84 Jolly Christmas Trivia Questions To Keep You Busier Than An Elf

There are so many truly wonderful ways to fill up your holiday. Whether you’re social distancing or heading out to see family, you’re bound to have time to kill between eating and opening presents. So, how do you fill that time? You could play some spirited Christmas games or tell some Christmas jokes. There are kid-friendly snow jokes and some truly naughty Christmas jokes out there, too. Plus, don’t forget how much time and energy you’ll spend moving around that dumb Elf on the Shelf each night. If, however, you find yourself with a lull in your Christmasing, we have the answer: Christmas trivia.

Below you’ll find a ton of great holiday-themed Christmas trivia questions. But, if you want to make things more diverse, you could also include other kinds of trivia. Test your nerdy kid’s Harry Potter knowledge. Or check your cousins on their knowledge of The Office and How I Met Your Mother. Think you’re a Disney fan? These Disney trivia questions might have you second-guessing yourself.

Christmas Trivia Even Kris Kringle Would Approve Of

2. How do you say Merry Christmas in Hawaiian?

Mele Kalikimaka.

1. Which country started the tradition of putting up a Christmas tree?

Germany.

1. What would you be drinking if you had ‘Glühwein?’

Mulled wine.

1. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer started off as a marketing gimmick for what store?

Montgomery Ward.

1. What is the best-selling Christmas song ever?

“White Christmas” by Bing Crosby.

1. In Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol,” what was Mr. Scrooge’s first name?

Ebenezer.

1. As the clock chimes midnight to ring in the New Year, a Spanish tradition involves eating twelve of what – one for each chime?

Grapes.

1. What’s the most popular kind of tree to use for a Christmas tree?

A Nordmann Fir.

1. In the song “Frosty the Snowman,” what made Frosty come to life?

An old silk hat.

1. According to legend, what holiday goodies were shaped to resemble a shepherd’s staff, as a way to remind children of the shepherds who visited baby Jesus?

Candy canes.

1. How many ghosts are there in A Christmas Carol?

Four.

1. Which president had his own special recipe for eggnog?

George Washington.

1. What sparks roughly 100 accidental fires each holiday season?

Dried-out Christmas trees.

1. In the song “Winter Wonderland,” what do we call the snowman?

Parson Brown.

1. What Christmas beverage is also known as “milk punch”?

Eggnog.

1. Who helped Rudolph after he left the North Pole?

Hermey the Elf and Yukon Cornelius.

1. What country has the tradition of filling children’s clogs with candy and treats on December 5?

The Netherlands.

1. What figure from English folklore came to be associated with Santa Claus?

Father Christmas.

1. What alcohol is used to “spike” eggnog?

Rum.

1. How long does it take for a tree to reach the average, ideal “Christmas tree” height?

15 years.

1. What do people traditionally put on top of a Christmas tree?

An angel.

1. What traditional Christmas decoration is actually a parasitic plant?

Mistletoe.

1. Who invented electric Christmas lights?

Thomas Edison in 1880.

1. What does Santa say at the end of A Visit from St. Nicholas book?

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

1. How many gifts in total were given in “The Twelve Days of Christmas” song?

364.

1. What well-known Christmas carol became the first song ever broadcast from space in 1965?

“Jingle Bells.”

1. Which real-life person is Santa Claus based on?

The Christian bishop St. Nicholas.

1. What Christmas decoration was originally made from strands of silver?

Tinsel.

1. Three of Santa’s reindeer’s names begin with the letter “D.” What are those names?

Dancer, Dasher, and Donner.

1. The red and white costume of Santa was allegedly first introduced by which drink manufacturer?

Coca-Cola.

1. What popular Christmas song was actually written for Thanksgiving?

“Jingle Bells.”

1. According to the folklore of Austria and other countries, what horned figure punishes naughty children at Christmastime?

Krampus.

1. What is the most recorded Christmas song of all time?

“Silent Night.”

1. What Christmas-themed ballet premiered in Saint Petersburg, Russia in 1892?

The Nutcracker.

1. What three words best describe the Grinch?

Stink, stank, stunk.

1. In which direction should you stir mincemeat for good luck?

Clockwise.

1. Elvis isn’t going to have a white Christmas he’s going to have a Christmas of what color?

Blue Christmas.

1. Which popular holiday plant is known to be an aphrodisiac?

Mistletoe.

1. Which spirit is traditionally added to butter and served with Christmas pudding?

Brandy.

1. “And on every street corner, you hear,” what?

Silver bells.

1. When gold was dropped down the chimney of the home of three poor sisters, it created what Christmas tradition?

Stockings by the fireplace! (The gold was dropped down to help the sisters fulfill their dowry.)

1. What did the other reindeer not let Rudolph do because of his shiny red nose?

Join in any reindeer games.

1. Where was baby Jesus born?

In Bethlehem.

1. Stollen is the traditional fruit cake of which country?

Germany.

1. What would you stick into an onion when following a traditional bread sauce recipe?

Cloves.

1. What are the most common sides for Christmas dinner?

Green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, baked ham.

1. What is the significance of a Yule Log?

The popular cake symbolizes the log you should burn on Christmas Eve. If the log goes out before the morning, it is believed you will face bad luck in the new year.

1. When was the first Christmas card sent?

In 1843. It was designed by John Horsley.

1. Which U.S. state was the first to declare Christmas an official holiday?

Oklahoma.

1. Which country has a tradition of a witch dropping gifts for children through the chimney at Christmas?

Italy.

1. The modern Santa Claus is mainly a mix of what two figures?

Saint Nicholas (Sinterklaas in dutch) and Father Christmas, also Odin is an acceptable answer as well.

1. What entrepreneur was the first person to dress up as Santa in his department store and started the tradition of department store/mall Santas?

James Edgar.

1. Who did the German Nazi Regime replace Santa Claus/St. Nick with?

Odin.

1. In what decade did NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command, formerly CONAD) start tracking Santa on Christmas Eve?

The 1950’s (specifically 1955).

1. In the song “Twelve Days of Christmas,” what is given on the 7th day?

Swans a-swimming.

1. What political cartoonist is largely responsible for defining what the modern Santa Claus looks like?

Thomas Nast.

1. What was the original title for The Little Drummer Boy?

Carol of the Drum.

1. How many Americans buy artificial Christmas trees?

More than 80 percent, according to the American Christmas Tree Association.

1. Who came up with the Elf on the Shelf game?

Carol Aebersold and her daughters, Chanda Bell and Christa Pitts.

1. How many Americans celebrate Christmas?

Nine in 10 Americans, according to a 2017 Pew Research Center survey.

1. How much do Americans spend on holiday shopping?

Americans spend an average of $942 per person on holiday gifts.

Christmas Movie Trivia Questions

1. How many lights were on the Griswold’s house in Christmas Vacation?

25,000.

1. Finish this line from How the Grinch Stole Christmas: “It came without packages, boxes or ______.”

Bags.

1. In A Christmas Story, what gift does Ralphie receive from his aunt?

A pink bunny suit.

1. Finally, finish this iconic line from It’s a Wonderful Life: “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his _____.”

Wings.

1. Who tries to stop Christmas from coming, by stealing all things of Christmas from “the Who’s”?

The Grinch.

1. How many reindeer were in the story Twas the Night Before Christmas?

Eight. Rudolph wasn’t in the story.

1. What bad guy did Rudolph have to avoid?

The Abominable Snowman.

1. Why couldn’t Ralphie have a BB gun in A Christmas Story?

“You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!”

1. Which scene in White Christmas wasn’t originally slated to be in the film?

Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye singing “Sisters.”

1. What’s the highest-grossing Christmas movie of all time?

Home Alone.

1. What is Ralphie’s little brother’s name in the movie A Christmas Story?

Randy.

1. What is the name of George Bailey’s guardian angel in It’s A Wonderful Life?

Clarence Odbody.

1. In order to get enough frames to make the entire Nightmare Before Christmas film, how many frames were needed?

110,000 (that’s 24 frames per second).

1. What’s the name of the main villain in The Nightmare Before Christmas?

Oogie Boogie.

1. Which famous choreographer went uncredited on White Christmas?

Bob Fosse.

1. In the movie Elf, what was the first rule of The Code of Elves?

Treat every day like Christmas.

1. Who played George Bailey in the Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life?

Jimmy Stewart.

1. Miracle on 34th Street centers on what real-life department store?

Macy’s.

Fun Christmas Facts for the Whole Fam-Bam

Christmas is a joyous and fun-filled holiday filled with laughter. But there are also a bunch of interesting facts about this winter celebration that will make cool tidbits to pull out at Christmas parties or teach your kids. We’ve traveled all around the world wide web, in true Santa fashion, to bring you the gift of knowledge. (You’re welcome!)

• Using evergreens to mark the winter solstice is a tradition dating back to ancient Egyptians.
• Love the beauty and glitter of a Christmas tree every holiday season? Well, the person responsible for popularizing the tradition was Prince Albert back in the 1840s. A prince of German descent, he introduced the concept of the Christmas tree to his young wife Queen Victoria of England. The concept became popular nearly overnight.
• Famed illustrator Haddon Sundblom was the artist behind the Coca-Cola advertisements that created the modern image of the jolly and plump Santa Clause. But did you know he also painted the Quaker Oats man?
• The Puritans outlawed the celebration of Christmas between 1659 and 1681.
• Although we use Xmas as a way of removing the religious tone from the winter holiday, it actually still means Christmas. Turns out, people have been saying Xmas since 16th century Greece. Since Christ starts with the letter X in Greek, Xmas means Christmas.