Christmas quiz questions with answers: 100 questions in five rounds
One hundred questions with answers in five rounds of twenty, plus how to set up the quiz and how to make it personal with a round about your own year.
A Christmas quiz is the easiest way to get Christmas drinks going. Everyone can join in, you play in teams and nobody has to stand in front of the group alone. Below are a hundred Christmas quiz questions with answers in five rounds of twenty, plus how to set up the quiz, count the points and make it personal with a round about your own year.
How to set up the Christmas quiz
- Teams of four to six. Mix them in advance, so departments are spread across teams.
- Answer sheets per round. After each round the teams swap sheets and check each other’s answers while you read out the correct answers.
- One point per correct answer. For music questions, an extra point if the team knows both the artist and the title.
- A joker round. Before the start, each team may choose one round in which the points count double.
- Time. A round of twenty questions takes about a quarter of an hour. At drinks, pick three rounds; for a quiz evening, all five.
Round 1: Christmas traditions
A gentle opening. Most teams get fifteen or more right here, and that’s exactly the idea.
- Which country does the tradition of a Christmas tree in the house come from? Answer: Germany
- What’s Father Christmas called in French? Answer: Père Noël
- On which date does Epiphany fall? Answer: 6 January
- Which country sends a big Christmas tree to Trafalgar Square in London every year? Answer: Norway
- What colour is Rudolph’s nose? Answer: Red
- How many reindeer pull Father Christmas’s sleigh, not counting Rudolph? Answer: Eight
- What’s the Christmas bread with a log of almond paste in the middle called? Answer: Kerststol (Dutch Christmas loaf)
- In which country is a bucket of KFC a Christmas tradition? Answer: Japan
- Under which plant are you allowed to kiss at Christmas? Answer: The mistletoe
- Which saint is the inspiration for both Sinterklaas and Father Christmas? Answer: Saint Nicholas
- How many little doors does an advent calendar usually have? Answer: Twenty-four
- Which country does the poinsettia, the red Christmas plant, come from? Answer: Mexico
- What’s the Swedish festival of light on 13 December called? Answer: Saint Lucia
- Who followed the star to Bethlehem, according to the Christmas story? Answer: The three wise men
- Which animal stands next to the ox in the nativity stable? Answer: The donkey
- What do English children leave out next to a glass of milk for Father Christmas? Answer: A mince pie
- What does the word advent mean? Answer: Arrival
- How many candles are there on an advent wreath? Answer: Four
- In which Finnish city is Santa Claus Village? Answer: Rovaniemi
- In which country was Silent Night first sung? Answer: Austria
Round 2: Christmas hits
Works even better if you play the first few seconds of the song for each question.
- Who sang Last Christmas? Answer: Wham!
- In which year was All I Want for Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey released? Answer: 1994
- Under what name did artists sing Do They Know It’s Christmas? in 1984? Answer: Band Aid
- Who sang Driving Home for Christmas? Answer: Chris Rea
- Who sang Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree? Answer: Brenda Lee
- Which band sang Fairytale of New York with Kirsty MacColl? Answer: The Pogues
- Which former Beatle wrote Wonderful Christmastime? Answer: Paul McCartney
- Who sang White Christmas in the film Holiday Inn? Answer: Bing Crosby
- Which English band had a Christmas hit with Merry Xmas Everybody? Answer: Slade
- Who sang Santa Tell Me from 2014? Answer: Ariana Grande
- Who made Blue Christmas famous? Answer: Elvis Presley
- Who sang Happy Xmas (War Is Over)? Answer: John Lennon and Yoko Ono
- Who sang Feliz Navidad? Answer: José Feliciano
- Which teen idol sang Mistletoe in 2011? Answer: Justin Bieber
- Who sang Step into Christmas? Answer: Elton John
- Who sang Underneath the Tree? Answer: Kelly Clarkson
- Who sang Merry Christmas Everyone in 1985? Answer: Shakin’ Stevens
- Which Canadian crooner brings It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas back into the charts every year? Answer: Michael Bublé
- Which Christmas song begins with Dashing through the snow? Answer: Jingle Bells
- Which film does the song Let It Go come from? Answer: Frozen
Round 3: Christmas films
This round sparks the most discussion at the table. Give the teams half a minute per question.
- What’s the name of the boy who’s left home alone in Home Alone? Answer: Kevin
- In which city is Home Alone 2 set? Answer: New York
- In which village do the Whos live, whose Christmas the Grinch steals? Answer: Whoville
- Which actor plays Buddy in the film Elf? Answer: Will Ferrell
- Who plays the British prime minister in Love Actually? Answer: Hugh Grant
- In which building is Die Hard set? Answer: Nakatomi Plaza
- What’s the miser in A Christmas Carol called? Answer: Ebenezer Scrooge
- How many Christmas spirits visit Scrooge, not counting his old partner? Answer: Three
- Where is the train in The Polar Express going? Answer: The North Pole
- What’s Elsa’s sister called in Frozen? Answer: Anna
- Who is the main character of The Nightmare Before Christmas? Answer: Jack Skellington
- What is Olaf in Frozen? Answer: A snowman
- What are the two burglars in Home Alone called? Answer: Harry and Marv
- Which actor becomes Father Christmas in The Santa Clause? Answer: Tim Allen
- What must you never give a Gremlin after midnight? Answer: Food
- Who plays the Grinch in the 2000 film? Answer: Jim Carrey
- What colour is the Grinch? Answer: Green
- Which Muppet plays Bob Cratchit in The Muppet Christmas Carol? Answer: Kermit the Frog
- In which film does Arnold Schwarzenegger hunt for a sold-out toy on Christmas Eve? Answer: Jingle All the Way
- Which American city does Kate Winslet go to in The Holiday? Answer: Los Angeles
Round 4: winter around the world
Geography with a winter coat on. This is where the scores differ most.
- What’s the capital of Finland? Answer: Helsinki
- Which river flows through Cologne, known for its Christmas markets? Answer: The Rhine
- Where is the Valkenburg Christmas market held? Answer: In the caves
- In which German city is the well-known Christkindlesmarkt? Answer: Nuremberg
- What’s the capital of Norway? Answer: Oslo
- In which area is Bethlehem? Answer: In the West Bank
- What’s the coldest continent? Answer: Antarctica
- On which hemisphere is it summer at Christmas? Answer: The southern hemisphere
- In which country do many people celebrate Christmas with a barbecue on the beach? Answer: Australia
- In which province is the Elfstedentocht (the Dutch Eleven Cities skating race) held? Answer: Friesland
- In which year was the last Elfstedentocht held? Answer: 1997
- What’s the capital of Iceland? Answer: Reykjavik
- What’s the highest mountain in Western Europe? Answer: Mont Blanc
- Around which date does the shortest day of the year fall? Answer: 21 December
- In which country is the ski resort Val Thorens? Answer: France
- What colour is a polar bear’s skin under its fur? Answer: Black
- In which country is Salzburg? Answer: Austria
- Which country traditionally eats salted cod, bacalhau, at Christmas? Answer: Portugal
- On which square in Enschede is there an ice rink in winter? Answer: The Oude Markt
- What’s the northernmost part of Finland, Sweden and Norway, where Father Christmas is said to live, called? Answer: Lapland
Round 5: food and drink
Finish with a round everyone knows something about. Nice when dessert has just arrived at the table.
- Which country does the bûche de Noël, the cake in the shape of a tree trunk, come from? Answer: France
- Which ingredient gives eggnog its name? Answer: Egg
- Which bird is traditionally served at Christmas in England and America? Answer: Turkey
- Which country does panettone come from? Answer: Italy
- What is marzipan made of? Answer: Almonds and sugar
- What’s inside a traditional Dutch kerstkrans (a ring-shaped Christmas pastry)? Answer: Almond paste
- What’s the German Christmas bread with icing sugar called? Answer: Stollen
- Which two colours does a candy cane have? Answer: Red and white
- Which country does Christmas pudding come from? Answer: England
- What is glühwein made from? Answer: Red wine with spices
- Which country does raclette come from? Answer: Switzerland
- Which nut do people roast over a fire in winter? Answer: The chestnut
- What’s a gingerbread man called in Dutch? Answer: Peperkoekmannetje
- Which dried fruit is found a lot in Christmas cake? Answer: Raisins
- When do the Dutch traditionally eat oliebollen (deep-fried dough balls)? Answer: On New Year’s Eve
- In which countries is Christmas called Jul? Answer: In Scandinavia
- How do you say “Prettige feestdagen” in English? Answer: Happy holidays
- Which country do pepparkakor, thin ginger biscuits, come from? Answer: Sweden
- Which spice in the Dutch speculaas spice mix looks like a small nail? Answer: Cloves
- Which fruit do English parents traditionally put at the bottom of the Christmas stocking? Answer: A mandarin or orange
A round about your own year
The round that’s best remembered is the one you can’t download anywhere. A week in advance, send round a short form with questions like: where did you go this summer, what was your first job, what’s your hidden talent. Then turn the answers into guess-who questions.
- Whose baby photo is this?
- Who once worked in a snack bar?
- Who has driven the most kilometres for work this year?
- Which colleague was first in most often?
- Who was in this photo from the team outing in March, but can’t be recognised in it?
Keep it light and ask beforehand whether anyone would rather not have something shared. The aim is for people to laugh with each other, not for anyone to feel awkward.
Do it yourself or have it done for you
With the questions above and an hour of preparation, you can put on a good Christmas quiz yourself. Most of the work is in the round about your own company and in having someone keep score, so the quizmaster can stay with the room.
If you’d like it taken care of, we come with the questions, the screen, the music and a host. On the Christmas activities page you’ll find the Christmas show with rounds about your own year. For a regular quiz night, see pub quiz at your venue, and you’ll find more questions in our 120 pub quiz questions with answers.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions do you need for a Christmas quiz?
Allow a minute per question, including checking. For a one-hour quiz, fifty questions are enough, spread over five rounds of ten. At drinks where the quiz is only part of the evening, stick to twenty to thirty questions in three rounds.
How big should the teams be?
Four to six people per team works best. Smaller and there are too many answer sheets to check, bigger and half the team doesn’t take part. Mix the teams beforehand, otherwise the departments end up sitting together again.
How do you make a Christmas quiz personal?
Add a round about your own company: who came in earliest this year, which project took longest, whose baby photo is this. That round is always the best remembered. Collect the answers a week in advance with a short form.
What are good prizes for a Christmas quiz?
A small prize for the winning team, such as a bottle or a chocolate letter per person, and a funny prize for last place. That booby prize makes sure even the bottom team stays involved to the end.
Want us to run your Christmas quiz?
We bring the questions, the screen, the music and a host, and make rounds about your own year. Tell us how big the group is and we’ll send a proposal.
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