A trivia night is only as good as its questions: too obscure and the room goes quiet, too easy and nobody cares who wins. The 75 christmas trivia questions below were chosen to be genuinely answerable — general Christmas knowledge about traditions, songs, food, history and films that a mixed group of adults, teens and grandparents can all take a real swing at. Every question carries its correct answer for the host, organized into five themed rounds of fifteen so you can run a full game night or borrow a single round for another party.
How to Run the Game Night
Split your group into teams of three to five, give every team paper and a pen, and play five rounds of fifteen questions. Read each question twice, allow thirty seconds per answer, then swap sheets so teams mark each other — it keeps everyone honest and doubles the laughter when answers are read aloud. Answers are printed directly after each question below for the host, so play with this page in the host hands only. For a shorter night, play any three rounds; our movie trivia guide offers a film-only alternative, and the full games shelf lives in our party games guide.
Scoring: one point per correct answer, with the three-gift Wise Men question worth a point per gift for a possible three. Tied teams go to a tiebreaker the host invents on the spot — nearest guess to the number of lights on the house, or first to name five reindeer correctly from memory. Keep the pace brisk, protect the answers from wandering eyes, and remember the host ruling is final, friendly and not open to appeal.
Round 1: Traditions and Symbols
1. What date is Christmas Day? December 25.
2. What color is Santa Claus suit traditionally, with white trim? Red.
3. Under which plant do people traditionally share a kiss? Mistletoe.
4. What do children hang by the fireplace for small gifts? Stockings.
5. What kind of tree is the classic Christmas tree? An evergreen tree.
6. What curved red and white treat is a Christmas symbol? The candy cane.
7. What are door to door Christmas singers called? Carolers.
8. Who traditionally delivers gifts on Christmas Eve? Santa Claus.
9. What vehicle does Santa travel in? A sleigh.
10. Which animals pull Santa sleigh? Reindeer.
11. What is the name of the red nosed reindeer? Rudolph.
12. Where does Santa traditionally live and work? The North Pole.
13. Who helps Santa make the toys? His elves.
14. What snack is often left out for Santa? Cookies and milk.
15. What food is often left out for the reindeer? Carrots.
Round 2: Songs and Stories
16. Which song begins with the words dashing through the snow? Jingle Bells.
17. Which snowman magically comes to life in a famous song? Frosty the Snowman.
18. What kind of nose does Frosty have in the song? A button nose.
19. In The Twelve Days of Christmas, what is given on the first day? A partridge in a pear tree.
20. Which carol describes a night as silent and holy? Silent Night.
21. Who tries to steal Christmas in the Dr. Seuss story? The Grinch.
22. In which town does the Grinch story take place? Whoville.
23. Who is visited by spirits in A Christmas Carol? Ebenezer Scrooge.
24. Who wrote A Christmas Carol? Charles Dickens.
25. What is the name of Scrooge clerk in the story? Bob Cratchit.
26. Whose son is Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol? Bob Cratchit.
27. Which spirit shows Scrooge scenes from his past? The Ghost of Christmas Past.
28. The Nutcracker is a famous Christmas what? A ballet.
29. Which reindeer shares its name with a flying object in space? Comet.
30. Which song asks only for two front teeth for Christmas? All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth.
Round 3: Food, Home and the Tree
31. What rich spiced egg drink is served at Christmas? Eggnog.
32. What edible house is built from spiced cookie walls? A gingerbread house.
33. What person shaped cookie is a Christmas classic? The gingerbread man.
34. What red berry sauce is served with roast turkey? Cranberry sauce.
35. Which bird is the traditional American holiday main dish? Turkey.
36. Which nuts are famously roasting on an open fire in song? Chestnuts.
37. Peppermint bark is made with chocolate and what flavor? Peppermint, often crushed candy cane.
38. What hot drink is often topped with marshmallows? Hot chocolate.
39. How many doors does a typical Advent calendar have? 24, one for each day from December 1 to 24.
40. What shape is a traditional Christmas wreath? A circle or ring.
41. On what are baubles and ornaments hung? The Christmas tree.
42. What is often placed on the very top of the tree instead of a star? An angel.
43. Which plant has spiky leaves and red berries at Christmas? Holly.
44. Which red flowered plant is a Christmas favorite? The poinsettia.
45. What plant is traditionally placed on top of a Christmas pudding as decoration? A sprig of holly.
Round 4: History, Faith and the World
46. Which town is celebrated as the birthplace of Jesus? Bethlehem.
47. What scene shows the birth of Jesus with Mary and Joseph? The Nativity scene.
48. By what other name are the Three Wise Men known? The Magi.
49. Name the three gifts the Wise Men are said to have brought. Gold, frankincense and myrrh.
50. What did the Wise Men follow to find the child? A star, the Star of Bethlehem.
51. On what date is Boxing Day celebrated? December 26.
52. On what date is Saint Nicholas Day widely marked? December 6.
53. Which saint is Santa Claus based on? Saint Nicholas.
54. What date is New Year Day? January 1.
55. What date is Christmas Eve? December 24.
56. On which day do the 12 Days of Christmas begin? Christmas Day, December 25.
57. On what date is Epiphany, or Three Kings Day? January 6.
58. What paper crown filled novelties are pulled at British tables? Christmas crackers.
59. Good King Wenceslas is the title of which kind of song? A Christmas carol.
60. Feliz Navidad means Merry Christmas in which language? Spanish.
Round 5: Movies and Family Favorites
61. In which film does a boy ride a train to the North Pole? The Polar Express.
62. What is the first name of the boy left behind in Home Alone? Kevin.
63. What is the name of Will Ferrell elf character? Buddy the Elf.
64. What is the name of the Grinch dog? Max.
65. What gift does Ralphie want most in A Christmas Story? A Red Ryder BB gun.
66. Who is the main character of It is a Wonderful Life? George Bailey.
67. Miracle on 34th Street is set in which city? New York City.
68. Which singer is most famous for the song White Christmas? Bing Crosby.
69. Olaf, from Frozen, is what kind of character? A snowman.
70. What is the name of Anna and Elsa reindeer in Frozen? Sven.
71. Who is the main character of The Nightmare Before Christmas? Jack Skellington.
72. A Charlie Brown Christmas features which comic strip gang? The Peanuts gang.
73. Who owns Snoopy in the Peanuts comic strip? Charlie Brown.
74. In the Rudolph TV special, what job does Hermey the elf want? A dentist.
75. In the famous song, what list does Santa check twice? The naughty and nice list.
Scoring, Prizes and Fair Play
Announce the prize before round one — it focuses minds wonderfully. Good prizes are small and celebratory: a box of chocolates for the winning team to share, a novelty trophy that returns next year, or the honor of choosing the Christmas film the group watches next. Award a small spot prize after each round to the team in the lead, and a good-sport prize at the end, so the final round matters to everyone and not just the top two teams.
Fair play basics: no phones during rounds (a friendly basket by the door works wonders), answers as written when marking begins, and half points only when the host declared them possible in advance. Mixed-age teams are the best format of all, because grandparents own the history round, children own the movie round, and everyone discovers the songs round is harder than it looks. For younger players, pair this quiz with the gentler challenges in our family games guide or the timed fun in minute to win it games.
Conclusion
Seventy-five questions, five rounds, one champion team — and a room full of people who now know exactly why they lost the food round. Print or open this page for the host, keep phones in a basket, read briskly, and let the arguments about the Wise Men gifts carry your party happily to dessert.
