Christmas Trivia Quiz
Rudolph, Silent Night, Jingle Bells and KFC in Japan: 15 Christmas questions for the whole table.
In the song The Twelve Days of Christmas, what gift is given on the first day?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
A partridge in a pear tree
The cumulative carol starts with a partridge in a pear tree, then adds two turtle doves, three French hens and so on up to twelve drummers drumming. The lyrics were first printed in England in 1780.
Because every gift repeats on each later day, the singer's true love hands over 364 presents in total by the twelfth day.
What is the name of the Grinch's dog in How the Grinch Stole Christmas!?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Max
Max is the Grinch's loyal dog, who is forced to wear a single antler and pull the sleigh in the 1957 Dr. Seuss book and the 1966 animated special. He stays devoted to the Grinch throughout.
Boris Karloff, best known for playing Frankenstein's monster, narrated the 1966 TV special and voiced the Grinch.
In the song Jingle Bells, what kind of sleigh are the singers dashing through the snow in?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
A one-horse open sleigh
The chorus of Jingle Bells, written by James Lord Pierpont and published in 1857, celebrates dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh.
Jingle Bells was the first song broadcast from space, played on a harmonica and bells by the Gemini 6 astronauts in December 1965.
Who plays George Bailey in the 1946 Christmas classic It's a Wonderful Life?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
James Stewart
James Stewart stars as George Bailey, the small town banker who is shown by an angel what Bedford Falls would be like if he had never been born. Frank Capra directed the film, and both called it their favourite work.
The film flopped at the box office in 1946 and only became a Christmas staple after it fell out of copyright in the 1970s and TV stations aired it for free.
Which composer wrote the ballet The Nutcracker, set on Christmas Eve?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Tchaikovsky composed The Nutcracker, which premiered in St Petersburg in December 1892. It follows young Clara, whose nutcracker gift comes to life on Christmas Eve and leads her to the Land of Sweets.
Tchaikovsky used a then new instrument called the celesta for the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, keeping it secret so rivals could not copy the sound.
In which country did the custom of decorating a Christmas tree indoors begin?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Germany
Decorated Christmas trees are first recorded in German-speaking towns such as Strasbourg and Riga in the 1500s, and the custom spread through Germany before Queen Victoria's German husband Prince Albert made it fashionable in Britain in the 1840s.
Early German trees were hung with apples, nuts and wafers rather than glass baubles, which were first made in the town of Lauscha in the 1800s.
Which of Santa's reindeer was created in 1939 for a booklet given away by the Montgomery Ward department store?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Rudolph
Copywriter Robert L. May created Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in 1939 as a free Christmas booklet for Montgomery Ward in Chicago. The other eight reindeer date from the 1823 poem A Visit from St. Nicholas.
May's brother-in-law Johnny Marks turned the story into the song that Gene Autry took to number one in 1949.
Which carol was first performed on Christmas Eve 1818 in a small church in Oberndorf, Austria?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Silent Night
Silent Night was first sung at St Nicholas church in Oberndorf on 24 December 1818, with words by the priest Joseph Mohr and a melody written that day by schoolteacher Franz Xaver Gruber, accompanied on guitar.
UNESCO added Silent Night to its list of intangible cultural heritage in 2011, and it has been translated into more than 300 languages.
Saint Nicholas, the inspiration for Santa Claus, was a bishop of Myra in which modern country?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Turkey
Nicholas was a fourth-century Christian bishop of Myra, a town in Lycia on the south coast of what is now Turkey, near present day Demre. Stories of his secret gift giving grew into the Santa Claus legend.
His relics were carried off to Bari in Italy in 1087, where they remain in a basilica that still draws pilgrims.
Which traditional Christmas sweet bread, studded with candied fruit and raisins, comes from Milan?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Panettone
Panettone is Milan's tall, dome-shaped Christmas bread, made with a slow-rising dough enriched with eggs, butter, raisins and candied citrus. Pandoro is the star-shaped rival from Verona, and stollen is Germany's fruit loaf.
A proper panettone rises for days and is hung upside down after baking so its airy dome does not collapse while it cools.
In Japan, a Christmas meal from which fast-food chain has become a national tradition since the 1970s?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
KFC
KFC Japan launched its Kentucky for Christmas campaign nationwide in 1974 after Takeshi Okawara, manager of the country's first KFC, began promoting party barrels as a festive meal. Families now order their Christmas chicken weeks in advance.
Japan has very few Christians and Christmas is not a public holiday there, which is partly why a fast-food meal could become the festive tradition.
Which country has given London the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square every year since 1947?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Norway
The city of Oslo sends a Norwegian spruce to London each year as a token of gratitude for British support during the Second World War, when Norway's king and government lived in exile in Britain.
The tree is usually around 20 metres (65 feet) tall and is decorated Norwegian style, with vertical strings of white lights.
What is the name of the nine-night Mexican celebration before Christmas that re-enacts Mary and Joseph's search for lodging?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Las Posadas
Las Posadas runs from 16 to 24 December. Each night a procession led by people dressed as Mary and Joseph goes from house to house asking for shelter, is finally welcomed in, and the evening ends with prayers, food and a piñata.
Nochebuena is the Spanish name for Christmas Eve itself, and Día de los Reyes on 6 January is when many Mexican children receive their gifts.
Which Christmas plant, native to Mexico, is named after a 19th-century American diplomat who sent cuttings home from there?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Poinsettia
Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States minister to Mexico, sent the red-leaved plant to South Carolina in the 1820s, and it took his name in English. In Mexico it is called flor de Nochebuena, the Christmas Eve flower.
The red parts of a poinsettia are not petals but coloured leaves called bracts; the real flowers are the tiny yellow buds in the centre.
Which song does Guinness World Records recognise as the best-selling single of all time?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
White Christmas
Bing Crosby's 1942 recording of Irving Berlin's White Christmas has sold an estimated 50 million copies, which Guinness World Records lists as the best-selling single ever. Counting all versions, the song has sold more than 100 million.
Berlin reportedly told his secretary it was not only the best song he had written but the best song anybody had ever written.
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All General Knowledge quizzes →About the Christmas Trivia Quiz
Christmas trivia is a holiday tradition in its own right. Did you know Rudolph was invented in 1939 for a department store giveaway, that Norway sends London a giant tree every year, or that millions of Japanese families order fried chicken for Christmas dinner?
This quiz brings together 15 questions on the songs, films, foods and customs that make the season, from The Twelve Days of Christmas and Jingle Bells to Silent Night and Las Posadas in Mexico. The first few are easy enough for the youngest cousin at the table, while the later ones will test the family know it all. Each answer comes with a short explanation and a bonus fact to share over dessert.
You will find 15 multiple choice questions here, each with four options. Difficulty: Medium. 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 the Christmas Trivia Quiz suitable for families?
Yes, the early questions are easy for children and the later ones give adults a challenge, so it works well as a Christmas Day game.
What does the quiz cover?
Carols and songs, classic Christmas films, Santa's reindeer, festive foods such as panettone, and traditions from Germany, Austria, Norway, Mexico and Japan.
Are the answers checked?
Every question is based on verified facts, with a short explanation and an extra fact so you can settle any arguments at the table.
Answer key: all 15 questions with explanations
- In the song The Twelve Days of Christmas, what gift is given on the first day?
A partridge in a pear tree The cumulative carol starts with a partridge in a pear tree, then adds two turtle doves, three French hens and so on up to twelve drummers drumming. The lyrics were first printed in England in 1780. Because every gift repeats on each later day, the singer's true love hands over 364 presents in total by the twelfth day. - What is the name of the Grinch's dog in How the Grinch Stole Christmas!?
Max Max is the Grinch's loyal dog, who is forced to wear a single antler and pull the sleigh in the 1957 Dr. Seuss book and the 1966 animated special. He stays devoted to the Grinch throughout. Boris Karloff, best known for playing Frankenstein's monster, narrated the 1966 TV special and voiced the Grinch. - In the song Jingle Bells, what kind of sleigh are the singers dashing through the snow in?
A one-horse open sleigh The chorus of Jingle Bells, written by James Lord Pierpont and published in 1857, celebrates dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh. Jingle Bells was the first song broadcast from space, played on a harmonica and bells by the Gemini 6 astronauts in December 1965. - Who plays George Bailey in the 1946 Christmas classic It's a Wonderful Life?
James Stewart James Stewart stars as George Bailey, the small town banker who is shown by an angel what Bedford Falls would be like if he had never been born. Frank Capra directed the film, and both called it their favourite work. The film flopped at the box office in 1946 and only became a Christmas staple after it fell out of copyright in the 1970s and TV stations aired it for free. - Which composer wrote the ballet The Nutcracker, set on Christmas Eve?
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Tchaikovsky composed The Nutcracker, which premiered in St Petersburg in December 1892. It follows young Clara, whose nutcracker gift comes to life on Christmas Eve and leads her to the Land of Sweets. Tchaikovsky used a then new instrument called the celesta for the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, keeping it secret so rivals could not copy the sound. - In which country did the custom of decorating a Christmas tree indoors begin?
Germany Decorated Christmas trees are first recorded in German-speaking towns such as Strasbourg and Riga in the 1500s, and the custom spread through Germany before Queen Victoria's German husband Prince Albert made it fashionable in Britain in the 1840s. Early German trees were hung with apples, nuts and wafers rather than glass baubles, which were first made in the town of Lauscha in the 1800s. - Which of Santa's reindeer was created in 1939 for a booklet given away by the Montgomery Ward department store?
Rudolph Copywriter Robert L. May created Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in 1939 as a free Christmas booklet for Montgomery Ward in Chicago. The other eight reindeer date from the 1823 poem A Visit from St. Nicholas. May's brother-in-law Johnny Marks turned the story into the song that Gene Autry took to number one in 1949. - Which carol was first performed on Christmas Eve 1818 in a small church in Oberndorf, Austria?
Silent Night Silent Night was first sung at St Nicholas church in Oberndorf on 24 December 1818, with words by the priest Joseph Mohr and a melody written that day by schoolteacher Franz Xaver Gruber, accompanied on guitar. UNESCO added Silent Night to its list of intangible cultural heritage in 2011, and it has been translated into more than 300 languages. - Saint Nicholas, the inspiration for Santa Claus, was a bishop of Myra in which modern country?
Turkey Nicholas was a fourth-century Christian bishop of Myra, a town in Lycia on the south coast of what is now Turkey, near present day Demre. Stories of his secret gift giving grew into the Santa Claus legend. His relics were carried off to Bari in Italy in 1087, where they remain in a basilica that still draws pilgrims. - Which traditional Christmas sweet bread, studded with candied fruit and raisins, comes from Milan?
Panettone Panettone is Milan's tall, dome-shaped Christmas bread, made with a slow-rising dough enriched with eggs, butter, raisins and candied citrus. Pandoro is the star-shaped rival from Verona, and stollen is Germany's fruit loaf. A proper panettone rises for days and is hung upside down after baking so its airy dome does not collapse while it cools. - In Japan, a Christmas meal from which fast-food chain has become a national tradition since the 1970s?
KFC KFC Japan launched its Kentucky for Christmas campaign nationwide in 1974 after Takeshi Okawara, manager of the country's first KFC, began promoting party barrels as a festive meal. Families now order their Christmas chicken weeks in advance. Japan has very few Christians and Christmas is not a public holiday there, which is partly why a fast-food meal could become the festive tradition. - Which country has given London the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square every year since 1947?
Norway The city of Oslo sends a Norwegian spruce to London each year as a token of gratitude for British support during the Second World War, when Norway's king and government lived in exile in Britain. The tree is usually around 20 metres (65 feet) tall and is decorated Norwegian style, with vertical strings of white lights. - What is the name of the nine-night Mexican celebration before Christmas that re-enacts Mary and Joseph's search for lodging?
Las Posadas Las Posadas runs from 16 to 24 December. Each night a procession led by people dressed as Mary and Joseph goes from house to house asking for shelter, is finally welcomed in, and the evening ends with prayers, food and a piñata. Nochebuena is the Spanish name for Christmas Eve itself, and Día de los Reyes on 6 January is when many Mexican children receive their gifts. - Which Christmas plant, native to Mexico, is named after a 19th-century American diplomat who sent cuttings home from there?
Poinsettia Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States minister to Mexico, sent the red-leaved plant to South Carolina in the 1820s, and it took his name in English. In Mexico it is called flor de Nochebuena, the Christmas Eve flower. The red parts of a poinsettia are not petals but coloured leaves called bracts; the real flowers are the tiny yellow buds in the centre. - Which song does Guinness World Records recognise as the best-selling single of all time?
White Christmas Bing Crosby's 1942 recording of Irving Berlin's White Christmas has sold an estimated 50 million copies, which Guinness World Records lists as the best-selling single ever. Counting all versions, the song has sold more than 100 million. Berlin reportedly told his secretary it was not only the best song he had written but the best song anybody had ever written.
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