Christmas trivia questions, with every answer checked

It is often said that Santa wears red because red is the colour of Coca-Cola. The company's own history page says otherwise: Santa appeared in a red coat before Sundblom painted him, and Haddon Sundblom's Santa first appeared in its advertising in 1931. That is the best kind of Christmas trivia question, because the room is sure of the answer and the answer is wrong. The trivia questions page has the research on why a confident wrong answer is the one a quiz corrects best.

There are 125 Christmas trivia questions with answers below, in seven rounds: movies, songs, traditions around the world, food, history, a kids' round and a round for the office. Each one is marked easy, medium or hard. Every answer was checked against a source, and the myths that pass for Christmas facts have a section of their own, with what is true instead.

Call it Christmas trivia or, in Britain, the Christmas quiz. The rounds work read aloud at the pub, and on phones at the office party.

Christmas movie trivia questions and answers

Films are the round most of a room shares, so they come first. Six easy, eight medium and six hard, and yes, Die Hard is in.

1. In Home Alone (1990), which city is Kevin's family flying to when they leave him behind? Paris. (Easy)
2. In How the Grinch Stole Christmas, what is the name of the Grinch's dog? Max. (Easy)
3. In Elf (2003), which actor plays Buddy? Will Ferrell. (Easy)
4. In The Nightmare Before Christmas, Jack Skellington is the Pumpkin King of which town? Halloween Town. (Easy)
5. In It's a Wonderful Life, what is the name of George Bailey's guardian angel? Clarence. (Easy)
6. In A Christmas Story (1983), what does Ralphie want for Christmas? A Red Ryder BB gun. (Easy)
7. In It's a Wonderful Life, what is the name of the town George Bailey lives in? Bedford Falls. (Medium)
8. In Miracle on 34th Street (1947), which New York department store hires Kris Kringle as its Santa? Macy's. (Medium)
9. In Elf, what are the four main food groups of elves? Candy, candy canes, candy corn and syrup. (Medium)
10. In The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), who plays Ebenezer Scrooge? Michael Caine. (Medium)
11. In National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989), what is the family's surname? Griswold. (Medium)
12. In Gremlins (1984), after what time must you never feed a mogwai? Midnight. (Medium)
13. In Love Actually (2003), what job does Hugh Grant's character have? Prime Minister. (Medium)
14. In Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, which hotel does Kevin check into? The Plaza. (Medium)
15. In Die Hard (1988), what is the name of the tower where the hostages are held? Nakatomi Plaza. (Hard)
16. Which 1942 Bing Crosby film featured the song "White Christmas"? Holiday Inn. (Hard)
17. In Home Alone, what name do the two burglars, Harry and Marv, go by? The Wet Bandits. (Hard)
18. Who directed Home Alone? Chris Columbus. (Hard)
19. In Elf, which New York department store does Buddy go to work in? Gimbels. (Hard)
20. In Jingle All the Way (1996), which action figure is Howard desperate to buy? Turbo-Man. (Hard)

Christmas song and music trivia questions

Carols, chart hits and one ballet, from Handel in Dublin to Mariah Carey at the top of the charts. Five easy, seven medium and seven hard.

1. Which Christmas song begins "Dashing through the snow"? Jingle Bells. (Easy)
2. Who sang "All I Want for Christmas Is You", released in 1994? Mariah Carey. (Easy)
3. In "The Twelve Days of Christmas", what is given on the first day? A partridge in a pear tree. (Easy)
4. Which composer wrote the music for the ballet The Nutcracker? Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. (Easy)
5. In "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", which pudding do the singers ask for? Figgy pudding. (Easy)
6. Who sang "Feliz Navidad", released in 1970? José Feliciano. (Medium)
7. In the standard modern version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas", how many lords are a-leaping? Ten. (Medium)
8. Who wrote "White Christmas"? Irving Berlin. (Medium)
9. In which country was "Silent Night" first performed, in 1818? Austria. (Medium)
10. Who wrote "Last Christmas", released in 1984? George Michael. (Medium)
11. Which band and singer recorded "Fairytale of New York" (1987)? The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl. (Medium)
12. Who wrote "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in 1984? Bob Geldof and Midge Ure. (Medium)
13. Under what title was "Jingle Bells" first published, in 1857? The One Horse Open Sleigh. (Hard)
14. How old was Brenda Lee when "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" was released? Thirteen. (Hard)
15. Which singing cowboy made "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" a hit in 1949? Gene Autry. (Hard)
16. In which city was Handel's Messiah first performed, in 1742? Dublin. (Hard)
17. In which year did "All I Want for Christmas Is You" first reach number one on the US Billboard Hot 100? 2019. (Hard)
18. Counting every gift on every day, how many gifts does the singer receive in "The Twelve Days of Christmas"? 364. (Hard)
19. Which spacecraft's crew played "Jingle Bells" on a harmonica and bells in December 1965? Gemini 6. (Hard)

Christmas traditions around the world: trivia questions

Fifteen customs from around the world, from Trafalgar Square to Rovaniemi. One easy, seven medium and seven hard.

1. In Australia, which season is it at Christmas? Summer. (Easy)
2. Which country gives London the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square every year? Norway. (Medium)
3. In Mexico, what are the nine nights of processions before Christmas called? Las Posadas. (Medium)
4. In Italian tradition, which old woman fills children's stockings with gifts at Epiphany, on 6 January? La Befana. (Medium)
5. In Japan, which fast-food chain's fried chicken is a popular Christmas meal? KFC. (Medium)
6. Which Alpine figure is said to punish badly behaved children in early December? Krampus. (Medium)
7. Orthodox churches that keep the Julian calendar celebrate Christmas on its 25 December. Which date is that on the everyday calendar? 7 January. (Medium)
8. In Sweden, which saint's day on 13 December features a girl wearing a crown of candles? St Lucia's Day. (Medium)
9. Which city in Finnish Lapland calls itself the official hometown of Santa Claus? Rovaniemi. (Hard)
10. In the Netherlands, Sinterklaas traditionally arrives by steamboat from which country? Spain. (Hard)
11. In Icelandic folklore, how many Yule Lads come to town before Christmas? Thirteen. (Hard)
12. In the Philippines, what is the star-shaped Christmas lantern called? A parol. (Hard)
13. What postal code does Canada Post give Santa Claus? H0H 0H0. (Hard)
14. In Poland, what is the Christmas Eve supper called? Wigilia. (Hard)
15. In Catalonia, which Christmas log do children feed from early December, then hit with sticks on Christmas Eve so it leaves them sweets? The Tió de Nadal. (Hard)

Christmas food trivia questions

Christmas dinner, from Britain's sprouts to Japan's strawberry cake. Five easy, seven medium and four hard.

1. In Britain, what are pigs in blankets? Small sausages wrapped in bacon. (Easy)
2. What shape is a French bûche de Noël? A log. (Easy)
3. Which city gave its name to the sprouts served with Christmas dinner? Brussels. (Easy)
4. Which country does panettone come from? Italy. (Easy)
5. Besides milk and sugar, what is the main ingredient of eggnog? Eggs. (Easy)
6. Which country does stollen come from? Germany. (Medium)
7. What did mince pies once contain that most no longer do? Meat. (Medium)
8. What is traditionally poured over a Christmas pudding and set alight? Brandy. (Medium)
9. Which Italian-American Christmas Eve dinner is named after a number of fish? The Feast of the Seven Fishes. (Medium)
10. Which dish of corn dough and a filling, steamed in a corn husk or leaf, is a Christmas favourite in Mexico? Tamales. (Medium)
11. In A Christmas Carol, what does the reformed Scrooge send to the Cratchits? The prize turkey. (Medium)
12. In Japan, which fruit tops the classic Christmas cake? Strawberries. (Medium)
13. Which Sunday, the last before Advent, is traditionally when Christmas puddings are made? Stir-up Sunday. (Hard)
14. Which German city is famous for lebkuchen, its spiced gingerbread? Nuremberg. (Hard)
15. What were sugar plums, the sweets of the 1600s to 1800s? Seeds, nuts or bits of spice coated in hard sugar. (Hard)
16. "Wassail" comes from an old drinking toast, "wæs hæil". What did the toast mean? Be well. (Hard)

Christmas history trivia questions

Where the customs came from, and when. Four easy, six medium and eight hard.

1. Who wrote A Christmas Carol, published in 1843? Charles Dickens. (Easy)
2. What is Scrooge's first name? Ebenezer. (Easy)
3. Which country is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we know it today? Germany. (Easy)
4. In which war did the 1914 Christmas truce take place? The First World War. (Easy)
5. St Nicholas is traditionally said to have been bishop of Myra. In which modern country is Myra? Turkey. (Medium)
6. What does the X in "Xmas" stand for? Christ, written as the Greek letter chi. (Medium)
7. In A Christmas Carol, after Marley, how many spirits visit Scrooge? Three. (Medium)
8. Which poem, first published in 1823, named Santa's eight reindeer? A Visit from St. Nicholas, better known as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. (Medium)
9. NORAD's Santa tracking began by accident in 1955. How? A child's call to Santa reached a military command centre by a wrong number. (Medium)
10. What does "Advent" mean, from the Latin? Arrival, or coming. (Medium)
11. For which department store did Robert L. May create Rudolph in 1939? Montgomery Ward. (Hard)
12. Who sent the first Christmas card, in 1843? Henry Cole. (Hard)
13. In which year did Congress first make Christmas a federal holiday in the United States? 1870. (Hard)
14. Which American colony banned celebrating Christmas from 1659 to 1681? The Massachusetts Bay Colony. (Hard)
15. Who put up the first Christmas tree lit by electric bulbs, in 1882? Edward H. Johnson, an associate of Thomas Edison. (Hard)
16. Which president lit the first National Christmas Tree, in 1923? Calvin Coolidge. (Hard)
17. Which cartoonist drew Santa for Harper's Weekly for decades, and first gave him a home at the North Pole? Thomas Nast. (Hard)
18. From which century does the earliest known mention of 25 December as Jesus' birthday come? The 4th century. (Hard)

Christmas trivia for kids

Twenty easy questions for a family table or a classroom. Read each one aloud, and accept a star or an angel for the top of the tree.

1. What colour is Rudolph's nose? Red. (Easy)
2. Does Santa live at the North Pole or the South Pole? The North Pole. (Easy)
3. What do you hang up for Santa to fill with presents? A stocking. (Easy)
4. What are Frosty the Snowman's eyes made of? Coal. (Easy)
5. In the cartoon and the films, what colour is the Grinch? Green. (Easy)
6. Which animals pull Santa's sleigh? Reindeer. (Easy)
7. Who helps Santa make the toys? Elves. (Easy)
8. How many reindeer pull Santa's sleigh in 'Twas the Night Before Christmas? Eight. (Easy)
9. What is a baby reindeer called? A calf. (Easy)
10. Penguins or polar bears: which live in the Arctic, near the North Pole? Polar bears. (Easy)
11. How many points does a snowflake usually have? Six. (Easy)
12. In "Deck the Halls", what do you deck the halls with? Boughs of holly. (Easy)
13. What do reindeer eat in winter? Lichen, sometimes called reindeer moss. (Easy)
14. Do female reindeer grow antlers? Yes, many do. (Easy)
15. What do people often put on top of a Christmas tree? A star or an angel. (Easy)
16. Which grumpy character in A Christmas Carol says "Bah, humbug"? Scrooge. (Easy)
17. How many doors does an Advent calendar usually have? 24. (Easy)
18. What do you call a group of reindeer? A herd. (Easy)
19. Which plant's white berries do people kiss under at Christmas? Mistletoe. (Easy)
20. In the 1964 TV special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, which island is home to unwanted toys? The Island of Misfit Toys. (Easy)

Holiday trivia questions for an office Christmas quiz

Not everyone in an office celebrates Christmas, so this round takes in Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, the winter solstice and New Year as well. None of it asks about anyone's own faith. Five easy, six medium and six hard.

1. On which date is Boxing Day? 26 December. (Easy)
2. What is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere called? The winter solstice. (Easy)
3. How many nights does Hanukkah last? Eight. (Easy)
4. What does "Feliz Navidad" mean? Merry Christmas, in Spanish. (Easy)
5. Which gift exchange lets players steal a gift someone else has already opened? White elephant, also called a Yankee swap. (Easy)
6. What is Scotland's New Year's Eve called? Hogmanay. (Medium)
7. In Spain, how many grapes do people eat at midnight on New Year's Eve? Twelve, one for each stroke of the clock. (Medium)
8. The words of "Auld Lang Syne", sung at New Year, are attributed to which Scottish poet? Robert Burns. (Medium)
9. How many principles does Kwanzaa celebrate, one on each of its days? Seven. (Medium)
10. Which spinning top is used in a Hanukkah game? The dreidel. (Medium)
11. In which language is "Mele Kalikimaka" Merry Christmas? Hawaiian. (Medium)
12. Hanukkah marks the rededication of which building? The Temple in Jerusalem. (Hard)
13. Who created Kwanzaa, in 1966? Maulana Karenga. (Hard)
14. For the UK Met Office, what counts as a white Christmas? One snowflake seen falling during the 24 hours of 25 December. (Hard)
15. For the US National Weather Service, how much snow on the ground makes a white Christmas? At least an inch, on Christmas morning. (Hard)
16. Mistletoe grows on trees and takes water from them. What kind of plant does that make it? A parasite, or strictly a hemiparasite. (Hard)
17. In which year did the first ball drop in Times Square on New Year's Eve? 1907. (Hard)

The gift exchange in question five has its own rules, and a game for the whole room, on the white elephant page.

Christmas myths that turn up as trivia answers

These are the Christmas facts that are not facts. Each makes a better question than the myth does, and none of them is an answer anywhere above.

Coca-Cola did not make Santa red. The company's own history page says Santa appeared in a red coat before Sundblom painted him. It credits the cartoonist Thomas Nast, who drew Santa for Harper's Weekly for decades, with changing the color of his coat from tan to the red he wears today.

"Xmas" does not take Christ out of Christmas. The X is chi, the first letter of Christ's Greek title, and Christian Today puts it plainly: the X is not deleting Christ but standing in for him. English writers were using it around 1100, centuries before Merriam-Webster's first known use of Xmas, in 1721.

Nobody knows who bent the first candy cane, or why. The story that it was shaped as a J for Jesus, with stripes for his blood and purity, has no evidence behind it. Smithsonian Magazine sets the story out and answers it in five words: None of this is true. Snopes finds striped sugar sticks as far back as 1844, and the hooked red-and-white cane only at the beginning of the 20th century. Plenty of people find meaning in the symbols, which is a different thing from their history.

"The Twelve Days of Christmas" was not a secret catechism. The idea that each gift hid a lesson for persecuted Catholics goes back to a 1979 article by the Canadian hymnologist Hugh McKellar. The Catholic publisher Our Sunday Visitor says he provided no historical evidence for it. The song's earliest known printing is in a children's book of 1780, Mirth Without Mischief.

Prince Albert did not bring the Christmas tree to Britain. English Heritage says Queen Charlotte, the German wife of George III, set up the first known tree at Queen's Lodge, Windsor, in December 1800. Albert gets the credit because the custom really caught on once magazines like the Illustrated London News began to picture the royal trees.

Poinsettias are not deadly. Poison Control says the plant can be irritating but it is not fatal if eaten. Researchers looking for a poisonous dose could not find one, even at about 500 to 600 leaves. Keep it away from small children and pets anyway, because the sap can cause a skin rash.

"Jingle Bells" was not written for Thanksgiving. Kyna Hamill of Boston University, who researched its history, told NPR there is "no evidence at all" for that story. BU Today puts its first performance at a Boston minstrel hall on 15 September 1857, as "One Horse Open Sleigh". It became a Christmas standard only decades after that.

Mice did not eat the organ before "Silent Night". Salzburg's tourist board rates that story 0% true and traces it to Hertha Pauli in 1954. The organ, it says, was playable but in need of repair. The Silent Night Society adds that Gruber's own account makes no mention of the specific inspiration for the song.

Saturnalia is not why Christmas falls when it does. Britannica dates Saturnalia from December 17, stretched at most to seven days. It treats the Roman feast of the Unconquered Sun as a separate celebration that followed Saturnalia. Saturnalia did shape some customs, an influence Britannica calls direct, but the date is what the myth gets wrong. Why the church chose it is still argued over. Writing for the Biblical Archaeology Society, Andrew McGowan weighs the theories and ends: We cannot be entirely sure.

How to run a Christmas quiz on phones

Pick two or three rounds from this page, fifteen to twenty questions in all, and run them from easy to hard. The trivia questions page has the research on pitching a question, and on why every answer should be shown.

Start from the ready-made quiz. Make a live quiz in Decka and open "More" above the form. "The Christmas Quiz" is there, with fifteen of the questions on this page, and "The Kids' Christmas Quiz" has twelve from the kids' round. Each fills the form with its questions, and you can change any of them.

Let every phone answer. Players join by link or QR code and answer in their phone's browser, with no app and no account. Every question runs on a countdown. A right answer is worth between 200 and 1000 points, more the faster it comes, and a wrong one scores nothing.

Run it group-paced. Group-paced keeps the whole room on the same question, then shows the answer with the share of the room that got it right and the leaderboard. Press Skip to Reveal when the last phone has answered, rather than waiting out the clock.

Add a picture round. A question can carry a photograph, and the picture fills the big screen while the room answers. At the reveal it stays up, with the answer and the share of the room that got it right stamped across it. The office deck below ends on four: three Christmas foods and a lantern from the Philippines.

Teams share a phone. Live Quiz scores each player, not each team. For a pub-style team quiz, give each table one phone and have it join under the team's name. If you want every member of every team answering, use the board below.

One quiz, one winner. A single quiz holds up to 20 questions and keeps its own leaderboard. Run four rounds as four quizzes and you get four winners, so put the questions that decide the night in one quiz.

Write your own, then check it. Describe a quiz in a sentence and Decka returns "each question with four options and the correct answer marked". Check every answer before the room sees it, because the myths above are exactly the kind of answer that sounds right.

A Jeopardy-style Christmas quiz board for teams

Questionable! is a Jeopardy-style game that the whole room plays at once. Make one in Decka, open "More" and pick "Christmas trivia". It has six categories of five clues, plus a final clue: Christmas at the Movies, Carols & Chart Toppers, Around the World, Christmas Dinner, Where It Began and Not What You Heard. Every clue restates a question from this page, so you can check any answer here.

The team in control votes for a clue on their phones, and everyone in the room answers it. The team's most popular answer is the one that counts. If they miss, a team that mostly got it right can steal the points, and before the final clue every team places a bet.

That suits a pub-style team quiz better than a live quiz does, because each team has to agree on every answer it gives. Not What You Heard is the myths category, and it starts the most arguments.

The three decks on this page have all of it ready to open:

• The office Christmas quiz runs fifteen of these questions on a live leaderboard, then a picture round of four.
• The Christmas quiz board is the board above, for four teams.
• The family Christmas quiz has twelve questions from the kids' round, with a grown-up reading each one aloud.

Jeopardy! is a registered trademark of Jeopardy Productions, Inc., including for online games. Decka is not affiliated with the show or its owners. We name it only to say what the format is like, and Questionable! uses none of the show's names or catchphrases.