Most Christmas trivia banks hand the host a bare answer and move on. This one does not: every answer carries a one-line Context note, and every question has an Easy, Medium or Hard rating. The 90 questions run in party order, kids first, experts last.
The short answer: The best Christmas trivia questions mix easy warm-ups with genuine stumpers, cover movies, music, history and traditions, and give every answer a one-line explanation so the host sounds smart. This bank of 90 Christmas trivia questions and answers does that, with difficulty ratings on every question for balanced rounds.
Pick Your Round
Jump to the round you need, or play them in order for a full evening of about an hour.
- Round 1: Kids Christmas Trivia (14 questions)
- Round 2: General Christmas Trivia (13 questions)
- Round 3: Christmas Movie Trivia (15 questions)
- Round 4: Christmas Music Trivia (14 questions)
- Round 5: Christmas History and Traditions (14 questions)
- Round 6: Adults and Expert Trivia (14 questions)
- Bonus: The Myth-Buster Round (6 questions)
Round 1: Kids Christmas Trivia
Start here while everyone settles in. All Easy.
1. What colour is Santa’s suit? (Easy)
Answer: Red with white trim.
Context: Artists tried many colours, but the red suit became the standard look in the early 1900s.
2. What do children hang by the fireplace for Santa to fill? (Easy)
Answer: Stockings.
Context: Legend says St. Nicholas dropped gold coins down a chimney into stockings left to dry.
3. Which animals pull Santa’s sleigh? (Easy)
Answer: Reindeer.
Context: Reindeer are real Arctic animals, built for cold and snowy travel.
4. Where does Santa live, according to legend? (Easy)
Answer: The North Pole.
Context: The workshop idea spread in the late 1800s through Thomas Nast’s illustrations.
5. What do kids leave out for Santa on Christmas Eve? (Easy)
Answer: Cookies and milk.
Context: It comes from old European customs of leaving food out for helpful spirits and travellers.
6. In the song “Frosty the Snowman,” what brought Frosty to life? (Easy)
Answer: An old silk hat.
Context: The song says the children placed the hat on his head, and then Frosty began to dance around.
7. What was Frosty the Snowman’s nose made of? (Easy)
Answer: A button.
Context: The song gives him “a corn cob pipe and a button nose,” though most people misremember a carrot.
8. What is the name of the reindeer with the glowing red nose? (Easy)
Answer: Rudolph.
Context: Rudolph was created in 1939 for a department store colouring book.
9. Which green character tries to steal Christmas from the Whos? (Easy)
Answer: The Grinch.
Context: Dr. Seuss created the Grinch for his 1957 book “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!”
10. What is the name of the Grinch’s loyal dog? (Easy)
Answer: Max.
Context: Max is the long-suffering dog the Grinch dresses as a reindeer for his sleigh heist.
11. What do people usually put on top of a Christmas tree? (Easy)
Answer: A star or an angel.
Context: The star recalls the Star of Bethlehem; the angel, the angels of the nativity.
12. What red-and-white striped candy is shaped like a hook? (Easy)
Answer: A candy cane.
Context: Legend says a choirmaster shaped it like a shepherd’s crook to keep children quiet.
13. Which Christmas song begins with “Dashing through the snow”? (Easy)
Answer: “Jingle Bells.”
Context: “Jingle Bells” was written for Thanksgiving in 1857.
14. In the film Elf, what does Buddy pour maple syrup over and eat? (Easy)
Answer: Spaghetti.
Context: Buddy was raised by elves at the North Pole, so normal food rules never quite stuck.
Round 2: General Christmas Trivia
Easy and Medium questions on the symbols, food and songs everyone knows.
15. How many reindeer are named in “Twas the Night Before Christmas”? (Medium)
Answer: Eight: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder and Blixem.
Context: Moore’s 1823 poem names eight reindeer; Rudolph came more than a century later.
16. What are the two other most popular names for Santa Claus? (Easy)
Answer: Kris Kringle and Saint Nick.
Context: Kris Kringle comes from the German Christkindl; Saint Nick honours St. Nicholas of Myra.
17. In which country did the decorated Christmas tree tradition begin? (Easy)
Answer: Germany.
Context: German Christians brought decorated trees indoors in the 1500s, and the custom spread worldwide in the 1800s.
18. What plant do people traditionally kiss under at Christmas? (Easy)
Answer: Mistletoe.
Context: Its name means “dung on a twig” in Anglo-Saxon, since birds spread it via droppings.
19. What colour are mistletoe berries? (Medium)
Answer: White.
Context: White berries and green leaves make mistletoe stand out in winter greenery.
20. What Christmas decoration was originally made from real silver? (Medium)
Answer: Tinsel.
Context: Early tinsel was literally shredded silver, which made it expensive; modern tinsel is plastic.
21. What is another traditional name for a Christmas tree? (Medium)
Answer: The Yule tree.
Context: Yule was a midwinter festival of Germanic peoples long before it merged with Christmas.
22. What is the day after Christmas called in the UK? (Easy)
Answer: Boxing Day, December 26.
Context: It comes from giving gift boxes to servants and tradespeople the day after Christmas.
23. Which Christmas cake is famous for its long shelf life? (Easy)
Answer: Fruitcake.
Context: Dense with dried fruit and often soaked in alcohol, a good fruitcake keeps for months or years.
24. What spicy cookie is often baked in the shape of a person? (Easy)
Answer: A gingerbread man.
Context: Gingerbread has been a European Christmas treat since the Middle Ages.
25. Which fairy tale inspired the first gingerbread houses? (Medium)
Answer: “Hansel and Gretel.”
Context: The tale’s house of bread and cake inspired German bakers to recreate it in edible form.
26. Which Christmas drink is also called “milk punch”? (Medium)
Answer: Eggnog.
Context: Eggnog descends from posset, a medieval British drink of hot milk, eggs and ale.
27. How many gifts in total are given in “The Twelve Days of Christmas”? (Hard)
Answer: 364, one for every day of the year except Christmas Day.
Context: The count is cumulative: day twelve alone brings 78 gifts.
Round 3: Christmas Movie Trivia
The round everyone waits for.
28. In Home Alone, where are the McCallisters flying when they leave Kevin behind? (Easy)
Answer: Paris.
Context: The family flies to Paris for Christmas, leaving Kevin alone in suburban Chicago with the Wet Bandits.
29. How much did Home Alone (1990) gross worldwide, and what did it cost? (Hard)
Answer: $476.7 million worldwide on an $18 million budget.
Context: It held No. 1 in the US for 12 straight weeks and was 1990’s second-biggest film.
30. Who directed Home Alone (1990)? (Medium)
Answer: Chris Columbus.
Context: John Hughes wrote and produced it from an idea he had on holiday.
31. In It’s a Wonderful Life, what happens every time a bell rings? (Easy)
Answer: An angel gets his wings.
Context: Young Zuzu Bailey says the line, and it became the film’s most quoted moment.
32. What is the name of George Bailey’s guardian angel in It’s a Wonderful Life? (Medium)
Answer: Clarence Odbody.
Context: Clarence is an “angel second class” who earns his wings by saving George.
33. Who played George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)? (Medium)
Answer: James Stewart.
Context: Stewart made it just after returning from World War II service, and it became his signature role.
34. In A Christmas Story, what gift does Ralphie want most? (Easy)
Answer: An official Red Ryder carbine-action BB gun.
Context: Every adult warns he will “shoot his eye out.”
35. In A Christmas Story, what follows a triple-dog dare? (Medium)
Answer: Ralphie’s friend gets his tongue stuck to a frozen flagpole.
Context: A hidden suction tube made the shot, but kids have tested the physics anyway.
36. In Elf, what are the four main food groups of the elves? (Medium)
Answer: Candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup.
Context: Buddy recites the list proudly, which explains his spaghetti-with-syrup breakfast.
37. In Elf, what is the first rule of the Code of Elves? (Medium)
Answer: Treat every day like Christmas.
Context: The Code hangs in the North Pole workshop, which Buddy follows with total sincerity.
38. In How the Grinch Stole Christmas, how is the Grinch described in three words? (Medium)
Answer: “Stink, stank, stunk.”
Context: The phrase comes straight from Dr. Seuss’s verse, kept word for word in the 2000 film.
39. What is the name of the young Who who befriends the Grinch? (Easy)
Answer: Cindy Lou Who.
Context: She is no more than two in the book; the films age her up into the Grinch’s conscience.
40. In The Polar Express (2004), how many roles does Tom Hanks play? (Hard)
Answer: Six: the Hero Boy, his father, the conductor, the hobo, Santa Claus and the Scrooge puppet.
Context: Hanks played nearly every adult male role.
41. In National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, how many lights are on the Griswold house? (Medium)
Answer: 25,000.
Context: Clark’s display causes a city-wide power dip.
42. Which real-life department store is at the centre of Miracle on 34th Street? (Easy)
Answer: Macy’s.
Context: The 1947 classic revolves around Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Round 4: Christmas Music Trivia
Carols, chart records and song stories. Music fans can also try our 90s trivia questions and 2000s trivia questions.
43. Which famous Christmas song was written for Thanksgiving? (Medium)
Answer: “Jingle Bells.”
Context: James Lord Pierpont published it in 1857 as “One Horse Open Sleigh,” an ode to Thanksgiving sleigh rides.
44. In “Jingle Bells,” what is the horse’s name? (Hard)
Answer: Bobtail.
Context: “Bells on bobtail ring” refers to a horse with a docked tail, common for carriage horses.
45. What was the first song ever broadcast from space? (Hard)
Answer: “Jingle Bells,” played by Gemini 6 astronauts on December 16, 1965.
Context: Schirra and Stafford smuggled a tiny harmonica and sleigh bells aboard.
46. Which Mariah Carey song from 1994 hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 2019? (Medium)
Answer: “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
Context: The 25-year climb is the longest trip to No. 1 in Hot 100 history.
47. How old was Brenda Lee when she recorded “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”? (Medium)
Answer: 13.
Context: She recorded it in 1958; writer Johnny Marks also wrote “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”
48. How long did “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” take to hit No. 1? (Hard)
Answer: 65 years, reaching the top in December 2023.
Context: Only the third holiday song to top the Hot 100; Lee, 78, became its oldest chart-topper.
49. Who wrote “White Christmas”? (Easy)
Answer: Irving Berlin.
Context: Berlin wrote it in 1940; Bing Crosby’s recording became one of the best-selling singles ever.
50. Which 1984 Wham! song is a Christmas song about heartbreak? (Easy)
Answer: “Last Christmas.”
Context: A George Michael song, among the most covered Christmas songs ever.
51. Who recorded the 1970 bilingual hit “Feliz Navidad”? (Medium)
Answer: José Feliciano.
Context: The Puerto Rican singer wrote it in about 20 minutes; its simple chorus made it a global standard.
52. Elvis is not having a white Christmas in his famous song, but a… what? (Easy)
Answer: Blue Christmas.
Context: Elvis recorded it in 1957, and his remains the definitive version.
53. What words follow “Silent Night” in the carol? (Easy)
Answer: “Holy night.”
Context: “Silent night, holy night” opens one of the most recorded songs in history.
54. In which country and year was “Silent Night” first performed? (Medium)
Answer: Austria, on Christmas Eve 1818.
Context: Mohr and Gruber performed it on guitar at Oberndorf’s St. Nikola Church after the organ broke.
55. “Silent Night” was originally written in which language? (Easy)
Answer: German, as “Stille Nacht.”
Context: It now exists in 300+ languages and UNESCO recognised it as cultural heritage in 2011.
56. In “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” what is given on the fifth day? (Easy)
Answer: Five gold rings.
Context: The fifth day’s gift is the song’s most famous line, always sung the loudest.
Round 5: Christmas History and Traditions
The “wait, really?” round.
57. In what year was the first commercial Christmas card sent in England? (Medium)
Answer: 1843.
Context: Sir Henry Cole commissioned it; about 1,000 copies were printed.
58. Which ancient Roman midwinter festival influenced early Christmas? (Hard)
Answer: Saturnalia.
Context: Saturnalia brought feasting, gift-giving and decorated greenery in December, customs Christmas absorbed.
59. Which US president banned Christmas trees from the White House? (Hard)
Answer: Theodore Roosevelt.
Context: The conservationist worried about deforestation, though his children reportedly smuggled a small tree in.
60. In what year did the first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree go up? (Medium)
Answer: 1931.
Context: Construction workers pooled money for the first tree during the Great Depression; the official tradition began in 1933.
61. In what year did NORAD start tracking Santa, and why? (Medium)
Answer: 1955, after a misprinted advert sent children calling a military hotline asking for Santa.
Context: The officer played along, and NORAD has tracked Santa every Christmas Eve since.
62. In which modern-day country was St. Nicholas born? (Medium)
Answer: Turkey.
Context: He was born around 270 AD in Patara, in the ancient region of Lycia.
63. In which country is KFC the traditional Christmas Eve dinner? (Easy)
Answer: Japan.
Context: KFC’s 1974 “Kentucky for Christmas” campaign worked so well that families book chicken weeks ahead.
64. What horned figure from Alpine folklore punishes naughty children? (Medium)
Answer: Krampus.
Context: Krampus is St. Nicholas’s dark counterpart, and parades in his honour still fill Austrian streets each December.
65. On which date is Krampusnacht celebrated? (Hard)
Answer: December 5.
Context: It falls the night before St. Nicholas Day (December 6), when good children are rewarded.
66. Before plastic, what were the first artificial Christmas trees made from? (Hard)
Answer: Goose feathers.
Context: German makers dyed goose feathers green and wired them to branches.
67. Which country invented the Christmas cracker in the 1840s? (Medium)
Answer: England.
Context: London confectioner Tom Smith added the famous snap after seeing French bon-bons in twisted paper.
68. The Nutcracker premiered in which city in 1892, and who composed it? (Medium)
Answer: Saint Petersburg, Russia; Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Context: It was a modest success at first and became a Christmas staple decades later.
69. In which year did the World War I Christmas Truce happen? (Medium)
Answer: 1914.
Context: Soldiers paused fighting, exchanging gifts, singing carols and playing football.
70. In the Netherlands, what do children leave out instead of stockings? (Medium)
Answer: Their shoes.
Context: Children leave a shoe with a carrot for St. Nicholas’s horse, hoping for sweets by morning.
Round 6: Adults and Expert Trivia
The final round, and the one that decides the winner.
71. Who created Rudolph, and for which company? (Hard)
Answer: Copywriter Robert L. May, for the department store Montgomery Ward, in 1939.
Context: The store wanted its own free Christmas colouring book.
72. How many Rudolph booklets were given away in the first year? (Hard)
Answer: 2.4 million.
Context: Montgomery Ward gave away millions more in 1946 once wartime paper shortages ended.
73. In A Christmas Carol, how many ghosts visit Scrooge in total? (Hard)
Answer: Four: Jacob Marley plus the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come.
Context: Most forget Marley, whose chained visit warns Scrooge the spirits are coming.
74. In what year was A Christmas Carol published? (Hard)
Answer: 1843.
Context: Dickens wrote it in six weeks; it reshaped how the Victorians celebrated Christmas.
75. Who narrated the 2000 film How the Grinch Stole Christmas? (Hard)
Answer: Anthony Hopkins.
Context: Hopkins’s narration frames Jim Carrey’s Grinch.
76. In Die Hard (1988), where is the office Christmas party held? (Hard)
Answer: Nakatomi Plaza.
Context: Whether it counts as a Christmas film is an annual debate.
77. How many couples’ stories intertwine in Love Actually (2003)? (Hard)
Answer: Nine.
Context: Nine love stories, all set in London before Christmas.
78. Which holiday song spent the most weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100? (Hard)
Answer: “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” with 22 non-consecutive weeks.
Context: The longest-running No. 1 in Hot 100 history, back every holiday season since 2019.
79. What British Christmas dish is sausages wrapped in bacon? (Medium)
Answer: Pigs in blankets.
Context: A fixture of the British Christmas dinner.
80. What is the dome-shaped Italian Christmas cake called? (Medium)
Answer: Panettone.
Context: The tall sweet bread from Milan is now eaten worldwide at Christmas.
81. What are Mexico’s nightly Christmas processions called? (Hard)
Answer: Las Posadas.
Context: Nine nights reenacting Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter.
82. In the song, what did the other reindeer not let Rudolph do? (Medium)
Answer: Join in any reindeer games.
Context: The lyric sets up the underdog story: the misfit becomes the hero on one foggy Christmas Eve.
83. In “Winter Wonderland,” what is the snowman’s name? (Hard)
Answer: Parson Brown.
Context: “Pretend that he is Parson Brown” is a lyric almost everyone sings straight past.
84. Which US state last declared Christmas a legal holiday, and when? (Hard)
Answer: Oklahoma, in 1907.
Context: Oklahoma acted in 1907, the year it became a state, completing nationwide recognition.
Bonus Round: Christmas Myth-Busters
A twist round: each statement sounds true and each one is wrong. Teams vote true or false, then the truth comes out.
85. Myth: Coca-Cola invented Santa’s red suit. (Medium)
Answer: False.
Context: Red-suited Santas appeared from the 1870s; Coca-Cola’s Haddon Sundblom standardised the look from 1931.
86. Myth: “Xmas” is a disrespectful modern abbreviation. (Medium)
Answer: False.
Context: X is the Greek letter Chi, the first letter of Christ’s name in Greek.
87. Myth: “Jingle Bells” was written as a Christmas song. (Medium)
Answer: False.
Context: It was written for Thanksgiving in 1857 and became a Christmas standard decades later.
88. Myth: Rudolph was one of Santa’s original reindeer. (Medium)
Answer: False.
Context: The 1823 poem names eight reindeer and no Rudolph; he was created in 1939 as a store promotion.
89. Myth: “Silent Night” was originally an English carol. (Medium)
Answer: False.
Context: It was written in German as “Stille Nacht” and first performed in Austria on Christmas Eve 1818.
90. Myth: “Twas the Night Before Christmas” names nine reindeer. (Hard)
Answer: False: it names eight.
Context: People add Rudolph from memory; the poem lists only the original eight.
The One-Minute Trivia Night Playbook
Teams: Split into teams of 3 to 6. Mixed ages work best, since the kids’ round keeps younger players scoring.
Scoring: 1 point for Easy, 2 for Medium, 3 for Hard. Read each question twice, allow 30 seconds, and let wrong answers cost nothing.
Running order: Play the rounds in order for a natural build in tension. Ten to twelve questions per round fills about an hour.
Tiebreaker: Keep one Hard question in reserve for sudden death. Question 84 (Oklahoma, 1907) has settled many draws.
Make it a tradition: Our best trivia board games guide has boxed games that do the hosting for you.
Christmas Trivia FAQs
What are the best Christmas trivia questions for a party?
The best mix easy warm-ups with real stumpers across movies, music, history and traditions. These 90 questions are built for that, with difficulty ratings on every question for balanced rounds.
What is the hardest Christmas trivia question?
Try these from the expert round: naming all eight original reindeer, the year of the first Rockefeller tree (1931), or the 2.4 million first-year Rudolph booklets. Each looks answerable until you try.
What are some easy Christmas trivia questions for kids?
Start with Round 1: Santa’s suit colour, what kids leave out on Christmas Eve (cookies and milk), the Grinch’s dog (Max), and what brought Frosty to life (an old silk hat).
How many questions should a Christmas trivia round have?
Ten to twelve per round is the sweet spot. With 90 questions here, you can run six full rounds or save half the bank for next year.
Can I print these Christmas trivia questions for free?
Yes, for personal parties, classrooms and family nights. For a pub quiz or paid event, a link back to this page is appreciated.
What other trivia question banks does GamingStation publish?
Our Halloween trivia questions and Thanksgiving trivia questions cover the other big holidays, and the 90s trivia questions and 2000s trivia questions suit nostalgia rounds.
Sources
Every fact below was checked against at least one of these sources.
- Farmers’ Almanac: Why Are Red and Green the Colors of Christmas?
- Scioto Post: Why Santa Wears Red: The Long History Behind the Iconic Suit
- Goldmine Magazine: A Reindeer Tale, How Rudolph Became a Christmas Hit
- Beacon Journal: Who Created Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?
- Today I Found Out: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Was Created by Montgomery Ward
- Dartmouth: Rudolph’s Story, Dear to Many, Year After Year
- Men’s Journal: 1994 Mariah Carey Song Still Holds a Major Billboard Record
- Parade: 1958 Rockabilly Song, With 13-Year-Old Brenda Lee, Became a No. 1 Hit 65 Years Later
- NPR Illinois: ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ Goes to No. 1, After 65 Years
- Wikipedia: Jingle Bells
- iHeart: The Forgotten History of ‘Jingle Bells’
- Wikipedia: Home Alone
- Wikipedia: Silent Night
- School Holidays Australia: 150 Best Holiday Trivia Questions (With Answers)
- TriviaMaker: 180+ Best Christmas Trivia Questions and Answers
- White Elephant Rules: 100 Christmas Trivia Questions
- Brightful: 30 Best Christmas Trivia Questions
- Homeschooling Teen: 10 Christmas Trivia Questions and Answers
