Everyone loves a fun Christmas party! You can make this trivia list one of the games at your party. Whether you and your guests love a romantic Christmas movie, putting up the decorations, the excitement of waiting for Santa, the focus on Christ’s birth, or singing the carols, you’ll find it all in these questions.
No matter your area of expertise in all things Christmas, you can find questions here that may be challenging for you. Don’t feel bad if you don’t know the answers to them all. It’s a fun opportunity to learn more and impress your friends even more at the next party.
Best Christmas Trivia Questions
Christmas Songs / Christmas Movies & Books / Christmas Decor / History of Christmas / Santa Claus Trivia / General Christmas Questions
Christmas Songs
1. What did the other reindeer not let Rudolph do because of his shiny red nose?
Answer: Join in any reindeer games
If you don’t still hold a minor grudge against Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen and Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen, you’re basically Scrooge.
2. Poor Elvis isn’t going to be having a white Christmas. He’ll have a…
Answer: Blue Christmas (without you)
This one would surely take the number one spot on a list of the most depressing holiday songs of all time.
3. What did Frosty the Snowman do when a magic hat was placed on his head?
Answer: He began to dance around
There is absolutely no shame in knowing every single line to every single classic children’s Christmas carols, even as a full-grown adult.
4. Which Christmas song contains the lyric “Everyone dancing merrily in the new, old-fashioned way”?
Answer: “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee
We’ve all jammed out to this song in the middle of July at one time or another.
5. In the Song “Winter Wonderland,” what is the snowman’s name?
Answer: Parson Brown
This might be the Christmas song that gets stuck in your head year-round, but the words never really stick, so you compensate by humming it well, but not much else.
6. What did my true love give to me on the seventh day of Christmas?
Answer: Seven swans-a-swimming
I prefer my holiday birds roasted and marinated, thank you very much.
7. In “The Christmas Song,” whose eyes are all aglow?
Answer: Tiny tots
They’ll also find it hard to sleep tonight, in case you were wondering.
8. What type of tree was the partridge sitting in?
Answer: A pear tree
We could have asked every Christmas song question about this one song alone. It is the quintessential Christmas song, after all.
Christmas Movies & Books
1. In the classic book (and movie adaptation), How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the Grinch is described in three words. What are they?
Answer: Stink, stank, stunk
Dr. Seuss really was a master of the tenses.
2. In the movie, It’s A Wonderful Life, what happened every time a bell rang?
Answer: An angel got its wings
The purest and most tear-inducing holiday movie you could ever hope to watch, ladies and gentlemen.
3. Which actor played six different roles in the animated holiday film, The Polar Express?
Answer: Tom Hanks
The man, the myth, the legend…
4. In Charles Dickens’ 1843 novel, A Christmas Carol, what was Scrooge’s first name?
Answer: Ebenezer
If you haven’t read this classic Christmas tale, it is definitely worth the time.
5. In the 1983 film, A Christmas Story, what was Ralphie’s little brother’s name?
Answer: Randy
Some of the most hilarious characters in the film are surprisingly the most forgettable.
6. In the 2003 comedy, Elf, what was the first rule of the Code of Elves?
Answer: Treat every day like it’s Christmas
“There’s room for everyone on the nice list, and the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”
7. In Tim Burton’s classic holiday film, The Nightmare Before Christmas, who was the main villain?
Answer: Oogie Boogie (the Boogie Man)
TBH, this guy creeped ALL of us out as kids way more than was probably okay–or necessary, for that matter. (Thanks for all the nightmares, Tim Burton.)
8. What was the highest-grossing Christmas movie of all time?
Answer: Home Alone
*Makes the signature “shocked” Kevin McCallister face*
Christmas Decor
1. What two options do most people traditionally use as Christmas tree-toppers?
Answer: An angel or a star
If you’re weird, birthday hats work too, considering the nature of the holiday.
2. What are you supposed to do when you get caught under the mistletoe?
Answer: Kiss
We’ve all wished for this particular Hallmark holiday movie moment.
3. When did Americans start decorating Christmas trees?
Answer: 1890s
If you think about it, the concept of keeping a tree in your house is really weird.
4. When did poinsettias become a popular Christmas decoration?
Answer: 1900
Initially, they were called the “flor de nochebuena,” or “Christmas Eve flower.”
5. What are the long strips of shiny foil used to decorate a Christmas tree called?
Answer: Tinsel
It’s actually quite difficult to remember what this shiny stuff is called, even when you find it stuck in your living room carpet seven months later.
6. Which American President banned Christmas trees in the White House?
Answer: Theodore Roosevelt
Environmentalists everywhere will understand.
7. Why are candy-canes red and white?
Answer: Red symbolizes the blood of Christ. White symbolizes purity.
Not to go all religious on you. Though, to be fair, it is a religious holiday.
8. What country did the concept of “Christmas villages” come from?
Answer: The United States
We Americans sure do love our miniatures.
History of Christmas
1. Where was baby Jesus born?
Answer: Bethlehem
Okay, so this one’s so easy, it’s basically a freebie.
2. Which country began the tradition of putting up a Christmas tree?
Answer: Germany
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, how lovely are thy branches
3. Which classic fairy tale were the first gingerbread houses inspired by?
Answer: Hansel and Gretel
So would that make Santa the mean old witch?
4. Was Jesus born on December 25?
Answer: No
He was actually born in the Spring.
5. Which traditional Christmas food is considered good luck to eat one of on each of the twelve days of Christmas?
Answer: Mince pies
If you’re younger than 75, you probably have no idea what one of these things is.
6. When did the US declare Christmas a federal holiday?
Answer: 1870
And thank goodness it did.
7. Which of these was not a gift given to baby Jesus by the Wise Men–gold, silver, myrrh, or frankincense?
Answer: Silver
If you know you’re Bible stories, you know.
8. Who was the first person to wear a Santa costume and walk around the store handing out gifts?
Answer: James Edgar, 1890
Little did he know, he’d be revolutionizing the concept of holiday commercialization forever.
Santa Claus Trivia
1. What are the two other most popular names for Santa Claus?
Answer: Kris Kringle and Saint Nick
Keep this in mind the next time you’re addressing your letters to the North Pole.
2. On what real-life historical figure is Santa Claus based?
Answer: St. Nicholas, a Christian bishop
The guy was a literal saint, and we ain’t lyin’.
3. What modern-day country was St. Nicholas born in?
Answer: Patara, District of Lycia, Turkey
That’s right. He was a real person. You’re parents lied to you twice.
4. What was the first company that used Santa Claus in advertising?
Answer: Coca-Cola
Now there isn’t a single commercial around the holidays that doesn’t use the jolly old guy.
5. Where did Santa initially get his signature red and white costume?
Answer: Coca-Cola
This company had a monopoly, that’s for sure.
7. How many reindeer drive Santa’s sleigh?
Answer: Nine
This includes Rudolph, of course.
8. What is Santa Claus called in France?
Answer: Pere Noel
Translated, this means “Father Christmas.” If that’s not adorable, I don’t know what is.
General Christmas Questions
1. Which popular Christmas beverage is also called “milk punch”?
Answer: Eggnog
Like if milk had fists, ya know?
2. What is a yule log?
Answer: Sponge cake
You know you always wondered.
3. Where did Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer come from?
Answer: A 1939 marketing campaign
That’s right. Retail giant Montgomery Ward invented the lovable underdog reindeer to up the sales.
4. What is the name of the traditional German holiday fruit cake?
Answer: Stollen
Does anyone ever really have fruitcake for Christmas?
5. True or false: The traditional English Christmas dinner included a pig’s head smothered in mustard before the turkey.
Answer: True
Back in ye olden days, people ate some pretty weird stuff.
6. Which country was the first to issue a Christmas postage stamp?
Answer: Canada
Gotta love them Canadians…
7. Which country maintains the tradition that a witch comes to drop presents down the chimney on Christmas Eve?
Answer: Italy
Okay, so maybe the idea of a stranger coming to your house in the middle of the night isn’t so appealing, after all.
8. Which country is the biggest exporter of Christmas trees?
Answer: Canada
Again, Canada comin’ in clutch with these holiday home runs!