Reindeer, carols, Scrooge and the Magi: 24 Christmas trivia questions with answers for classrooms, office parties and family quiz nights. The page also has the stories behind the answers and 10 bonus questions.
Christmas trivia to print (PDF)
These four pages show the printable Christmas trivia: a multiple-choice sheet, a write-in sheet, the answer key and a black-and-white sheet that saves ink. Click any picture for the PDF, or use the quiz maker below to choose the number of questions and the paper size.
How to play Christmas trivia
- Pick the options above the quiz (questions, timer) and answer each question by tapping an answer, or press 1 to 4 on a keyboard.
- A correct answer moves on by itself; a wrong one shows the right answer so you learn it.
- At the end you get your score, stars and your best score so far, plus a list of the answers to learn.
- Press Challenge a friend to send a link with exactly the same questions, or Practice the ones I missed to go again.
Christmas trivia night tips
- Play in teams: put the quiz on a TV or laptop and let each team shout its answer (or write it down).
- Set the timer to 20 seconds to keep things moving.
- Print the quiz with an answer key for a pen-and-paper round.
All 24 Christmas trivia questions and answers
- On which date is Christmas Day celebrated in most countries? 25 December
- What color is Santa Claus’s suit usually? Red and white
- How many reindeer pull Santa’s sleigh in the famous poem, not counting Rudolph? 8
- Which reindeer has a red nose? Rudolph
- Where does Santa Claus live, according to the stories? The North Pole
- In which town was Jesus born, according to the Bible? Bethlehem
- What do people often hang above a doorway to kiss under? Mistletoe
- What shape is a candy cane? A hook, like a J
- Which plant with red leaves is a popular Christmas flower? Poinsettia
- What do children leave out for Santa in many homes? Milk and cookies
- In the song, what did “my true love” send on the first day of Christmas? A partridge in a pear tree
- What do people put on top of a Christmas tree? A star or an angel
- Which country is best known for popularizing the decorated Christmas tree? Germany
- What is the day after Christmas called in the UK and Canada? Boxing Day
- In the story, which three visitors brought gifts to baby Jesus? The Wise Men (Magi)
- What are the gifts of the Magi? Gold, frankincense and myrrh
- Who wrote “A Christmas Carol”? Charles Dickens
- What is Ebenezer Scrooge’s famous phrase? Bah, humbug!
- Which snowman comes to life in a famous song? Frosty
- What is the name of the season of waiting before Christmas? Advent
- Which Christmas cake from Italy is tall and dome-shaped? Panettone
- What do people traditionally hang by the fireplace for Santa to fill? Stockings
- Which elf-like creature steals Christmas in a Dr. Seuss story? The Grinch
- What is the name of Santa’s wife in many stories? Mrs. Claus
Christmas trivia with answers: the stories behind the facts
The best Christmas trivia is made of questions with a story attached. Here are the stories behind some of the answers in the quiz, which a host can share after each round:
- Reindeer. Clement Clarke Moore’s 1823 poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” names eight reindeer: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen. Rudolph, with the red nose, joined them in 1939 in a story written by Robert L. May for a department store.
- The Christmas tree. Decorated trees were a German tradition, and they became popular in Britain after a picture of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their children around a tree was published in the 1840s.
- Poinsettia. The red flower is a Mexican plant. It is named for Joel Poinsett, a US diplomat who brought it to the United States in 1825. The red “petals” are actually colored leaves called bracts.
- Boxing Day. The day after Christmas is a public holiday in the UK, Canada and other countries. One explanation for the name is the tradition of giving boxes of gifts to servants and tradespeople.
- The three Magi. The Gospel of Matthew mentions wise men from the east and three gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. The tradition of three visitors comes from the three gifts, because the story does not give their number.
- A Christmas Carol. Charles Dickens published the story on 19 December 1843, and the cry “Bah, humbug!” belongs to Ebenezer Scrooge.
- Advent. The word comes from the Latin adventus, which means arrival, and Advent calendars count down the days from 1 December.
- Panettone. This tall, sweet bread with dried fruit comes from Milan and is eaten across Italy at Christmas.
Christmas quiz for kids: easy, medium and hard
A Christmas quiz for kids should start with questions every child can answer. We have sorted the 24 questions into three levels, so you can start with the easy ones and save the hard ones for the finals:
| Level | Questions | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | Q1, Q2, Q4, Q5, Q8, Q10, Q12, Q22, Q24 | Ages 5 to 7 and the youngest players |
| Medium | Q3, Q6, Q7, Q9, Q11, Q14, Q19, Q20, Q23 | Ages 8 to 11, and mixed family groups |
| Hard | Q13, Q15, Q16, Q17, Q18, Q21 | Teens and adults, and quiz night finals |
10 bonus Christmas trivia questions
If you need more Christmas trivia questions for a quiz night, use these ten after the 24 in the main list:
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Which Christmas song is the best-selling single of all time? | “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby |
| Who wrote the music for the ballet The Nutcracker? | Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky |
| In which year was the first commercial Christmas card sent? | 1843 |
| Which 1990 film features a boy left home alone at Christmas? | Home Alone |
| What is the name of the Grinch’s dog? | Max |
| What is Tiny Tim’s last name in A Christmas Carol? | Cratchit |
| On which date do many Orthodox churches celebrate Christmas? | 7 January |
| What is the Spanish word for Christmas? | Navidad |
| Which friendly witch brings gifts to Italian children on 6 January? | La Befana |
| Where do Dutch children leave carrots for Sinterklaas’s horse? | In their shoes |
How to run a Christmas quiz night in three rounds
- Round 1: easy (9 questions). Everyone plays Christmas trivia, and the questions warm up the room.
- Round 2: medium (9 questions). Teams confer for 15 seconds before they answer.
- Round 3: hard and bonus (6 plus 10 questions). Each right answer scores two points.
- Tie-breaker. Ask “How many days are there in the song The Twelve Days of Christmas?” and the closest team wins. The answer is 12.
For the history of the holiday, Wikipedia’s Christmas article is a good source, and for a game of luck after the quiz try Christmas tambola.
Print this Christmas trivia quiz
Make a printable version for a classroom, a quiz night or homework: choose multiple choice or write-in answers, 10 to 30 questions, and add an answer key. Download a free PDF or print straight away.
Frequently asked questions
4 quick answers
How many Christmas trivia questions are there?
24. Each game picks 10 or 20 at random, or choose All.
Can we play as teams?
Yes: show the quiz on one screen and let teams take turns, or print it for each team.
What are good Christmas trivia questions for kids?
Start with easy ones such as the date of Christmas Day, the name of the red-nosed reindeer and where Santa lives. The quiz on this page sorts the 24 questions into easy, medium and hard, so you can pick the right level for each child.
Is there a Christmas quiz for kids I can print?
Yes. Use the quiz maker above to print a Christmas quiz for kids with 10 to 24 questions, in multiple choice or write-in form, with an answer key.