100 Festively Fun Trivia Questions

General Christmas Trivia

1. What type of tree is commonly used as a Christmas tree?

Answer: Pine, spruce, or fir tree

2. What popular holiday plant is often associated with kissing?

Answer: Mistletoe

3. What is the last day of the twelve-day Christmas celebration called?

Answer: Twelfth Night

4. According to folklore, what brings snow on Christmas Day?

Answer: Angels shaking their wings

5. In the story "A Christmas Carol," what are the names of Scrooge's three ghosts?

Answer: Past, Present, and Yet to Come (or Future)

6. What holiday figure is known as Kris Kringle?

Answer: Santa Claus

7. In which city is the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony held?

Answer: New York City

8. What are the traditional colors of Santa Claus' suit?

Answer: Red and white (with black belt and boots)

9. According to legend, what did the three wise men bring to the baby Jesus?

Answer: Gold, frankincense, and myrrh

10. Which fruit is traditionally placed in stockings at Christmas?

Answer: Oranges

11. What plant is often associated with Christmas and is known for its red and green foliage?

Answer: Poinsettia

12. What beverage is also known as "milk punch" and is often consumed during the Christmas season?

Answer: Eggnog

13. What is the name of the famous red-nosed reindeer?

Answer: Rudolph

14. What do you typically put on top of a Christmas tree?

Answer: A star or an angel

15. What do children traditionally leave out for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve?

Answer: Milk and cookies

16. What popular holiday spice is often used in gingerbread cookies and pumpkin pie?

Answer: Cinnamon

17. What type of nuts are commonly associated with the Christmas season and are often roasted or used in baking?

Answer: Chestnuts

18. What do you call the activity when a group of people go door to door singing Christmas songs together?

Answer: Caroling

19. What is an advent calendar used for?

Answer: To count down the days until Christmas, starting Dec. 1

20. What Christmas-themed plant is known for its red berries and green leaves, often used in decorations?

Answer: Holly

21. What do you call the holiday tradition of getting people together to exchange batches of homemade cookies?

Answer: Holiday Cookie Exchange

22. What is another common name for the White Elephant gift exchange tradition?

Answer: Yankee Swap.

23. What are the names of the reindeer in the poem "The Night Before Christmas"?

Answer: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen (and Rudolph)

24. How long is the average growing time for a Christmas tree? 

Answer: 7 years

25. Where is the real North Pole located?

Answer: Alaska

Christmas Music, Film & Theater Trivia

1. Who is in charge of the school Christmas play in "A Charlie Brown Christmas"?

Answer: Lucy Van Pelt

2. In the movie "Elf," what is Buddy's favorite food group?

Answer: Candy

3. In the TV show "Friends" season 7 Christmas episode, what does Ross dress up as instead of Santa so he can teach Ben about Hanukkah?

Answer: The Holiday Armadillo

4. What is the name of the family in the movie "Home Alone"?

Answer: The McCallisters

5. What is the name of the main character in the ballet "The Nutcracker"?

Answer: Clara

6. Which holiday film features the character Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King?

Answer: "The Nightmare Before Christmas"

7. In the movie "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," what does Clark Griswold receive as a Christmas bonus?

Answer: A membership to the Jelly of the Month Club

8. What department store does Kris Kringle work for as Santa Claus in the film “Miracle on 34th Street”?

Answer: Macy's

9. In the TV show "Seinfeld," what is the holiday celebrated by George Costanza's family?

Answer: Festivus

10. In the episode 'How Lily Stole Christmas' in the tv show “How I Met Your Mother”, what does Lily do to ruin Christmas for Ted?

Answer: She takes away all of her Christmas decorations from Ted's apartment.

11. In the movie "A Christmas Story," what does Ralphie want as a Christmas present?

Answer: A Red Ryder BB gun

12. What is the title of the song sung by Bing Crosby in the movie "White Christmas"?

Answer: "White Christmas"

13. In the episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire," what is the name of the dog the family adopts for Christmas?

Answer: Santa's Little Helper

14. In the movie "The Polar Express," what must you believe in to hear the sound of Santa's sleigh?

Answer: The spirit of Christmas

15. What is the name of Scrooge's deceased business partner in the movie "A Christmas Carol"?

Answer: Jacob Marley

16. What is the name of the Grinch's dog in Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"?

Answer: Max

17. Who played the Grinch in the 2000 film adaptation of "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas"?

Answer: Jim Carrey

18. What is the name of the animated snowman who comes to life in the TV special named after him?

Answer: Frosty the Snowman

19. In the movie "It's a Wonderful Life," what is the name of George Bailey's guardian angel?

Answer: Clarence Odbody

20. According to the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas," what did my true love send to me on the tenth day?

Answer: 10 lords a-leaping

21. In the song "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer," what is Grandma doing when she gets run over?

Answer: Walking home from our house Christmas Eve

22. In the song "Jingle Bells," what kind of sleigh is mentioned?

Answer: One-horse open sleigh

23. In the song "Deck the Halls," what follows the line "Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la"?

Answer: 'Tis the season to be jolly

24. What Christmas song features the line "You better watch out, you better not cry, better not pout, I'm telling you why"?

Answer: "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town."

25. Which Christmas song was originally written for Thanksgiving but is now more commonly associated with Christmas?

Answer: "Jingle Bells."

Christmas History Trivia

1. In what country did the tradition of decorating Christmas trees originate?

Answer: Germany

2. In what year was Christmas declared a federal holiday in the United States?

Answer: 1870

3. In 1914, during World War I, soldiers from which two countries declared a temporary truce and celebrated Christmas together on the battlefield?

Answer: Germany and England

4. What is the origin of the word "Yule" in relation to Christmas?

Answer: Old English term for the Christmas season

5. What was the original purpose of the candy cane, which dates back to the 17th century?

Answer: It was created as a way to keep children quiet during Christmas church services.

6. Which American author wrote the short story "A Christmas Carol," published in 1843?

Answer: Charles Dickens

7. In what century did the first recorded Christmas tree appear?

Answer: 16th century

8. In 336 AD, which Roman Emperor declared December 25th as the official date to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ?

Answer: Emperor Constantine

9. Which Puritan-led English government banned the celebration of Christmas between 1647 and 1660?

Answer: The Commonwealth of England

10. What British monarch reinstated the public celebration of Christmas in England in 1660?

Answer: King Charles II

11. In 1809, which country was the first to adopt the tradition of the Christmas tree in North America?

Answer: United States (specifically in the state of Pennsylvania)

12. Which ancient civilization celebrated a festival called Saturnalia, which influenced some Christmas traditions?

Answer: Romans

13. Who is credited with introducing the Christmas tree to the United States in the early 19th century?

Answer: German immigrants

14. Which president was the first to have a Christmas tree in the White House?

Answer: Franklin Pierce (in 1856)

15. What country is credited with the creation of the first Christmas card?

Answer: England

16. In 1843, the first commercially produced Christmas cards were created by whom?

Answer: Sir Henry Cole

17. What was the original title of the poem commonly known as "The Night Before Christmas"?

Answer: "A Visit from St. Nicholas"

18. Which American state is considered the birthplace of the tradition of electrically lighting Christmas trees?

Answer: New York

19. In what year did the tradition of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony begin?

Answer: 1933

20. Which English monarch is associated with the "Twelve Days of Christmas" song?

Answer: Henry VIII

21. Which medieval English custom involved choosing a "Lord of Misrule" to lead Christmas festivities?

Answer: The Feast of Fools

22. During the Victorian era, what popularized the image of Santa Claus as we know him today?

Answer: Illustrations by Thomas Nast

23. What Christmas gift exchange tradition is said to have originated in the Appalachian Mountains in the 19th century?

Answer: Secret Santa

24. Which American president banned the Christmas tree from the White House during his presidency?

Answer: Theodore Roosevelt

25. Which country is credited with the creation of the gingerbread house?

Answer: Germany

Christmas Customs Around the World Trivia

1. In which country is the Christmas season celebrated with the tradition of "KFC for Christmas dinner"?

Answer: Japan

2. In which European country did the custom of leaving shoes out for St. Nicholas' gifts originate?

Answer: The Netherlands

3. In what country is the Christmas season celebrated with the "Krampus" tradition, where a demonic figure accompanies St. Nicholas to punish naughty children?

Answer: Austria

4. In what country is the holiday season celebrated with the "Festival of Lights" known as Hanukkah rather than Christmas?

Answer: Israel

5. In which country is the Christmas season celebrated with the "Las Posadas" tradition, a reenactment of Mary and Joseph's search for shelter?

Answer: Mexico

6. Which country is credited with the tradition of the "Christmas Pickle," where a pickle ornament is hidden on the tree for children to find?

Answer: Germany

7. In Ethiopia, Christmas is celebrated on January 7th. What is it called?

Answer: Ganna or Genna

8. In Spain, what is the name of the Christmas lottery that is one of the oldest lotteries in the world?

Answer: El Gordo

9. In which country do people celebrate Christmas with a traditional feast called "Joulupöytä" (joo-loo-poy-ta)?

Answer: Finland

10. What is the name of the traditional Japanese Christmas cake, typically made with sponge cake, whipped cream, and strawberries?

Answer: Strawberry Shortcake

11. In what country do children traditionally leave out hay and carrots for Santa's reindeer on Christmas Eve?

Answer: Ireland

12. In Greece, children go door to door singing carols and playing musical instruments. What are these kids called?

Answer: Kalanda singers

13. Which country celebrates Christmas with the "Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols" at King's College Chapel in Cambridge?

Answer: England

14. In what country is the Christmas season marked by the "Festival of Nine Mornings," where people attend early morning church services for nine days before Christmas?

Answer: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

15. In what country is the Christmas season celebrated with the "Junkanoo" festival, featuring colorful parades and traditional music?

Answer: The Bahamas

16. In what country do families celebrate Christmas with the "Feast of the Seven Fishes" on Christmas Eve?

Answer: Italy

17. Which African country celebrates Christmas with traditional dances and the wearing of bright, colorful clothing?

Answer: Nigeria

18. In what country is the Christmas season celebrated with the "Simbang Gabi," a series of dawn masses that start on December 16th?

Answer: The Philippines

19. What is the name of the traditional South African Christmas dish made with spiced minced meat and dried fruit?

Answer: Bobotie

20. In which country is the Christmas season celebrated with the Yule Book Flood, where books are exchanged and read on Christmas Eve?

Answer: Iceland

21. Which Eastern European country celebrates Christmas with the tradition of the "Didukh," a sheaf of wheat representing the spirit of their ancestors?

Answer: Ukraine

22. In which country is the Christmas season celebrated with the "Caga Tió," a character in the form of a wooden log that "poops" out presents?

Answer: Catalonia, Spain

23. In what country is the Christmas season celebrated with the "Saint Lucy's Day" festival on December 13th, where girls dress in white and wear crowns of candles?

Answer: Sweden

24. What is the name of the Christmas witch in Italian folklore?

Answer: La Befana

25. Which Scandinavian country is credited with the tradition of the Yule log?

Answer: Norway

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