famously roasted over an open fire in winter?Answer: Chestnuts. Street sellers have sold hot roasted chestnuts in European cities for centuries.
7. 55.Traditional British mince pies once contained which ingredient that most no longer do?Answer: Meat. Today they are mostly filled with dried fruit, sugar and spices.
8. 56.Tamales, a Christmas favorite in Mexico, are usually steamed inside what?Answer: Corn husks. In some regions, like Oaxaca, they are wrapped in banana leaves instead.
9. 57.In which fairy tale do two children find a house made of bread and sweets?Answer: Hansel and Gretel. The Brothers Grimm first published the tale in 1812.
10. 58.In Denmark, what is hidden in the Christmas rice pudding, with a prize for whoever finds it?Answer: A whole almond. The dessert is called risalamande.
11. 59.Pavlova, a favorite Christmas dessert in Australia and New Zealand, is made mostly of what?Answer: Meringue. It is named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova.
12. 60.Which warm Mexican chocolate drink is thickened with corn dough?Answer: Champurrado. Champurrado is a chocolate version of atole, a warm corn drink.
13. 61.Which star-shaped Italian Christmas cake comes from Verona?Answer: Pandoro. Its name means "golden bread."
14. 62.In Venezuela, what is the Christmas dish of corn dough stuffed with a stew and wrapped in banana leaves?Answer: Hallaca. Making hallacas is often a family project, with everyone helping on one long day.
15. 63.Which small green vegetable, a British Christmas dinner classic, is named after a city in Belgium?Answer: Brussels sprouts. They grow in rows up a tall, thick stalk.
16. 64.Which spiced Dutch cookie is pressed into wooden molds to make pictures?Answer: Speculaas. Speculaas are a favorite treat around Sinterklaas, on December 5.

Winter and snow science trivia

Snowflakes, solstices, reindeer and why snow is so quiet.

1. 65.How many sides or arms does a typical snowflake have?Answer: Six. Water molecules link up in a six-sided pattern as they freeze.
2. 66.Which farmer from Vermont took the first known photo of a single snowflake, in 1885?Answer: Wilson Bentley. His nickname was "Snowflake" Bentley.
3. 67.What are the white ice crystals that form on grass and windows on a cold, clear night called?Answer: Frost. Frost forms when water vapor in the air turns straight into ice, without becoming liquid first.
4. 68.What is the day with the least daylight of the year called?Answer: The winter solstice. In the Northern Hemisphere, it falls around December 21.
5. 69.What causes winter?Answer: The tilt of Earth. Earth is actually closest to the Sun in early January.
6. 70.What is the long, deep winter sleep of some animals called?Answer: Hibernation. A hibernating animal's heart rate and body temperature drop far below normal.
7. 71.What is the scientific name for the northern lights?Answer: Aurora borealis. They glow when particles from the Sun hit gases high in the atmosphere.
8. 72.Arctic reindeer eyes change color with the seasons. What color do they turn in winter?Answer: Blue. The change helps them see better in the long, dim Arctic winter.
9. 73.What do reindeer mostly eat in winter?Answer: Lichen. Reindeer moss is not really a moss. It is a lichen.
10. 74.In reindeer, which ones grow antlers?Answer: Both males and females. Reindeer are the only kind of deer in which females regularly grow antlers.
11. 75.Why do people spread salt on icy roads and sidewalks?Answer: It lowers the freezing point. Salty water has to get much colder than plain water before it freezes.
12. 76.Snow is made of clear ice. Why does it look white?Answer: It scatters all colors of light. Its many tiny crystals bounce sunlight back in every direction.
13. 77.Why does the world often sound quieter after fresh snow falls?Answer: Snow absorbs sound. Tiny pockets of air between the snowflakes trap sound waves.
14. 78.What happens to the coats of snowshoe hares and Arctic foxes in winter?Answer: They turn white. The white fur hides them in the snow. In summer their coats turn brown or gray again.
15. 79.What do we call trees, like firs and pines, that keep their needles all winter?Answer: Evergreens. Their needles have a waxy coating that helps them survive the cold.
16. 80.What is a snowstorm with strong winds and very low visibility called?Answer: A blizzard. In the US, a blizzard means winds of 35 mph or more and low visibility for at least three hours.

How to play Christmas trivia at a holiday party

Make teams and play this list with the player at the top of the page. Each team gets its turn, someone reads the question out loud, and the phone shows the answer with a short fact. For team names, 5, 10 or 15 questions per team and the full setup, open the Trivia game, where the Christmas deck is promoted in December.

Every question works with or without the four options. Multiple choice keeps it easy for a mixed family. No options turns it into a proper quiz for the grown-ups.

• Name the teams after reindeer. Team Dasher and Team Blitzen sound much better than Team 1 and Team 2.
• Play one group per round. Classic stories is a fun warm-up, and Winter science surprises everyone.
• For a big office party, let teams buzz in with the Game Show Buzzer.
• Give the winning team the first pick from the cookie plate.

Christmas trivia for kids, classrooms and families

The questions are family-friendly and cover the season broadly: traditions from many countries, two classic stories, old carols, holiday food and winter science. Kids around 8 and up can play, especially with multiple choice turned on.

In a classroom, put the page on the projector before winter break and play rows against rows. The Around the world and Winter science groups double as a short geography and science lesson. If your class has read A Christmas Carol, the Classic stories round makes a fun review, since many of its questions come straight from the book.

Family spread out for the holidays? Start a video call, share your screen and read the questions to everyone at once.

More Christmas games

When the quiz is over, keep the party going with our Christmas games, from charades to guessing games with holiday words. If you played the Thanksgiving trivia questions last month, see which team wins the rematch.

Questions