Make your winter festivities more fun by playing Christmas trivia. You’ll find questions and answers about movies, songs, and traditions.
Andy Williams said it best. It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
The Christmas season runs from late November to early January.
Whether you call it Christmas, the holiday, or the festive season, it’s a sweet time.
There are parties, presents, and games. Also, you get to spend time with people you love.
While you’re with friends and family, make it more fun with trivia.
Related: The Ultimate Funny Trivia to Make Everyone Laugh
Test your knowledge and have a blast with the following Christmas trivia questions and answers.
Table of Contents
Christmas history trivia
Question: Which country started the tradition of putting up a Christmas tree?
Answer: Germany.
Question: What holiday was “Jingle Bells” originally written for?
Answer: Thanksgiving
Question: Where were the first Christmas cards sold?
Answer: London (1843).
Question: What was original tinsel made of?
Answer: Silver.
Question: Where was the first performance of The Nutcracker ballet?
Answer: Russia (1892).
Question: In what decade did Coca-Cola start using Santa Claus in advertisements?
Answer: 1920s.
Question: What Christmas song was written as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Answer: Do You Hear What I Hear?
Question: Who invented electric Christmas lights?
Answer: Thomas Edison (Source: Library of Congress).
Question: Who’s the real person Santa Claus is based on?
Answer: Saint Nicholas, a bishop from the 3rd century.
Question: Which holiday is the day after Christmas?
Answer: Boxing Day.
Question: Which Roman holiday led to the celebration of Christmas?
Answer: Saturnalia.
Question: Which president had a special Christmas eggnog recipe?
Answer: George Washington.
Question: When and who wrote A Christmas Carol?
Answer: Charles Dickens in 1843.
Question: Who was the first department store Santa?
Answer: James Edgar in 1890.
Question: In what year did the Rockettes do their first performance?
Answer: 1925.
Question: Which fairy tale influenced gingerbread houses?
Answer: Hansel and Gretal.
Question: How many reindeer were in the Twas the Night Before Christmas?
Answer: Eight.
Question: Which Christian group banned Christmas in Massachusetts in 1659?
Answer: The Puritans.
Christmas carols and songs trivia
Question: What would the other reindeer not let Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer do?
Answer: Join in any reindeer games.
Question: What did Frosty the Snowman have for a nose?
Answer: A button.
Question: How many total gifts were given over the Twelve Days of Christmas?
Answer: 364.
Question: What made Frosty the Snowman come to life?
Answer: An old top hat.
Question: How many French hens are gifted in the Twelve Days Of Christmas?
Answer: Three.
Question: In I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, where did mommy tickle Santa?
Answer: Underneath his beard so snowy white.
Question: A song by Nat King Cole says, “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.” What’s the name of the song?
Answer: The Christmas Song.
Question: Who keeps time with The Little Drummer Boy?
Answer: The ox and the lamb.
Question: Which Christmas song was the first to be a hit song across four decades?
Answer: “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
Question: Who sang the original Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)?
Answer: Darlene Love.
Question: Which song includes the lyrics, “This year, to save me from tears. I’ll give it to someone special”?
Answer: Last Christmas.
Question: Which Christmas carol includes the lyrics, “A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices”?
Answer: O Holy Night.
Question: Which Christmas carol includes the lyrics, “Repeat the sounding joy”?
Answer: Joy to the World.
Question: Which Christmas carol includes the lyrics, “Strike the harp and join the chorus”?
Answer: Deck the Halls.
Question: Which song includes the lyrics, “You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear”?
Answer: Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree.
Question: What are the first three lines to Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town?
Answer: You better watch out. You better not cry. You better not pout.
Question: Which two people originally wrote Jingle Bell Rock?
Answer: Joe Beal and Jim Boothe.
Question: Who was run over by a reindeer in a classic Christmas song?
Answer: Grandma.
Question: What was the original title for “The Little Drummer Boy”?
Answer: Carol of the Drum.
Question: What’s the best-selling Christmas song of all time?
Answer: “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby.
Christmas movies trivia
Question: What was the department store in Miracle on 34th Street?
Answer: Macy’s.
Question: In the movie Elf, what’s the first rule of The Code of Elves?
Answer: Treat every day like Christmas.
Question: How many ghosts show up in A Christmas Carol?
Answer: Four ghosts.
Question: What was the first ever Christmas movie?
Answer: Santa Claus (1898).
Question: What song does Lucy ask Schroeder to play in A Charlie Brown Christmas?
Answer: Jingle Bells.
Question: What happens every time a bell rang in It’s a Wonderful Life?
Answer: An angel gets his wings.
Question: Where does the Grinch live?
Answer: Mount Crumpit.
Question: What’s the name of the guardian angel who takes George Bailey on his journey in It’s a Wonderful Life?
Answer: Clarence.
Question: What movie includes the famous line, “Look Doris, someday you’re going to find that your way of facing this realistic world just doesn’t work. And when you do, don’t overlook those lovely intangibles. You’ll discover those are the only things that are worthwhile.”?
Answer: Miracle on 34th Street.
Question: In Home Alone, where do the McAllisters go on vacation while leaving Kevin behind?
Answer: Paris, France.
Question: In A Christmas Story, what does Ralphie want for Christmas?
Answer: An official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle.
Question: What’s the name of the villain in The Nightmare Before Christmas?
Answer: Oogie Boogie.
Question: In The Nightmare Before Christmas, what’s the name of Jack’s ghost dog?
Answer: Zero.
Question: What is Ralphie’s little brother’s name in A Christmas Story?
Answer: Randy.
Question: What’s Scott Calvin’s job at the beginning of The Santa Clause?
Answer: An advertising executive.
Question: In National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, what does Clark forget to bring when the family goes to cut a Christmas tree?
Answer: A saw.
Question: What’s the opening song in A Charlie Brown Christmas?
Answer: Christmas Time is Here.
Question: Who played the Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)?
Answer: Jim Carrey.
Question: What was Mr. Scrooge’s first name?
Answer: Ebenezer.
Question: How many roles did Tom Hanks play in The Polar Express?
Answer: Six.
Christmas traditions trivia
Question: What’s the official drink of Christmas?
Answer: Eggnog.
Question: What are three other names for Santa Claus?
Answer: Saint Nicholas, Kris Kringle, and Pelznickel.
Question: What are the three traditional colors of Christmas?
Answer: Red, green, and gold.
Question: Who came up with The Elf on the Shelf?
Answer: Carol Aebersold.
Question: Who is the Austrian beast that punishes children for being naughty at Christmas time?
Answer: Krampus.
Question: What’s the name of the tradition celebrated nine days before Christmas for kids in Mexico?
Answer: Las Posadas.
Question: What do Swedish kids leave out for Santa?
Answer: Coffee
Question: What do you give a naughty child for Christmas?
Answer: A stocking filled with a lump of coal.
Question: How often does Santa check his list?
Answer: Twice.
Question: Which country is known for eating KFC chicken on Christmas?
Answer: Japan.
Question: Which country is known for the 42.6 feet tall Gävle Goat?
Answer: Sweden.
Question: What alcoholic beverage is added to eggnog?
Answer: Rum
Question: Which green and red plant is popular at Christmas?
Answer: Pointsettia.
Question: What do Danish kids leave out for elves?
Answer: Rice pudding.
Question: What are you supposed to do if you find yourself under the mistletoe?
Answer: Kiss.
Question: In what country do people eat a “Wigilia supper” at Christmas?
Answer: Poland.
Question: What is the traditional tree-topper for a Christmas tree?
Answer: An angel.
Religious Christmas trivia
Question: Which two books of the Bible talk about the birth of Jesus Christ?
Answer: Matthew and Luke.
Question: In what city was Jesus born?
Answer: Bethlehem.
Question: What does Immanuel mean?
Answer: God with us.
Question: What were the gifts from the wise men?
Answer: Gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Question: Which angel told Mary she would give birth to Jesus?
Answer: Gabriel.
Question: Who tried to kill baby Jesus?
Answer: King Herod.
Question: Why did Joseph and Mary stay at the inn?
Answer: There was no room.
Question: Who spread the news about Jesus’ birth?
Answer: Shepherds.
Question: What does Noel mean?
Answer: Birth.
Question: Which prophet foretold the birth of Jesus Christ?
Answer: Isaiah.
Question: How many days after Jesus’ birth did the wise men (Magi) arrive?
Answer: 12.
Question: Which direction did the wise men go?
Answer: They went westward.
Question: Which Roman emperor was ruling at the time of Jesus Christ’s birth?
Answer: Caesar Augustus.
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Featured image by David Em/Box of Puns.