Christmas Movies Quiz
Home Alone, Elf, Clarence the angel, Nakatomi Plaza and Cousin Eddie: 15 festive film questions.
What is the name of the boy accidentally left behind in Home Alone?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Kevin McCallister
Eight-year-old Kevin McCallister, played by Macaulay Culkin, is left at home when his family oversleeps and rushes to the airport for a Christmas trip to Paris.
Home Alone was the highest grossing live action comedy for over two decades and earned Culkin a reported 4.5 million dollars for the sequel.
Which actor plays Buddy the Elf in Elf?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Will Ferrell
Will Ferrell plays Buddy, a human raised by elves at the North Pole who travels to New York City to find his father. The 2003 film was directed by Jon Favreau.
Ferrell wore the yellow tights and green coat through the real streets of New York, where some passers-by assumed he was a homeless man in costume.
In It's a Wonderful Life, what is the name of George Bailey's guardian angel?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Clarence
Clarence Odbody, an angel second class, shows George Bailey what Bedford Falls would have been like if he had never been born, and finally earns his wings when a bell rings on the Christmas tree.
The film was a box office disappointment in 1946 and only became a Christmas tradition after its copyright lapsed and television stations aired it freely.
Where is the McCallister family travelling to when they leave Kevin behind in Home Alone?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Paris
The McCallisters fly to Paris for Christmas to stay with relatives, and Kevin's mother Kate spends the rest of the film desperately trying to get back to Chicago by any route she can find.
In Home Alone 2 the family heads for Miami, but Kevin boards the wrong plane and ends up alone in New York instead.
Which actor plays the Grinch in the 2000 live action film How the Grinch Stole Christmas?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey played the Grinch under layers of green prosthetics in Ron Howard's 2000 film, which became the top grossing movie of that year in the United States.
Carrey found the makeup so unbearable that a CIA operative was brought in to coach him in techniques for enduring torture.
In Love Actually, which actor plays the British Prime Minister?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Hugh Grant
Hugh Grant plays David, the newly elected Prime Minister who falls for his assistant Natalie and dances through 10 Downing Street to the Pointer Sisters.
Grant reportedly dreaded filming the dance scene and kept postponing it, which is why it was shot on the last possible day.
In Die Hard, what is the name of the Los Angeles skyscraper that John McClane fights his way through?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Nakatomi Plaza
Nakatomi Plaza is the fictional Los Angeles headquarters of the Nakatomi Corporation, where Hans Gruber and his crew take the company's Christmas party hostage while John McClane picks them off one by one.
The building is really Fox Plaza in Century City, the then-new headquarters of 20th Century Fox, which released the film in 1988.
Who voices the conductor in The Polar Express?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks voices and performs the motion capture for the conductor, as well as the hero boy's father, the hobo, Santa Claus and the narrator.
The Polar Express was the first feature film made entirely with performance capture, a technology Robert Zemeckis went on to use for Beowulf and A Christmas Carol.
In A Christmas Story, what present does Ralphie want more than anything?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
A Red Ryder BB gun
Ralphie spends the whole film campaigning for an official Red Ryder carbine-action BB gun, while every adult warns him that he will shoot his eye out.
The film is based on Jean Shepherd's stories about growing up in Indiana, and Shepherd provides the grown-up Ralphie's narration.
In Elf, what does Buddy pour over his spaghetti at breakfast?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Maple syrup
Buddy drowns his spaghetti in maple syrup, along with candy, marshmallows and chocolate, explaining that elves stick to the four main food groups of candy.
Will Ferrell ate so much sugar during filming that he later said he suffered headaches and trouble sleeping.
In Miracle on 34th Street, which department store hires Kris Kringle to play Santa?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Macy's
Kris Kringle is hired as the Santa at Macy's flagship store in Manhattan after the original parade Santa turns up drunk, and his insistence that he is the real Santa Claus leads to a famous court case.
The 1947 film's parade scenes were shot during the real Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, with Edmund Gwenn riding the Santa float.
In The Nightmare Before Christmas, what is the name of the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Jack Skellington
Jack Skellington, the skeleton Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, stumbles into Christmas Town and decides to take over the holiday himself, kidnapping Santa Claus with predictably chaotic results.
Although Tim Burton created the story and characters, the 1993 stop-motion film was directed by Henry Selick, who later made James and the Giant Peach and Coraline.
In National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, what is the name of the uninvited relative who arrives in an RV?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Cousin Eddie
Cousin Eddie, played by Randy Quaid, turns up uninvited at the Griswolds' house in a rusted motorhome with his wife Catherine, two children and a dog named Snots, and stays for the holidays.
Eddie's scene in a dressing gown, emptying the RV's sewage into the storm drain while smoking a cigar, has inspired countless parodies and Christmas lawn displays.
In Die Hard, what is the name of the villain played by Alan Rickman?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Hans Gruber
Hans Gruber is the suave German thief posing as a terrorist who seizes Nakatomi Plaza. It was Alan Rickman's first film role, taken at the age of 41.
Rickman's shocked expression during the final fall was real: the stunt team dropped him a count early to capture a genuine reaction.
Which actor plays Ebenezer Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Michael Caine
Michael Caine plays Scrooge opposite Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit in the 1992 film, and he famously decided to play it completely straight, as if the Muppets were real actors.
Patrick Stewart played Scrooge in a 1999 television film, and Bill Murray played a modern version in Scrooged, so each option has a Scrooge connection.
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All Entertainment quizzes →About the Christmas Movies Quiz
Few things divide a Christmas dinner table like the question of whether Die Hard counts as a Christmas film. Whatever side you take, the holiday canon is huge: Home Alone made nearly half a billion dollars in 1990, It's a Wonderful Life flopped in 1946 before becoming a television staple, and Elf turned Will Ferrell into a December fixture.
These 15 questions cover the films families watch every year: Home Alone, Elf, It's a Wonderful Life, Love Actually, The Grinch, Die Hard, The Polar Express, A Christmas Story, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Miracle on 34th Street, The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Muppet Christmas Carol. It is a festive round for family quiz nights and office parties.
You will find 15 multiple choice questions here, each with four options. Difficulty: Easy. Most people finish in about 6 minutes, and every answer comes with a short explanation and one extra fact worth keeping.
How to play
Read the question and pick one of the four answers. The correct answer is revealed straight away with a short explanation, then press Next question to keep going. At the end you get your score out of 15 and a full review of your round. Play again any time and the questions arrive in a fresh order. There is no timer and no account.
Good to know before you play
Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?
It is set on Christmas Eve at an office party, so many fans say yes, while its own star Bruce Willis has said no. This quiz lets you decide.
What is the best-known Christmas movie of all time?
By box office, Home Alone was the biggest for decades, while It's a Wonderful Life is the classic most often listed as the greatest Christmas film.
How hard is the Christmas Movies Quiz?
It is an easy quiz for family play, with a few trickier questions near the end about villains, actors and small details.
Answer key: all 15 questions with explanations
- What is the name of the boy accidentally left behind in Home Alone?
Kevin McCallister Eight-year-old Kevin McCallister, played by Macaulay Culkin, is left at home when his family oversleeps and rushes to the airport for a Christmas trip to Paris. Home Alone was the highest grossing live action comedy for over two decades and earned Culkin a reported 4.5 million dollars for the sequel. - Which actor plays Buddy the Elf in Elf?
Will Ferrell Will Ferrell plays Buddy, a human raised by elves at the North Pole who travels to New York City to find his father. The 2003 film was directed by Jon Favreau. Ferrell wore the yellow tights and green coat through the real streets of New York, where some passers-by assumed he was a homeless man in costume. - In It's a Wonderful Life, what is the name of George Bailey's guardian angel?
Clarence Clarence Odbody, an angel second class, shows George Bailey what Bedford Falls would have been like if he had never been born, and finally earns his wings when a bell rings on the Christmas tree. The film was a box office disappointment in 1946 and only became a Christmas tradition after its copyright lapsed and television stations aired it freely. - Where is the McCallister family travelling to when they leave Kevin behind in Home Alone?
Paris The McCallisters fly to Paris for Christmas to stay with relatives, and Kevin's mother Kate spends the rest of the film desperately trying to get back to Chicago by any route she can find. In Home Alone 2 the family heads for Miami, but Kevin boards the wrong plane and ends up alone in New York instead. - Which actor plays the Grinch in the 2000 live action film How the Grinch Stole Christmas?
Jim Carrey Jim Carrey played the Grinch under layers of green prosthetics in Ron Howard's 2000 film, which became the top grossing movie of that year in the United States. Carrey found the makeup so unbearable that a CIA operative was brought in to coach him in techniques for enduring torture. - In Love Actually, which actor plays the British Prime Minister?
Hugh Grant Hugh Grant plays David, the newly elected Prime Minister who falls for his assistant Natalie and dances through 10 Downing Street to the Pointer Sisters. Grant reportedly dreaded filming the dance scene and kept postponing it, which is why it was shot on the last possible day. - In Die Hard, what is the name of the Los Angeles skyscraper that John McClane fights his way through?
Nakatomi Plaza Nakatomi Plaza is the fictional Los Angeles headquarters of the Nakatomi Corporation, where Hans Gruber and his crew take the company's Christmas party hostage while John McClane picks them off one by one. The building is really Fox Plaza in Century City, the then-new headquarters of 20th Century Fox, which released the film in 1988. - Who voices the conductor in The Polar Express?
Tom Hanks Tom Hanks voices and performs the motion capture for the conductor, as well as the hero boy's father, the hobo, Santa Claus and the narrator. The Polar Express was the first feature film made entirely with performance capture, a technology Robert Zemeckis went on to use for Beowulf and A Christmas Carol. - In A Christmas Story, what present does Ralphie want more than anything?
A Red Ryder BB gun Ralphie spends the whole film campaigning for an official Red Ryder carbine-action BB gun, while every adult warns him that he will shoot his eye out. The film is based on Jean Shepherd's stories about growing up in Indiana, and Shepherd provides the grown-up Ralphie's narration. - In Elf, what does Buddy pour over his spaghetti at breakfast?
Maple syrup Buddy drowns his spaghetti in maple syrup, along with candy, marshmallows and chocolate, explaining that elves stick to the four main food groups of candy. Will Ferrell ate so much sugar during filming that he later said he suffered headaches and trouble sleeping. - In Miracle on 34th Street, which department store hires Kris Kringle to play Santa?
Macy's Kris Kringle is hired as the Santa at Macy's flagship store in Manhattan after the original parade Santa turns up drunk, and his insistence that he is the real Santa Claus leads to a famous court case. The 1947 film's parade scenes were shot during the real Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, with Edmund Gwenn riding the Santa float. - In The Nightmare Before Christmas, what is the name of the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town?
Jack Skellington Jack Skellington, the skeleton Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, stumbles into Christmas Town and decides to take over the holiday himself, kidnapping Santa Claus with predictably chaotic results. Although Tim Burton created the story and characters, the 1993 stop-motion film was directed by Henry Selick, who later made James and the Giant Peach and Coraline. - In National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, what is the name of the uninvited relative who arrives in an RV?
Cousin Eddie Cousin Eddie, played by Randy Quaid, turns up uninvited at the Griswolds' house in a rusted motorhome with his wife Catherine, two children and a dog named Snots, and stays for the holidays. Eddie's scene in a dressing gown, emptying the RV's sewage into the storm drain while smoking a cigar, has inspired countless parodies and Christmas lawn displays. - In Die Hard, what is the name of the villain played by Alan Rickman?
Hans Gruber Hans Gruber is the suave German thief posing as a terrorist who seizes Nakatomi Plaza. It was Alan Rickman's first film role, taken at the age of 41. Rickman's shocked expression during the final fall was real: the stunt team dropped him a count early to capture a genuine reaction. - Which actor plays Ebenezer Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol?
Michael Caine Michael Caine plays Scrooge opposite Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit in the 1992 film, and he famously decided to play it completely straight, as if the Muppets were real actors. Patrick Stewart played Scrooge in a 1999 television film, and Bill Murray played a modern version in Scrooged, so each option has a Scrooge connection.
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