Think you know everything about the holidays? Let's find out.
Can you guess which song tops Billboard's list of best holiday songs ever? Okay, that's an easy one: It's Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You."
Try this: What magical item is responsible for bringing Frosty the Snowman to life? If you guessed "a hat," then, ding, you're correct!
Let's raise the stakes, shall we? What's the significance of the moose-shaped mugs Clark Griswold and Cousin Eddie drink from in the movie "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation?"
If you know the answer, then go straight to the head of the class, because your Christmas movie trivia knowledge is très bien. Speaking of France: Which French city are the Mcallisters visiting when they forget poor Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) in "Home Alone?"
We'd tell you the answers to those Christmas trivia questions, but what would be the fun in that? Instead, we'll let you find out on your own and perhaps learn a thing or two you didn't already know in this comprehensive list of all things holiday.
Whether you're a Christmas genius or just an armchair "Jeopardy" champ, these spirited trivia questions and answers will surely test your holiday IQ.
From Christmas movie trivia about holiday favorites like "A Christmas Story" and "Elf" to fun facts on candy canes, Christmas trees, Santa Claus and pretty much everything else associated with December 25, we've got it right here.
So get ready to ho, ho, howl in delight with this merry collection of trivia questions that'll have you fa, la, la-ing right into the new year.
- Question: Elmo Shropshire wrote what comedy song about a fateful Christmas accident caused by too much eggnog? Answer: "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer"
- Question: Should you meet another person beneath this plant, the rule is you must kiss. What is it? Answer: Mistletoe
- Question: What is the name of the traditional warm holiday beverage that's made from mulled wine or cider, orange, cinnamon and other spices? Answer: Wassail
- Question: According to Hallmark, approximately how many Christmas cards are sent annually? Answer: 1.3 billion
- Question: How long is the average growing time for a Christmas tree? Answer: Seven years
- Question: In what year did "A Charlie Brown Christmas" first air? Answer: 1965
- Question: According to candy manufacturer, Spangler, how many candy canes do they produce in a single day? Answer: 2.7 million
- Question: In the movie "Miracle on 34th Street," what does Susan Walker (Natalie Wood) ask Kris Kringle to give her for Christmas? Answer: A house
- Question: What actor plays Walter, Buddy's (Will Ferrell) biological father in the movie "Elf? Answer: James Caan
- Question: True or false: There's a real place called the North Pole? Answer: True. The city of North Pole is located in Alaska and boasts a population of around 2,300 citizens.
- Question: What U.S. state is home to the town of Santa Claus? Answer: Indiana
- Question: What’s the name of the satan-like creature in mythology that scares and punishes naughty children during the holiday season? Answer: Krampus
- Question: In total, how many gifts were given in the "Twelve Days of Christmas"? Answer: 364
- Question: Which Christmas song is among Americans' most disliked, according to a 2020 YouGov survey? Answer: "Santa Baby"
- Question: What is the Hawaiian word for Santa Claus? Answer: Kanakaloka
- Question: Where does the name "Kris Kringle" come from? Answer: According to Merriam-Webster, it's spelled "Kriss Kringle" and is a modification of the German word "Christkindl" or Christ child.
- Question: When was the first known use of Kriss Kringle Answer: 1830
- Question: When did eggnog originate? Answer: According to PBS, the creamy drink dates back to British medieval times and was first known as "posset."
- Question: What's posset? Answer: The Museum of the American Revolution says that posset is "milk mixed with an alcohol — typically ale, wine or brandy — that is sweetened and spiced and served hot."
- Question: What brings Frosty the Snowman to life? Answer: A magical hat
- Question: True or False: Eggnog is America's least favorite winter beverage. Answer: False. According to YouGov, it's America's second favorite, right behind hot chocolate.
- Question: Which winter beverage do Americans like the least, according to that same YouGov survey? Answer: Mead
- Question: What is thought to be the first observation of the December 25 holiday? Answer: The Christian church in Rome commemorated the Feast of the Nativity in 336.
- Question: When did Christmas become a national holiday?Answer: On June 24, 1870, President Ulysses S. Grant signed a proclamation declaring December 25 a national holiday.
- Question: What was the original name of Clement Clarke Moore’s "The Night Before Christmas"? Answer: “A Visit from St. Nicholas”
- Question: Which city in France are the McCallisters visiting when they forget their 8-year-old son, Kevin, in "Home Alone"? Answer: Paris
- Question: Where did "Old Saint Nick" come from? Answer: During the Middle Ages, St. Nicholas was a patron saint of children, sailors and thieves (among others), and is known for giving out gifts to the faithful.
- Question: Where did the first modern-day image of Santa Claus come from? Answer: An 1881 issue of "Harper's Weekly" featured a drawing by Thomas Nast that portrayed Santa as a jolly, robust man wearing a suit and carrying a bag of toys.
- Question: Which soda manufacturer is thought to have cemented the rosy-cheeked, bearded Santa Claus that is associated with Christmas today? Answer: In 1931, Coca-Cola commissioned illustrator Haddon Sundblom to paint an image of Santa for their ads and it has since been the basis for the Santa Claus we know today.
- Question: What did Haddon Sundblom base his rendering of Santa Claus on? Answer: Clement Clarke Moore’s “A Visit from St. Nicolas,” otherwise known as “The Night Before Christmas.”
- Question: How many reindeer does Santa have? Answer: Eight: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen.
- Question: When did Rudolph become Santa’s unofficial ninth reindeer? Answer: In 1939, when the song “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was released.
- Question: When did Santa first become associated with reindeer? Answer: Santa’s reindeer are thought to have originated in an 1821 booklet written by an anonymous author who pens: “Old Santeclaus with much delight / His reindeer drives this frosty night.”
- Question: Are Santa’s reindeer male or female? Answer: Female. Male reindeer lose their antlers in November, while female reindeer keep their antlers through the winter. Most depictions of Santa’s reindeer show antlers, which means they must be female to guide his sleigh in December.
- Question: Why do reindeer have hairy hooves? Answer: The hair on their hooves give reindeer a good grip when walking on ice and snow, per the FDA.
- Question: What’s the origin of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?” Answer: In 1939, a copywriter named Robert May created the character for a Montgomery Ward Christmas coloring book based on his daughter’s love of deer.
- Question: How did “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” become a song? Answer: Inspired by coloring book character's success, Robert May's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, penned the song in 1939.
- Question: True or false: Gene Autry didn’t want to record “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Answer: True. Autry thought the song was bad for his image and his wife ultimately convinced him to record the song as a B-side, according to the New York Times.
- Question: What’s the best-selling Christmas single of all time?Answer: “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby has sold over 100 million records around the world, according to the Guinness World Records.
- Question: Which song tops Billboard's list of the 100 greatest holiday songs of all time? Answer: “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey
- Question: Which album tops Billboard's list of the top 100 holiday albums of all time? Answer: “A Charlie Brown Christmas" by the Vince Guaraldi Trio
- Question: After “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” what are Billboard's five greatest holiday songs of all time (in order)?Answer: “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms, “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)" by Nat King Cole, “A Holly Jolly Christmas” by Burl Ives, “Feliz Navidad” by Jose Feliciano and “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” by Andy Williams
- Question: Where is the real North Pole located? Answer: The geographic North Pole is at 90 degrees north latitude, making it the northernmost point on the planet.
- Question: True or false: The North Pole has no time zone. Answer: True. All longitudinal lines start at the North Pole, which means there’s no time zone.
- Question: When was the first mass-produced Christmas card printed and sent? Answer: The first Christmas card was printed in the United Kingdom in 1843 and depicts a family celebrating Christmas.
- Question: Who invented Christmas lights? Answer: Thomas Edison created the first strand of electric lights in 1880. Edward H. Johnson put the first string of Christmas lights together in 1882. And, in 1917, Albert Sadacca proposed that his family’s lighting company sell colored strands of inexpensive Christmas lights to the public.
- Question: When was the first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree erected? Answer: In December of 1931, workers at Rockefeller Center pooled their money to buy a Christmas tree. It was a 20-foot balsam fir.
- Question: When did lighting the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree become an annual tradition? Answer: December 1933
- Question: When did the Rockefeller Center skating rink open?Answer: 1936
- Question: What’s the largest tree in Rockefeller Center’s history?Answer: In 1999, The tallest tree, which was imported from Killingworth, Connecticut, stood 100 feet tall.
- Question: Which actor won an Oscar for their portrayal of Santa Claus? Answer: Edmund Gwenn won best supporting actor for his role as Santa Claus in “Miracle on 34th Street.”
- Question: What’s unique about the McCallister's house in “Home Alone”? Answer: Nearly all the rooms are decorated in red, green and gold.
- Question: Where was the movie “Home Alone” filmed? Answer: The bulk of the film was shot on sets built inside a Chicago high school.
- Question: True or false: The gangster movie that Kevin McCallister watches in “Home Alone” is a real film. Answer: False. “Angels With Filthy Souls” was created especially for “Home Alone,” but is based on the 1938 James Cagney movie, “Angels With Dirty Faces.”
- Question: Which actor broke their finger while filming “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation"? Answer: While filming the scene where Clark Griswold punches the outside Christmas decorations after he can’t get the lights to work, actor Chevy Chase broke his pinky finger but continued filming the scene that appears in the final movie.
- Question: What's the significance of the moose glasses that Clark Griswold and Cousin Eddie drink eggnog out of during “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation?” Answer: The moose glasses are from Walley World, the Griswold vacation destination from the original “National Lampoon's Vacation."
- Question: Which classic Christmas movie inspired “The Wonder Years?” Answer: “A Christmas Story”
- Question: Why do we leave milk and cookies out for Santa on Christmas Eve? Answer: According to NPR, one of the first literary references to leaving out milk and cookies on Christmas is in a short story from the 1870s, a time when good manners dictated hosts put out food for visiting guests to eat.
- Question: How much does the average consumer spend on holiday gifts and other related purchases? Answer: In 2021, the National Retail Federation estimated that consumers would spend roughly $997.73 on holiday gifts, decorations and other items.
- Question: What percentage of people return at least one of their holiday gifts? Answer: At least 66% of consumers surveyed by Optoro returned at least one holiday gift in 2020.
- Question: In 2021, what percentage of U.S. adults intended to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa? Answer: According to the National Retail Federation, 90% of adults planned to celebrate the holidays.
- Question: True or false: Early holiday shopping (defined as prior to November) is on the decline. Answer: False. Half of holiday shoppers plan to start buying before November, the highest number in the National Retail Federation's survey’s history.
- Question: True or false: The Puritans canceled Christmas. Answer: True. The English Puritans banned the holiday in 1647 because they viewed it as a pagan celebration. In Massachusetts, the U.S. Puritans followed suit. From 1659 to 1681, anyone caught celebrating the holiday was fined.
- Question: Where’s the biggest Christmas light display in North America? Answer: Christmas Town at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia. The display boasts more than ten million Christmas lights.
- Question: Which state produces the most Christmas trees in the U.S.? Answer: According to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, Oregon is the top tree-producing state, followed by North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
- Question: What’s the most popular type of Christmas tree?Answer: Fraser fir, followed by noble fir, Douglas fir, balsam fir and Scotch pine.
- Question: How many Christmas tree seedlings are planted each year? Answer: 60 to 70 million
- Question: True or false: You should add bleach, aspirin or fertilizer to Christmas trees to make them last longer. Answer: False. The National Christmas Tree Association says some commercial additives and other hacks can increase needle loss. Just use plain tap water instead.
- Question: How much should you cut off before putting a tree in a stand? Answer: Half an inch, per the National Christmas Tree Association.
- Question: How many real Christmas trees are sold in the U.S. each year? Answer: Approximately 25-30 million
- Question: What is the most popular Christmas cookie in the U.S.?Answer: A YouGov poll found that chocolate chip cookies are the most popular Christmas cookie, followed by sugar, fudge and brownie cookies.
- Question: What’s the least popular Christmas cookie? Answer: The same YouGov poll found that anise cookies are the least popular come Christmas, followed by chai sugar, spritz and Pfeffernüsse.
- Question: When was “A Christmas Carol” published? Answer: "A Christmas Carol" was published by Charles Dickens on December 19, 1843.
- Question: How long did it take Charles Dickens to write "A Christmas Carol"? Answer: Six weeks
- Question: How many ghosts visit Ebenezer Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol"? Answer: Technically four. The first is Scrooge's former business partner, Jacob Marley, who tells him about the three spirits that will follow.
- Question: After Jacob Marley, who are the spirits that visit Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas Eve? Answer: The spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future
- Question: Which famous author and peer of Charles Dickens wasn't a fan of "A Christmas Carol"? Answer: Mark Twain famously critiqued Dickens' work, saying "there is no heart. No feeling – is nothing but glittering frostwork."
