Carols, classic films, Santa and traditions around the world, with the story behind every answer
Forty Christmas trivia questions, from The Twelve Days of Christmas to Home Alone, Rudolph and why Japan eats KFC on Christmas Eve. Play 10, 20 or all 40 with four choices each; after every answer you get the fact behind it. The full list of questions and answers is under the game for reading aloud at a party.
How to play
Choose 10, 20 or all 40 questions.
Pick one of four answers (or press 1 to 4).
Read the fact that explains the answer, then press Next.
See your score at the end; your best is saved in this browser.
Every round shuffles the questions, so you can play again.
What it actually trains
Recall of things you already know, plus a lot of new facts: it is a knowledge quiz rather than a brain drill. For more quick rounds, see our trivia games.
Tips to score higher
Watch the numbers: the poem has eight reindeer and the song gives 364 gifts.
When two answers look close, think about dates: Rudolph (1939) is much younger than the 1823 poem.
Read the facts: several later questions build on them.
Playing as a group? One person reads, everyone writes an answer, then reveal together.
Christmas trivia questions and answers
In the carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas", what is given on the fifth day? Five gold rings. Five gold rings, the only gift sung slowly in most versions.
Counting every repeat, how many gifts are given in "The Twelve Days of Christmas"? 364. Add up 1 + 3 + 6 + ... for twelve days and you get 364, one for every day of the year but one.
Who wrote "A Christmas Carol" (1843)? Charles Dickens. Charles Dickens published it on 19 December 1843.
What was the name of Ebenezer Scrooge’s dead business partner? Jacob Marley. Jacob Marley’s ghost visits first, dragging his chains.
Which country has given London the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree every year since 1947? Norway. Oslo sends a Norwegian spruce each year as thanks for British help in the Second World War.
The poinsettia is named after Joel Poinsett. Where is the plant native to? Mexico. Poinsett, the first US minister to Mexico, brought it to the United States in the 1820s.
In the 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas", how many reindeer pull the sleigh? Eight. Eight: Rudolph arrived later, in a 1939 Montgomery Ward booklet by Robert L. May.
Which of these is NOT one of the reindeer in "A Visit from St. Nicholas"? Rudolph. Rudolph was created in 1939, 116 years after the poem.
What is the name of the Grinch’s dog? Max. Max is the dog dressed as a reindeer in Dr. Seuss’s 1957 book.
Where do the Whos live in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!"? Whoville. The Grinch lives above Whoville on Mount Crumpit.
In "It’s a Wonderful Life" (1946), what is the name of George Bailey’s town? Bedford Falls. Pottersville is what the town becomes in the world where George was never born.
In "Home Alone" (1990), where is the McCallister family flying when they leave Kevin behind? Paris. They fly to Paris; Kevin is left in the Chicago suburbs.
Which actor plays Buddy in the 2003 film "Elf"? Will Ferrell. Will Ferrell plays Buddy, a human raised by elves at the North Pole.
Which department store is at the centre of "Miracle on 34th Street"? Macy’s. Macy’s flagship store is on 34th Street in Manhattan.
Who wrote the song "White Christmas"? Irving Berlin. Irving Berlin wrote it; Bing Crosby sang it in the 1942 film "Holiday Inn".
Which song was the first ever played in space, in December 1965? Jingle Bells. Gemini 6 astronauts played "Jingle Bells" on a harmonica and small bells.
Who composed the music for the ballet "The Nutcracker"? Tchaikovsky. It premiered in St Petersburg in December 1892.
What brought Frosty the Snowman to life? An old silk hat. In the 1950 song, an old silk hat they found makes him dance around.
In O. Henry’s "The Gift of the Magi", what does Della sell to buy Jim a present? Her hair. She sells her hair to buy a chain for Jim’s watch, which he has sold to buy her combs.
Which fast-food meal is a popular Christmas tradition in Japan? KFC fried chicken. A 1974 "Kentucky for Christmas" campaign started it; families order weeks ahead.
The name Santa Claus comes from which Dutch figure? Sinterklaas. Dutch settlers in New Amsterdam brought Sinterklaas, based on Saint Nicholas.
Saint Nicholas was bishop of Myra. Which country is Myra in today? Turkey. Myra is the modern town of Demre, in Antalya province, Turkey.
Which Finnish town calls itself the official hometown of Santa Claus? Rovaniemi. Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi sits on the Arctic Circle.
What does "Mele Kalikimaka" mean? Merry Christmas in Hawaiian. It is the Hawaiian way of saying Merry Christmas, made famous by Bing Crosby in 1950.
What three gifts did the Magi bring? Gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Gospel of Matthew names gold, frankincense and myrrh.
What day is Boxing Day? 26 December. Boxing Day, 26 December, is a holiday in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
On which date is Epiphany, the Twelfth Day of Christmas, usually celebrated? 6 January. Epiphany falls on 6 January, when Italy’s Befana brings gifts.
Who sings the 1994 hit "All I Want for Christmas Is You"? Mariah Carey. Mariah Carey’s song first topped the US Billboard Hot 100 in December 2019, 25 years after release.
Which band released "Last Christmas" in 1984? Wham!. Wham!’s single finally reached UK number one on New Year’s Day 2021.
For which company did Haddon Sundblom paint his famous red-suited Santa from 1931? Coca-Cola. Santa wore red before 1931, but Sundblom’s ads fixed the jolly image for millions.
What colour is the Grinch? Green. He was drawn in black, white and red in 1957 and turned green in the 1966 TV special.
Which plant’s white-berried sprigs are hung for kissing under? Mistletoe. Holly has red berries; mistletoe has white ones.
Which New York landmark is famous for its giant Christmas tree above an ice rink? Rockefeller Center. The Rockefeller Center tree tradition began in 1931.
Which country is usually credited with starting the decorated Christmas tree tradition? Germany. Prince Albert, who was German, made it fashionable in Britain in the 1840s.
Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean belongs to which country? Australia. It was named on Christmas Day 1643 and has been an Australian territory since 1958.
In "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (1965), what kind of tree does Charlie Brown choose? A small, sad real tree. He picks the one real tree among the aluminium ones on the lot.
What is a bûche de Noël? A cake shaped like a log. The French Yule log cake recalls the real log once burned on the hearth.
What language is "Feliz Navidad"? Spanish. José Feliciano’s 1970 song is sung half in Spanish and half in English.
What was traditionally hidden in a Christmas pudding for luck? A silver coin. Finding the sixpence was said to bring wealth in the year ahead.
Kris Kringle comes from which German word? Christkindl. Christkindl means Christ child, the gift bringer in parts of Germany and Austria.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are in this Christmas trivia quiz?
Forty, with four choices each. You can play 10, 20 or all 40, in a new order every time.
Where can I see all the Christmas trivia answers?
Open Printable list and answers under the game. It lists every question with the right answer and a short explanation.
Is this Christmas trivia good for families and seniors?
Yes. There is no timer, the questions cover films and carols most generations know, and it works well read aloud.
What is a hard Christmas trivia question?
Try this one: counting every repeat, how many gifts are given in The Twelve Days of Christmas? The answer is 364.