67 Holiday Trivia Questions To Spice Up Your Seasonal Soirées That Will Get All Of Your Party Guests Talking
Ready to jingle your brain-bells? Whether you’re hosting a lively party, looking to spice up a family gathering, or want to warm up the office party with some friendly competition, we’ve got you covered with a sleigh-full of holiday trivia questions. From timeless holiday music and classic movies to fascinating international traditions and history, there’s no shortage of cheer in this list of 67 mind-bending questions.
These trivia questions are designed to bring out the laughter, spark debate, and maybe even teach you something about the holiday season. With answers given alongside each question, this list is perfect for holiday hosts who want to keep things simple.
Grab your favorite mug of cocoa, a festive cocktail, or whatever cozy drink gets you in the holiday spirit, and dive into these fun, festive questions. Whether you’re playing with family, friends, or colleagues, this round of trivia is sure to make everyone feel a little more merry and bright. Let the holiday fun begin!
1. Bing Crosby sang the song, “White Christmas,” in two movies prior to making the movie White Christmas (1954). Name one of those two movies featuring that song.
2. What country does the Christmas tree tradition supposedly originate from?
3. What movie is this quote from: ““If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that love actually is all around”?
Love Actually (2003)
4. What color do people in Brazil traditionally wear on New Year’s Eve for good luck?
White
5. Which musical group/artist has the best selling holiday album of all time?
6. What’s the best-selling Christmas movie of all time?
The Grinch (2018)
7. What holiday game popular for families with young kids was invented in the 21st Century?
8. What city were the McCallisters going to for a holiday vacation in Home Alone (1990)?
Paris, France
9. How many Muppets Christmas movies are there (not including TV specials)?
Three: The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), The Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa (2008), and A Muppets Christmas: The Movie (2011).
10. What kind of car does Eartha Kitt request Santa give her in the song “Santa Baby”?
11. What beverage company played a significant role in designing Santa’s colorful Christmas attire?
Coca-Cola
12. In what year did the NHL debut its Winter Classic, an outdoor game played on New Year’s Day?
2008
13. What is a Bûche de Noël?
14. How many letters does The New York Post Office mail to Santa annually?
According to Smithsonian Magazine, 500,000 letters every year.
15. Fill in the blank: Chocolate _____ are commonly given to children during Hanukkah.
Coins aka Gelt
16. Which comedian famously performed “The Chanukah Song” on Saturday Night Live in 1994?
Adam Sandler
17. What year was Mariah Carey’s iconic Christmas Song, “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” released?
18. Who wrote the original How The Grinch Stole Christmas book?
Dr. Seuss
19. In the movie Elf (2003), what was Buddy the Elf’s dad’s name?
Walter
20. In what modern-day country was Saint Nicholas born?
21. What is the traditional sweet bread commonly eaten during the holiday season in Itally called?
Panettone
22. How many candles are on a menorah?
9 candles — one for each night of Hannukah and one for the shamash or helper candle
23. In what year did the first Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop happen?
1907
24. In Spain, what do people traditionally eat at each of the 12 clock chimes leading up to midnight?
Grapes
25. During the Christmas Truce of 1914, a temporary cease-fire along the western front during WWI, what activity did soldiers from opposing sides famously engage in together in no-man’s-land?
26. Which English landmark attracts visitors during the holidays for its perfect alignment with the sunset on the Winter Solstice?
Stonehenge
27. True or false: Christmas lights can be seen from space?
True! NASA has released images and videos of Christmas lights that can be seen from space.
28. What is the name of the round jelly doughnuts served at Hanukkah?
Sufganiyot
29. What material were the first artificial Christmas trees made out of?
Feathers
30. What NBA player has appeared in the most Christmas Day games in league history?
31. Fill in the blank: Yule logs are often associated with the holiday season because in ancient _____ customs, a large log was burned in a hearth for 12 days during the Winter Solstice to bring prosperity and ward off evil spirits.
Norse, early Germanic or Scandavian
32. In what year was Kwanzaa celebrated for the first time?
1966
33. Which 19th Century President declared Christmas a national holiday?
President Ulysses S. Grant
34. The species known as “Reindeer” are also known as what in North America?
Caribou
35. What ancient civilization is credited with celebrating the first New Year’s over 4,000 years ago?
The Babylonians
36. Which sport features the traditional Boxing Day Test match, an iconic event in Australia and New Zealand?
37. How many ghosts appear to Ebeneezer Scrooge in Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol (1843)?
4
38. What is the name of the Grinch’s dog in Dr. Suess’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas?
Maxc
39. This southern dish swells as it cooks, symbolizes prosperity, and is commonly served at New Year’s Eve celebrations in the U.S. What is it?
Black-eyed peas
40. How many blessings are said on the first night of Hannukah?
41. What Christmas movie doubles as a Halloween flick?
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
42. How many gifts in total were given in “The Twelve Days of Christmas” song?
364
43. Which famous bowl game is played on New Year’s Day and is nicknamed “The Granddaddy of Them All”?
The Rose Bowl
44. Name at least two gifts the wise men brought baby Jesus according to Christian tradition.
45. How many natural Christmas trees are sold in the US each year?
Approximately 25–30 million
46. True or False: “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was a creation of the department store Montgomery Ward.
True. Rudolph was created in 1939 by Robert L. May as part of a holiday promotion for Montgomery Ward.
47. What country is credited with starting the tradition of exchanging gifts for Christmas
Italy (linked to the Roman festival of Saturnalia)
48. Who wrote the story The Nutcracker that inspired Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet?
E.T.A Hoffman
49. What U.S. state was the first to recognize New Year’s as a public holiday?
Alabama in 1836
50. On Saint Lucia Day, which country celebrates the tradition of a girl dressed as Saint Lucia wearing a crown of candles on her head?
51. What band composed and performed the iconic music in A Charlie Brown Christmas?
Vince Guaraldi Trio
52. How many holiday-themed movies does the Hallmark Channel plan to premiere in 2024?
24
53. Oseibo (お歳暮) is a Japanese gift exchange tradition marking the end of the year in which people give gifts to whom?
54. In Season 2 of The Office (2005), what gift does Jim get Pam for Secret Santa?
A blue teapot full of cute little things to remind her of their inside jokes.
55. According to Buddy in Elf, what is “the best way to spread Christmas cheer”?
56. What is the day after Christmas, December 26th, called in the United Kingdom and several other countries?
Boxing Day
57. Which NBA team famously plays a game every Christmas Day, holding the record for the most Christmas Day wins?
58. Which actor plays multiple roles in The Polar Express?
Tom Hanks
59. What Mean Girls actress has been dubbed the “‘Queen of Hallmark Christmas Movies”?
Lacey Chabert
60. What are traditional candy canes shaped to represent?
61. What British royal is thought to have popularized Christmas trees in the United Kingdom?
Prince Albert
62. What fruit is often given to loved ones on Christmas Eve in China?
63. Which European country does Queen Latifah’s character, Georgia, travel to in The Last Holiday (2006)?
The Czech Republic
64. What is Hannukah also known as?
“The Festival of Lights” or “The Festival of Dedication”
65. Which country does the tradition of breaking crockery like dishes, plates, and glasses on neighbors’ doorsteps belong to?
Denmark
66. What is the title of the iconic New Year’s Eve romantic comedy starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan?
67. According to a national poll by LPSOS, what percentage of U.S. adults believe in Santa Claus?
21% of the respondents said that they believed in Santa Claus.
