Christmas would you rather questions

YouGov asked 6,647 US adults in December 2022 which they prefer, a fresh Christmas tree or a reusable artificial one. 39% said fresh and 45% said artificial. Two years later YouGov asked when families open most of their presents. 43% said Christmas morning, against 23% for Christmas Eve.

The tree is a real argument. The presents lean one way by nearly two to one. That difference is most of what makes a Christmas would you rather question work. Both sides have to be something a person in the room would honestly pick, and nobody should be able to call the winner.

The questions below are grouped by who is in the room: kids and families, a classroom, an office party, and adults among friends. A quickfire list of Christmas this or that questions follows. Then comes a winter set for January, and for any room where not everyone celebrates Christmas. The general rule for telling a live pair from a dead one is on the this or that questions page. The version for colleagues on an ordinary Tuesday is would you rather questions for work.

What makes a Christmas would you rather question work

A good one puts a small cost on both sides. Snowman or snowball fight costs nothing either way, which makes it a fine warm-up for six-year-olds and a weak question for anyone older. One present on Christmas Eve or all of them in the morning costs something on each side. To answer it, a child has to decide what they actually like about the day.

The split should be hard to call, and national polls are a quick way to spot the duds. YouGov asked Americans who like hot chocolate how they take it. 60% prefer milk and 12% prefer water, so milk or water is settled before anyone votes. Marshmallows are less settled: 42% for, 24% against, and about three in ten happy either way.

A national number is not your room's number, though. YouGov asked people who had seen Die Hard whether it is a Christmas movie. 39% said yes and 50% said no. Among viewers under thirty, 56% said yes, and among viewers sixty-five and over, 20% did. A table with three generations at it splits differently from a desk of graduates, which is half the fun of asking it.

Keep the questions on the season rather than the faith. In its 2017 survey, Pew found nine in ten US adults celebrate Christmas, and 46% see it as more of a religious holiday than a cultural one. So a room usually holds three kinds of people. Some keep it as a religious holiday, some keep it for the food and the time off, and some do not celebrate it at all. Snow, food, presents, lights and time off work for all of them. A question that asks somebody to choose between religious practices does not belong in a party game.

Christmas would you rather questions for kids and families

For children under about eight, read each question out loud and keep both options short enough to picture. Nothing scary, and nothing where one side means losing Christmas. The questions about the sleigh, the elves and the North Pole suit a family that does Santa. In a classroom, use the next list instead. A question about Santa puts the child who does not celebrate, or who has stopped believing, on the spot.

• Build a snowman, or have a snowball fight?
• Live in a gingerbread house, or an igloo?
• Have a real tree that drops needles, or a fake one that never does?
• Open one present on Christmas Eve, or wait and open them all in the morning?
• Have snow on Christmas Day, or sunshine and a trip to the beach?
• Wrap every present in the house, or untangle all the lights?
• Decorate the tree, or decorate the cookies?
• Have a reindeer as a pet, or a penguin?
• Be an elf in the workshop, or a reindeer pulling the sleigh?
• Ride in a sleigh pulled by reindeer, or a sled pulled by dogs?
• Get one big present, or lots of small ones?
• Have a nose that glows in the dark, or ears that jingle when you walk?
• Eat Christmas dinner for breakfast, or pancakes for Christmas dinner?
• Sing everything you say like a Christmas song, or say everything in rhyme for a day?
• Have Christmas twice a year, or your birthday twice a year?
• Stay up to hear the sleigh land, or fall asleep and find out in the morning?
• Help bake every batch of cookies, or eat every broken one?
• Be snowed in with your family for three days, or have no snow all winter?
• Have a snowman that comes to life, or a toy that can talk?
• Get your presents a week early, or a week late with one extra?
• Have an elf tidy your room every day, or an elf to help with your homework?
• Be the one who puts the star on top, or the one who switches on the lights?
• Sleep in a snow fort, or in a blanket fort by the tree?
• Watch a Christmas movie every night in December, or hear Christmas songs every morning?
• Eat nothing but candy canes for a day, or nothing but Brussels sprouts?
• Write a letter to the North Pole, or get a letter back from it?
• Find your presents hidden around the house, or waiting under the tree?
• Go sledding all day, or ice skating all day?
• Wear a sweater that lights up, or one that plays a song?
• Wake everyone up at five, or wait until the grown-ups are up?

Ask the grandparents too. The Die Hard numbers above show how far age can move a split. A question a seven-year-old and a seventy-year-old answer differently is the one that gets the whole table talking.

Christmas would you rather questions for the classroom

These leave Santa out and stay with winter, snow, food and the class party, so they work in a class where not everyone celebrates Christmas. Each one is also a ready-made opinion prompt. The Common Core writing standard for first grade asks students to state an opinion, supply a reason for it. The second grade standard adds linking words such as because to connect the two. So run the vote, then have everyone write one sentence that starts with their choice and carries on with because.

• Spend winter break somewhere with deep snow, or somewhere hot?
• Visit the North Pole, or the South Pole?
• Be an arctic fox for a day, or a snowy owl?
• Have a snow day on a test day, or on a field trip day?
• Plan the class party, or clean up after it?
• Have a class party with games, or a class party with a movie?
• Make a card for every person in the class, or get a card from every person?
• Learn how candy canes are made, or how snowflakes form?
• Build the tallest snowman in town, or the biggest snow fort?
• Wear mittens and no hat, or a hat and no mittens?
• Give a present you made yourself, or one you bought with money you saved?
• Spend the break with your cousins, or with your friends?
• Win a gingerbread house contest, or a snowman contest?
• Read a book by the fire, or play outside in the snow?
• Have one long winter break, or two shorter ones?
• Sing in the winter concert, or play an instrument in it?
• See the first snow of the year, or the last snowman melt?
• Have a hot chocolate bar at the class party, or a cookie decorating table?
• Write a story set in a blizzard, or one set on a beach in December?
• Count down the last week of school with a paper chain, or a calendar on the board?

If the room has no devices, play it as a movement game. Point to one wall for the first option and the opposite wall for the second, read the question, and let the class walk. You lose the exact count and gain a room full of children who have stood up.

Christmas would you rather questions for an office party

An office party is the mixed room from the start of this page, with a manager in it. Three things stay out of these questions. Drinking is the first. Gallup found the share of US adults who drink fell to 54% in 2025, so close to half say they do not drink at all. Pay, jobs and performance are the second, because they stop being a game the moment they are real. Faith is the third.

What is left still costs something. The week between Christmas and New Year is the best of them. Working it means a quiet office and taking it means a full inbox in January, and people have strong views on which is worse. Most of these also work as Christmas icebreaker questions at the start of a team lunch.

• Work the week between Christmas and New Year to a quiet office, or take it off and come back to a full inbox?
• A gift exchange with a twenty-dollar limit, or no gifts at all?
• Have the party at lunchtime and go back to work, or in the evening on your own time?
• Plan the office party, or give the speech at it?
• A party with a quiz, or a party with karaoke?
• Sit with someone new at the party, or with your own team?
• One big party for the whole company, or a small one for each team?
• A potluck where everyone cooks, or catering nobody remembers?
• Decorate your own desk, or come back to find the team has decorated it?
• A festive out-of-office reply, or a plain one?
• Christmas music in the office from the first of December, or only on the day of the party?
• Take the last week of December off, or the first week of January?
• Leftover cookies on every desk until January, or none at all?
• A team photo in matching sweaters, or no team photo ever?
• Wrap a present for everyone on the team, or write each of them a card?
• Start the party on time with ten people, or an hour late with everyone?
• Choose the playlist and take the blame for it, or have no say at all?
• A gift you love but cannot use, or one you would use but do not like?
• A ten-minute slideshow of the year, or a ten-minute speech about it?
• The afternoon of Christmas Eve off, or the morning after New Year's Day?
• Win the ugly sweater contest, or be the judge?
• Bring the dessert, or bring the game?
• Run the gift exchange, or run the decorations?
• A party with a theme, or one with no theme at all?
• Answer one email on Christmas Eve, or come back to fifty on the second of January?

The gift exchange questions lead straight into the real thing. If the office plays one, the rules and the stealing are on the white elephant rules page.

Christmas would you rather questions for adults

Among friends you can put a real cost on the table: the dishes, the six-hour drive, the present you have to pretend to like. These are for a group that already knows each other. None of them is crude, because the best adult Christmas questions are about who does the washing up.

• Host Christmas dinner for twelve, or drive six hours to be someone's guest?
• Cook the whole dinner, or do all the dishes after it?
• Find out what everyone really thought of your presents, or never know?
• Get exactly what you asked for, or a surprise that might miss?
• A white Christmas with a power cut, or a green Christmas with every light on?
• Put the tree up on the first of November, or on the twentieth of December?
• Never hear your least favorite Christmas song again, or hear your favorite until you hate it?
• Wrap every present beautifully and slowly, or badly and fast?
• Do all your Christmas shopping in one day, or a little every month all year?
• Open presents with everyone watching, or alone later?
• Spend Christmas Day in pajamas, or dressed for a dinner out?
• Regift something you were given, or give something you know they will return?
• Be in charge of the turkey, or in charge of keeping the peace?
• Never send a holiday card again, or never wrap a present again?
• A Christmas movie marathon, or a board game marathon?
• Spend New Year's Eve at a big party, or asleep before midnight?
• Give up the Christmas leftovers, or the Christmas morning breakfast?
• Have the perfect present picked for you every year, or always pick the perfect present for everyone else?
• Travel somewhere new for Christmas, or have the same Christmas every year?
• Bring the best dessert, or stay to help clean up?

Christmas this or that questions

This or that is the quickfire version. Two options, no hypothetical and no cost, answered in a second. That makes a round of these faster than a round of would you rather, and better for the first ten minutes of a party, before anyone has warmed up. Five of them have been put to national YouGov polls, and they are marked with what came back.

Around the tree

• Real tree or artificial tree? (measured close)
• Star or snowflake on top?
• Tinsel or no tinsel?
• Popcorn garland or paper chains?
• Decorations up before Thanksgiving or after?
• Matching ornaments or a mix collected over the years?

Food and drink

• Hot chocolate with marshmallows or without? (measured, leans one way)
• Hot chocolate made with milk or with water? (measured lopsided)
• Gingerbread or sugar cookies?
• Candy canes or chocolate coins?
• Turkey or ham?
• Mashed potatoes or roast potatoes?
• Pumpkin pie or pecan pie?
• Hot cider or hot chocolate?

Presents

• Presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? (measured, leans one way)
• Wrapping paper or gift bags?
• Handmade or store-bought?
• Stocking first or presents first?
• Shop in November or shop on the twenty-third?
• Gift card or a surprise?
• Wrapped perfectly or wrapped fast?

Out in the cold

• Sledding or ice skating?
• Snowman or snow angel?
• Mittens or gloves?
• A drive to see the lights, or a walk round a Christmas market?
• Snowball fight or snow fort?

On the sofa

• Christmas movie or Christmas music?
• Classic Christmas songs or new ones?
• Is Die Hard a Christmas movie, yes or no? (measured, split by age)
• Christmas sweater or Christmas pajamas?
• Big family Christmas or small and quiet?
• Leftovers the next day or a fresh meal?

At the office party

• Office party at lunchtime or in the evening?
• Gift exchange or no gifts at all?
• White lights or colored lights?
• Christmas sweater day or no dress code?
• Christmas music in the office all December, or none at all?
• The week between Christmas and New Year: work it, or take it off?

In the UK

A British room has its own arguments, and the sweater is a jumper.

• Christmas jumper or no Christmas jumper?
• Crackers or no crackers?
• Mince pies or Christmas pudding?
• Pigs in blankets or stuffing?
• Sprouts or no sprouts?
• Boxing Day sales or a Boxing Day walk?
• Panto or a Christmas film?

Winter would you rather questions

A winter set does two jobs. It brings a class back from the break in January, when Christmas questions already feel stale. It also works in any room where Christmas is not shared. Nothing below mentions a holiday until the New Year questions at the end, and several connect to what a class might be studying: the poles, hibernation, and how animals keep warm.

• Have a snow day every Monday in January, or a long weekend every week in February?
• Live where it snows all winter, or where it never snows at all?
• Hibernate all winter like a bear, or fly somewhere warm like a bird?
• Be a polar bear for a day, or a penguin for a day?
• Spend a month in the Arctic, or a month in Antarctica?
• See the northern lights, or watch a blizzard from a warm cabin?
• Build an igloo and sleep in it, or build a snowman as tall as your house?
• Wear a puffy coat indoors all day, or shorts in the snow for an hour?
• Have hot chocolate every day all winter, or never feel cold again?
• Go on a sleigh ride, or a dog sled ride?
• Shovel the whole driveway, or scrape the ice off every car on your street?
• Have winter twice as long and twice as snowy, or half as long with no snow?
• Wear mittens on your feet, or socks on your hands?
• Ski down a mountain, or snowboard down it?
• Go ice fishing, or skate on a frozen lake?
• Be a snowflake, or an icicle?
• Have a fireplace in your bedroom, or a hot tub in the snow?
• Make the world's biggest snowball, or the world's longest sled run?
• Be snowed in with board games, or with books?
• Never wear a winter hat again, or never wear gloves again?
• Have school canceled for one big snowstorm, or start two hours late every day in February?
• Have frost patterns on every window, or icicles on every roof?
• Track animal footprints in the snow, or feed the birds all winter?

For the first week back in January

• Make one big New Year's resolution, or twelve tiny ones?
• Celebrate the new year at midnight, or at noon?
• Start the year with a new notebook, or a new haircut?
• Remember everything from last year, or start this one with a clean slate?

How to run Christmas would you rather with the whole room voting

With a big family or a class of thirty, counting hands is slow and the loudest table decides. Putting the vote on phones fixes the counting and draws the split for you.

Be clear about what the phones are for. Levy, Yardley and Zeckhauser ran hands against clickers in 22 groups, more than 1,100 people in all, splitting each group into a half that raised hands and a half that clicked. Hands herded towards the majority. For questions with no right answer and nothing sensitive in them, though, the evidence was much weaker. It was the only one of their four question types where the gap was not statistically significant. A Christmas would you rather is exactly that kind of question. Here the phones buy you speed and an exact split, more than honesty.

Each voter needs a device that opens a web page: a phone, a tablet or a school laptop. They scan the QR code on the slide or type the short link printed under it, and there is no app to install. Decka gives you two ways to run the vote, and they put different things on the big screen.

A live poll, one question at a time. Everyone votes from their phone, and the bars fill as the votes land, with a count and a percentage against each option. Decka describes it as "results animate on the big screen in real time". That is the version for children, because watching the bars move is half of the game. Each question is its own poll, so it suits four or five big questions rather than twenty.

This or That, for a quick run of five. In the dashboard's activity picker, This or That is the live quiz with the answer key switched off. Its Scoring toggle reads "Right answers" or "No right answer". Everyone answers at the same moment against a countdown, and each phone says "Answer recorded". During the round, the big screen shows the question and how many have answered, not which way they went. The split, with a count against every answer, waits in the activity report under "What the room said".

That makes This or That quicker, and quieter about the result. For an office party that is often what you want. For children it is not, because the result is what they came for. If you want a number in the room after a This or That round, ask for hands once everyone has locked in. The pack called Christmas edition, under This or That, carries five questions from this page at twenty seconds each and sets the pace for you.

Keep a round to five questions, and ask somebody from the smaller side to say why after each one. A split that lands 90 to 10 is still an answer: say the number and move on.

The two decks on this page are built this way. The one for kids asks four questions as live polls and ends on the because sentence. The office party deck runs six pairs through This or That and finishes on one live poll, the tree, so the room gets one split to argue about.

Christmas most likely to and never have I ever

Two other party games have Christmas editions, and each needs a different instrument from the ones above.

Most likely to asks the room to name a person, so it belongs on Reveal, where every answer stays face down until you turn it over. Point the prompts at a habit, never at a body or at what somebody drinks. The reasoning is on the most likely to questions page.

• Who is most likely to have every present wrapped by the first of December?
• Who is most likely to still have their lights up in March?
• Who is most likely to regift a present?
• Who is most likely to fall asleep before the Christmas movie ends?
• Who is most likely to know every word of every Christmas song?
• Who is most likely to start the Christmas music in October?

Never have I ever works best as a count. Put each statement up as a live poll with two options, "I have" and "I have never", so the screen shows two bars rather than names. Why that matters is on the never have I ever questions page.

• Never have I ever opened a present early and wrapped it back up.
• Never have I ever regifted a present.
• Never have I ever worn a Christmas sweater after New Year.
• Never have I ever burned a batch of Christmas cookies.
• Never have I ever pretended to love a present.
• Never have I ever found a present I hid and forgot about.