If you’re looking for an interactive way to engage with your family and friends during the holiday season, why not put their Christmas knowledge to the test? With questions that range in difficulty from easy to extreme, these Christmas trivia questions are perfect for kids and adults, no matter their age.
Don’t worry about getting stumped on a question, answers are provided if you find yourself needing help. Also, each question comes with an additional fun fact for maximum trivia entertainment. So, if you’re ready to quiz your Christmas knowledge and have some fun along the way, check out these Christmas trivia questions.
Sections
Easy Christmas Trivia
What is all that Mariah Carey wants for Christmas?
Answer: You.
Mariah Carey was born on March 27, 1969.
What is the name of the movie about a train that takes kids to the North Pole on Christmas Eve?
Answer: The Polar Express.
The Polar Express movie is based on a children’s book written in 1985.
What kind of animal pulls Santa’s sleigh?
Answer: Reindeer.
Reindeer can be found living in the arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Scandinavia, Russia, Alaska, and Canada.
In “A Christmas Carol,” how many ghosts are there?
Answer: Four.
There have been 16 movies and television shows made inspired by this classic story.
Who works in Santa’s workshop?
Answer: Elves.
An elf is a supernatural creature from Germanic mythology.
What kind of trees are traditionally used for Christmas trees?
Answer: Pine and fir trees.
Pine trees are green all year round.
What should you leave for reindeer to eat on Christmas Eve?
Answer: Carrots, apples, or other fruits.
Reindeers enjoy eating carrots and apples as a snack.
Which green character steals Christmas from Whoville?
Answer: The Grinch.
There have been 3 Grinch movies released, with the first one made in 1966.
Why did Rudolph get picked on by the other reindeer?
Answer: His bright red nose.
The song “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” was written by Gene Autry in 1939.
What are the two most common Christmas colors?
Answer: Green and red.
Gold and silver are also popular colors during the Christmas season.
On Christmas Eve, what type of food and drink do you leave out for Santa?
Answer: Milk and cookies.
Leaving cookies and milk for Santa became a common American tradition after the Great Depression.
Which of Santa’s reindeer shares its name with the mascot of Valentine’s Day?
Answer: Cupid.
In Latin, Cupid means “passionate desire.”
What are the two types of ornaments usually placed on the top of the Christmas tree?
Answer: Angels and stars.
Star ornaments symbolize the star that led the wise men to Bethlehem.
How does Santa enter homes to deliver gifts?
Answer: Though the chimney.
The world’s tallest chimney is located in Kazakhstan.
What is hung above the fireplace for Santa to put gifts in?
Answer: Stockings.
Stockings were used on Christmas starting in the early 1800s.
What peppermint-flavored candy is popular during the Christmas season?
Answer: Candy canes.
The shape of candy canes is inspired by shepherds’ crooks.
What color are the berries of a mistletoe plant?
Answer: White.
Druids believed that mistletoe was a sacred plant with medicinal and magical properties.
Who made Frosty the Snowman, come to life?
Answer: Santa Claus.
Frosty the Snowman was first a famous song, then a television special.
What is the name of the most famous Christmas ballet?
Answer: The Nutcracker.
The Nutcracker ballet was written by Tchaikovsky and first performed in 1892.
What is the name of the day that comes after Christmas day?
Answer: Boxing Day.
Boxing Day is a shopping holiday for many countries with ties to the British empire.
What is the name of Santa’s wife?
Answer: Mrs. Claus.
Mrs. Claus wears a red petticoat and cape.
Where does Santa Claus live?
Answer: The North Pole.
The North Pole is located in the middle of the Northern Hemisphere.
What will Santa leave for children who are on the naughty list?
Answer: A lump of coal.
Santa gives coal to naughty children because there is often coal at the bottom of the chimneys he climbs down.
How do you say Santa Claus in French?
Answer: Pere Noel.
Pere Noel translates to “Father Christmas” in English.
In the movie Elf, what does Buddy eat?
Answer: Candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrups..
In Elf, Buddy is played by the actor, Will Ferrell.
What is Frosty the Snowman’s nose made of?
Answer: A button.
Frosty’s eyes are made of coal and he smokes a corncob pipe.
Which ride does the song, “Jingle Bells,” say is so fun?
Answer: A one-horse open sleigh..
Jingle Bells was originally written to be a Thanksgiving song.
What happens every time a bell rings in “It’s A Wonderful Life?”
Answer: An angel gets its wings..
“It’s A Wonderful Life” was made in 1946.
What is the name of the main character in “A Christmas Carol?”
Answer: Ebenezer Scrooge.
In Hebrew, Ebenezer is a name that means “stone of help.”
Which traditional Christmas drink is made using eggs, sugar, milk, alcohol, and spices?
Answer: Egg nog.
Egg nog was traditionally used in toasts for good luck and health.
Christmas Carol Trivia
How many gifts in total are given as presents in the “Twelve Days of Christmas”?
Answer: 364.
The “Twelve Days of Christmas” was written by The Andrews Sisters and Bing Crosby.
How many reindeer does Santa have?
Answer: 9.
The reindeer are named Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and of course Rudolph.
What is the name of the all-time best-selling Christmas song?
Answer: White Christmas.
The budget for the White Christmas musical film was $2 million USD.
What is the gift given on the seventh day of Christmas?
Answer: Swans a-swimming.
Swans are the largest species in the duck and goose family.
Who sends the singer gifts in the 12 Days of Christmas?
Answer: Their true love.
The most well-known melody of the 12 Days of Christmas was composed by Frederic Austin.
What is the most widely published Christmas hymn?
Answer: “Joy to the World”.
Joy to the World was written by Isaac Watts
Which item brings Frosty the Snowman back to life?
Answer: A magic old silk hat.
The most popular silk hats in the 20th century were woman’s negligee caps.
What do you deck the halls with?
Answer: Boughs of holly.
Holly berries are poisonous to people and animals.
What is Elvis’s most famous Christmas song?
Answer: Blue Christmas.
Blue Christmas was first recorded by Doye O’Dell in 1948.
What is the Grinch as cuddly as?
Answer: A cactus.
A cactus can live for 200 years.
Christmas Food & Drink Trivia
What is another name that egg nog goes by?
Answer: Milk punch.
Milk punch was created in the 1600s
Which fairy tale inspired the first gingerbread houses?
Answer: Hansel and Gretel.
Hansel and Gretel is a fairy tale set in medieval Germany.
Why are candy canes traditionally red and white colored?
Answer: Red is to symbolize the blood shed by Jesus, and the white color symbolizes purity..
Roughly 1.76 billion candy canes are made each year.
Which country celebrates Christmas by eating KFC chicken?
Answer: Japan.
The tradition of eating KFC on Christmas in Japan was started by the slogan, “Kentucky is Christmas.”
What is the most popular meat to eat during Christmas dinner?
Answer: Turkey.
Only male turkeys can gobble.
What do you “roast on an open fire”?
Answer: Chestnuts.
Roman soldiers would eat chestnut porridge before entering battle.
What did women in England eat on Christmas if they wanted to find a husband?
Answer: Gingerbread men.
Gingerbread can be traced back to the time of Queen Elizabeth I.
What do most Spanish people eat 12 of on New Year’s Eve?
Answer: Grapes.
Eating grapes on December 31st is Spanish tradition that promises good luck.
What type of treat usually fills advent calendars?
Answer: Chocolate.
Each year, more than 16 million advent calendars are sold in the United Kingdom alone.
What is the name of the traditional Christmas cake in Germany?
Answer: Stollen.
Stollen cake is made with candied orange peel, raisins, almonds, and spices.
What is a Yule Log known as in French?
Answer: Buche de Noel.
Buche de Noel takes roughly 1 hour and 30 minutes to make.
Which fruit was traditionally placed in Christmas stockings in the 19th Century?
Answer: Oranges.
Oranges are the biggest citrus fruits.
What is the Christmas meal, “Bubble and Squeak,” made out of?
Answer: Leftover vegetables.
Bubble and Squeak is a Christmas dish popular in Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia.
What is another name for Christmas Pudding?
Answer: Figgy Pudding.
The 13 classic ingredients of Figgy Pudding represent Christ and the 12 apostles.
In which country do people traditionally eat seafood on Christmas Eve?
Answer: Italy.
This tradition is called “The Feast of Seven Fishes” or “La Vigilia.”
Which fruit is often given as a gift on Christmas Eve?
Answer: Apples.
It is said that eating a “peace apple” on Christmas Eve will ensure you a safe and peaceful year.
When is National Egg Nog Day in the United States?
Answer: Christmas Eve.
Egg nog is consumed an average of 1.23 times per year, per person.
What is traditionally hidden inside Christmas pudding?
Answer: A silver coin.
Another name for this silver coin is a “sixpence”.
What do they call the dish “pigs in a blanket” in Scotland?
Answer: Kilted Soldiers.
Scottish kilts were traditionally used to provide protection and to guard weapons.
What type of pastry is used when making profiteroles?
Answer: Choux pastry.
Choux pastry is also known as Pate a Choux in French.
Christmas Folklore & Traditions Trivia
The wise men brought Jesus which three gifts to Bethlehem?
Answer: Gold, Myrrh, and Frankincense.
Frankincense is a fragrant and aromatic resin that is used in perfumes.
Where was St. Nicholas born?
Answer: Patara (modern-day Turkey).
Patara was a city in the ancient area of Lycia.
Which country does the name “Kris Kringle” come from?
Answer: Germany.
The name “Kris Kringle” was first used in 1830.
In which country do people fill children’s clogs with candy and sweets?
Answer: The Netherlands.
This tradition takes place every year on December 5th.
Which year was the first Christmas card sent?
Answer: 1843.
The first Christmas card was designed by John Horsley.
What is the name of the Roman holiday that inspired Christmas celebrations?
Answer: Saturnalia.
Saturnalia is held from the 17th to the 23rd of December and celebrates the god Saturn.
In Austrian and some other European countries, what is the name of the horned and goat-like figure who punishes bad children around Christmas time?
Answer: Krampus.
The idea of Krampus is believed to have originated in Germany.
Who was the original Santa Claus?
Answer: St. Nicholas.
St. Nicholas was a Turkish monk.
What would you expect to find in a Christmas cracker?
Answer: A paper crown, a small gift, and a joke..
Christmas crackers were originally created by a sweets maker in 1845.
Which was the first country to celebrate Christmas with a Christmas tree?
Answer: Germany.
Traditionally, the Christmas tree is only assembled on the 24th of December in Germany.
Christmas Movies Trivia
In “A Christmas Carol,” what were the names of the Ghosts?
Answer: Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come.
The original “A Christmas Carol” tale was written by Charles Dickens.
Which actor played George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life”?
Answer: Jimmy Stewart.
Jimmy Stewart was an American actor who starred in at least 69 movies.
In “A Christmas Story,” what present does Ralphie want?
Answer: A Red Rider BB gun.
In the United States, the sale of BB guns to minors is prohibited.
In “Home Alone,” how many siblings does Kevin have?
Answer: Four.
Kevin is the youngest child in the family.
What is Jack Skellington’s nickname?
Answer: The Pumpkin King.
Jack Skellington is voiced by Chris Sarandon.
In the movie “Elf,” what is the name of the department store Buddy works at?
Answer: Gimbels.
Gimbels was an American department store corporation that was in operation from 1842 to 1987.
Which building does Buddy the Elf’s father work in?
Answer: The Empire State Building.
The architectural style of The Empire State Building is called Art Deco.
In “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” what is the name of the family?
Answer: The Griswalds.
Griswald is an English surname that combines the Old English words “greosn” and “weald.”
What is the name of Jack Skellington’s ghost dog?
Answer: Zero.
Zero’s appearance is inspired by a Dachshund.
How many Oscars awards did “Miracle on 34th Street” win?
Answer: Three.
Miracle on 34th Street was released in 1947.
Miscellaneous Christmas Trivia
According to the National Christmas Tree Association, how much of the tree stump should you trim before putting it into a stand?
Answer: Half of an inch.
Around 25 to 30 million Christmas trees are sold in the United States every year.
How do you say “Merry Christmas” in Spanish?
Answer: Feliz Navidad.
Feliz Navidad is a hit song from Jose Feliciano.
Which inventor created electric Christmas lights?
Answer: Thomas Edison.
Edison invented electric Christmas lights in 1880.
Where was Christmas banned by Puritans?
Answer: Boston and England.
Puritans banned Christmas in these places from 1659 to 1681.
Which country exports the most Christmas trees?
Answer: Canada.
Canada exports roughly 2.4 million Christmas trees each year.
Which company popularized the idea and image of Santa Claus to the world?
Answer: Coca-Cola.
The modern image of Santa Claus was first portrayed in Coca-Cola advertising in 1931.
Around what percentage of Americans celebrate the Christmas holiday?
Answer: 90%.
Approximately two billion people celebrate Christmas on December 25th worldwide.
What material was tinsel initially made from?
Answer: Strands of silver.
Tinsel was invented in Germany in 1610.
What is another name for a Christmas tree?
Answer: A Yule-Tree..
Yule is a pagan festival of the winter solstice.
Which country does the Poinsettia plant come from?
Answer: Mexico.
Poinsettia plants are toxic and poisonous to cats.
What does the word Noel mean in Latin?
Answer: Birth.
Noel is derived from the Latin word “natalis.”
When was the term “Xmas” invented?
Answer: The mid-1500s.
X is a Greek letter and the first letter in the Greek word for Christ.
What is The Elf on the Shelf?
Answer: A toy elf that supposedly spies on children and reports to Santa each night..
Elf on the Shelf was invented by Carol Aebersold and her two daughters.
Who was the first person to dress up as Santa in his department store?
Answer: James Edgar.
Edgar first put on a Santa costume for his patrons in 1890.
When did the North American Aerospace Defense Command begin tracking Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve?
Answer: 1955.
Google also started to track Santa in 2004.
How do you say Merry Christmas in Hawaiian?
Answer: Mele Kalikimaka.
Mele Kalikimaka is the name of a song by Bing Crosby.
What is the English name for the drink, “Gluhwein”?
Answer: Mulled wine.
Mulled wine is usually made using red wine, brandy or orange liqueur, orange slices, cloves, and other spices.
Which U.S. state was the first to officially call Christmas a holiday?
Answer: Oklahoma.
Oklahoma became a state in 1907.
Which department store created Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for promotion?
Answer: Montgomery Ward.
Rudolph was created by Robert L. May in 1939.
In which American city was Eggnog first consumed?
Answer: Jamestown, Virginia.
Eggnog was first consumed in the United States in 1607.
