100 Christmas Trivia Questions with Answers

The fire is crackling, the mulled wine is simmering, and the air is filled with the scent of gingerbread and pine. Christmas is a time for tradition, for gathering, and for creating cherished memories with loved ones. But after the last present is unwrapped and the final slice of pie has been devoured, how do you keep the festive energy alive and engage a room full of relatives and friends, from your trivia-obsessed uncle to your TikTok-savvy niece?

The answer is a Christmas trivia quiz. We've curated a massive list spanning movies, music, traditions, food, and more, with the answers to make your job as host effortless. Furthermore, we'll show you how to leverage a powerful tool like SurveyMars to make a seamless, interactive, and professional-grade experience for everyone involved. Kick off your Christmas season with ease using our ready-to-use "Christmas Quiz" template.

100 Christmas Trivia Questions and Answers

Grab your eggnog and get ready. We've compiled questions across eight diverse categories, sorted from easier to more challenging. Use them all, or pick and choose to create your perfect quiz!

Round 1: Silver Screen & Christmas Classics (15 Questions)

1.  What is the name of the town where the McCallister family lives in Home Alone?

    Answer: Winnetka, Illinois.

2.  In Elf, what are the four main food groups Buddy believes in?

    Answer: Candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup.

3.  What is the name of the abominable snowman in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?

    Answer: The Bumble.

4.  How many ghosts visit Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol?

    Answer: Four (Jacob Marley, and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come).

5.  Which 2004 animated film features a train that carries children to the North Pole?

    Answer: The Polar Express.

6.  What is the name of the Grinch's dog?

    Answer: Max.

7.  In It's a Wonderful Life, what is the name of the guardian angel who helps George Bailey?

    Answer: Clarence Odbody.

8.  What is the name of the elf who wants to be a dentist in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?

    Answer: Hermey.

9.  Which Christmas film features the song "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" by Darlene Love?

    Answer: Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

10. In National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, what does Clark Griswold use to grease his metal saucer?

    Answer: Non-Toxic Silicon-Based Kitchen Lubricant.

11. What is the name of the mysterious train conductor in The Polar Express?

    Answer: The Conductor (voiced by Tom Hanks).

12. In Love Actually, what does Mark hold up on cards to declare his love for Juliet?

    Answer: Large cue cards with written messages.

13. Which actor provided the voice for the titular character in The Grinch (2018)?

    Answer: Benedict Cumberbatch.

14. In A Christmas Story, what is the specific leg lamp award that the Old Man wins?

    Answer: A "Major Award."

15. What is the name of Jack Skellington's love interest in The Nightmare Before Christmas?

    Answer: Sally.

Round 2: Carols & Holiday Tunes (15 Questions)

16. Which popular Christmas song was originally written for Thanksgiving?

    Answer: Jingle Bells.

17. What was the first song ever broadcast from space?

    Answer: Jingle Bells (played by astronauts Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra in 1965).

18. Complete the lyric: "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, ___ nipping at your nose..."

    Answer: Jack Frost.

19. Who holds the record for the best-selling Christmas album of all time with Christmas?

    Answer: Mariah Carey.

20. In which country was José Feliciano, the writer of "Feliz Navidad," born?

    Answer: Puerto Rico.

21. What was the name of the charity supergroup that sang "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in 1984?

    Answer: Band Aid.

22. In "Winter Wonderland," what do we "pretend" the snowman is?

    Answer: Parson Brown.

23. Which ballet features the "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy"?

    Answer: The Nutcracker.

24. In the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas," what is given on the seventh day?

    Answer: Seven swans a-swimming.

25. Which singer released the hit "All I Want for Christmas Is You" in 1994?

    Answer: Mariah Carey.

26. "Carol of the Bells" is based on a traditional Ukrainian folk chant. What is its original name?

    Answer: "Shchedryk."

27. In the carol "We Three Kings," what are the three gifts mentioned?

    Answer: Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh.

28. Which band released the album A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector?

    Answer: Various artists produced by Phil Spector (The Ronettes, Darlene Love, etc.).

29. What is the first line of the second verse of "Jingle Bells"?

    Answer: "A day or two ago."

30. Which comedian famously sang "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer"?

    Answer: Elmo & Patsy (Elmo Shropshire).

Round 3: Global Traditions & History (15 Questions)

31. In which country is the Christmas gift-bringer known as Joulupukki?

    Answer: Finland.

32. Why are stockings traditionally hung by the fireplace?

    Answer: From the legend of St. Nicholas giving gold that landed in stockings hung to dry.

33. What does the red color of the candy cane traditionally symbolize?

    Answer: The blood of Christ.

34. What is "Santa Claus" called in Germany?

    Answer: Weihnachtsmann (Christmas Man).

35. Which U.S. state was the first to declare Christmas a legal holiday?

    Answer: Alabama (1836).

36. What is the day after Christmas called in the UK?

    Answer: Boxing Day.

37. In what century did the first recorded use of a Christmas tree take place?

    Answer: The 16th Century (in Estonia and Germany).

38. In Sweden, a giant straw goat is constructed each year in the town of Gävle. What often happens to it?

    Answer: It is often vandalized or burned down.

39. What is the name of the witch who delivers gifts to children in Italy on Epiphany (January 6th)?

    Answer: La Befana.

40. In Venezuela, it is a tradition to roller skate to what on Christmas morning?

    Answer: Early Mass (Misa de Gallo).

41. Which country is credited with starting the tradition of Christmas trees as we know them?

    Answer: Germany.

42. What was the original purpose of the Christmas cracker?

    Answer: As a sweet wrapper invention by Tom Smith.

43. In which country would you eat KFC as a popular Christmas Eve meal?

    Answer: Japan.

44. What is the name of the period of four weeks before Christmas in the Christian calendar?

    Answer: Advent.

45. The Poinsettia is a popular Christmas plant. What is it named after?

    Answer: Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico.

Round 4: Reindeer, Elves & North Pole Lore (10 Questions)

46. Besides Rudolph, name all eight of Santa's other reindeer.

    Answer: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen.

47. What is Santa's postal code at the North Pole, as recognized by Canada Post?

    Answer: H0H 0H0.

48. True or False: Rudolph is mentioned in Clement Clarke Moore's "A Visit from St. Nicholas."

    Answer: False. Rudolph was a 20th-century creation for a Montgomery Ward marketing campaign.

49. What is the name of the head elf in the 2003 movie Elf?

    Answer: Papa Elf.

50. According to tradition, what do children leave out for Santa on Christmas Eve?

    Answer: Cookies and Milk.

51. In the Rankin/Bass special, what is Yukon Cornelius searching for?

    Answer: Silver and Gold.

52. What is the name of the elf appointed to oversee the "Naughty and Nice" list in Santa Claus is Comin' to Town?

    Answer: Jingle Bells / Topper.

53. In the Rudolph TV special, what is the name of the Island of Misfit Toys' ruler?

    Answer: King Moonracer.

54. What is Mrs. Claus's first name in the 1994 film The Santa Clause?

    Answer: Carol.

55. According to the poem, what is the sound Santa's reindeer make as they "prance" on the roof?

    Answer: The "clatter" of their hooves.

Round 5: Festive Food & Drink (10 Questions)

56. What are the two main spices in a traditional gingerbread man?

    Answer: Ginger and Cinnamon.

57. What type of meat is the centerpiece of a traditional British Christmas dinner?

    Answer: Turkey.

58. What is the name of the German Christmas cake, a dense, spiced fruitbread?

    Answer: Stollen.

59. What is the key alcoholic ingredient in a classic Eggnog?

    Answer: Rum, Brandy, or Whiskey.

60. In A Christmas Story, what did the Parker family have for Christmas dinner after the neighbors' dogs ruined their turkey?

    Answer: Chinese Roast Duck.

61. What is the French traditional Christmas log cake called?

    Answer: Bûche de Noël.

62. What are "figgy puddings" frequently mentioned in carols?

    Answer: A rich, spiced steamed pudding.

63. What is the primary flavor of a candy cane?

    Answer: Peppermint.

64. What is the main ingredient in the Scandinavian Christmas drink, Glögg?

    Answer: Red Wine.

65. What fruit is used to make traditional Christmas mincemeat?

    Answer: Dried Fruits (like raisins, currants, and sultanas).

Round 6: The Nativity & Religious Significance (10 Questions)

66. In which town was Jesus born?

    Answer: Bethlehem.

67. According to the Gospel of Matthew, who visited Jesus bearing gifts?

    Answer: The Magi (Wise Men/Kings).

68. What did the angels say to the shepherds? ("Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, ___ ___")

    Answer: Goodwill toward men.

69. Who was the ruler of Judea when Jesus was born?

    Answer: King Herod.

70. Where did Mary and Joseph lay the baby Jesus?

    Answer: In a manger.

71. What sign did the angels tell the shepherds they would find?

    Answer: A baby wrapped in swaddling cloths.

72. Which prophet foretold the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem?

    Answer: Micah.

73. What is the name of the feast day celebrating the arrival of the Magi?

    Answer: Epiphany.

74. How many wings does a seraphim, a type of angel, traditionally have?

    Answer: Six.

75. Which book of the Bible contains the most detailed account of the nativity story?

    Answer: The Gospel of Luke.

Round 7: General Knowledge & Festive Facts (15 Questions)

76. Which plant is known as the "kissing plant"?

    Answer: Mistletoe.

77. What year was the first Christmas card commissioned?

    Answer: 1843 (by Sir Henry Cole).

78. Which department store famously debuted its animated Christmas window displays in the 19th century?

    Answer: Macy's.

79. What is the name for the Sunday before Advent, which marks the start of the Christian year?

    Answer: Christ the King Sunday.

80. What does "Noël" mean in French?

    Answer: Christmas.

81. Which author wrote A Christmas Carol?

    Answer: Charles Dickens.

82. What is the real name of Santa Claus?

    Answer: Saint Nicholas.

83. Which ancient Roman festival is often cited as a precursor to Christmas?

    Answer: Saturnalia.

84. In the US, what is the day after Thanksgiving known as, marking the start of the Christmas shopping season?

    Answer: Black Friday.

85. What was the original title of the poem "The Night Before Christmas"?

    Answer: "A Visit from St. Nicholas."

86. Which country sends the UK a giant Christmas tree for Trafalgar Square every year as a thank you for WWII aid?

    Answer: Norway.

87. What is the fear of Christmas called?

    Answer: Christougenniatikophobia.

88. Which US President was the first to have a Christmas tree in the White House?

    Answer: Franklin Pierce (though it was popularized by Benjamin Harrison).

89. What is the name for the star-shaped leaf of the poinsettia plant?

    Answer: A bract.

90. In the song "Frosty the Snowman," what made Frosty come to life?

    Answer: An old silk hat.

Round 8: The "Stumpers" - Challenging Christmas Trivia (10 Questions)

91. In Home Alone, what is the name of the elderly neighbor that Kevin initially fears, but later befriends?

    Answer: Old Man Marley.

92. What is the name of the 1970s glam rock band that had a hit with "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday"?

    Answer: Wizzard.

93. In the Harry Potter series, what Christmas present does Harry receive from Sirius Black in Goblet of Fire?

    Answer: A Firebolt broomstick.

94. Which two US states have towns called "Santa Claus"?

    Answer: Indiana and Georgia.

95. What was the original purpose of tinsel?

    Answer: To symbolize strands of silver or spiderwebs (in German tradition).

96. In the Bible, what does the name "Emmanuel" mean?

    Answer: "God with us."

97. Which Shakespeare play is set during the Christmas season and features the character Sir Toby Belch?

    Answer: Twelfth Night.

98. What is the name of the 1992 film where a young boy accidentally kidnaps a Santa Claus?

    Answer: The Santa Clause.

99. Which famous scientist was born on Christmas Day in 1642?

    Answer: Sir Isaac Newton.

100. In the Friends episode "The One with the Holiday Armadillo," what costume does Ross wear?

     Answer: The Holiday Armadillo.

Building Your Quiz with SurveyMars

Managing a 100+ question quiz on paper is a logistical nightmare. Scoring becomes a chore, and sharing it with distant family is impossible. This is where SurveyMars transforms you from a quiz reader into a Quizmaster General:

• Unlimited Questions & Responses: With SurveyMars, you can input all 100+ questions without hitting a paywall. You can also invite your entire contact list without worrying about a response limit—perfect for large virtual gatherings.

• Quiz Mode & Automatic Grading: The platform's "Quiz Mode" is a game-changer. You input the correct answers during setup, and SurveyMars does the rest. It automatically grades each response and can even show participants their score immediately. No more manual tallying!

• Diverse Question Types: Go beyond simple text. Use Picture Choice for movie stills or flag identification. Use Dropdowns for long lists of potential answers. This variety makes your quiz visually dynamic and more engaging.

• Seamless Multi-Platform Sharing: Once your quiz is built, you get a single, clean link. Share it via WhatsApp, email, or social media. Participants can play on their phones, tablets, or laptops from anywhere in the world, making it the perfect solution for connecting global families.

• Professional Polish: Choose from festive templates, upload a family Christmas photo as a background, and customize colors to create a beautiful, branded experience that feels like a special part of your holiday tradition.

Conclusion: Forge a New Holiday Tradition

A Christmas trivia quiz is more than a game; it's a shared experience that celebrates knowledge, nostalgia, and togetherness. By combining a thoughtfully curated list of over 100 questions with the powerful, flexible, and limitless platform of SurveyMars, you are not just hosting a quiz—you are creating a lasting holiday memory.

So, gather your questions, embrace your inner host, and get ready to deliver a Christmas quiz that will be talked about for years to come. Happy quizzing, and a very Merry Christmas to all!