Christmas: 48 trivia questions with sources
Christmas traditions, stories, songs, foods, public customs, and the ways the season is observed in different places.
48 questions · 23 easy, 18 medium, 7 hard · 48 with a source link
Suggested round splits
3 ways to break this category into rounds. The printed sheet keeps the whole list in one run, so split it while you plan rather than while you host.
Stories and songs
Seasonal characters, written works, music, and familiar performance traditions.
Food and gatherings
Meals, baking, gifts, decorations, and household customs.
Dates and observance
Calendars, public celebrations, religious observance, and regional practice.
All 48 questions with answers
48 carry a pinned source revision
On which date is Christmas primarily observed?
December 25Checked against:
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas?oldid=1366046623Christmas commemorates whose birth?
Jesus ChristChecked against:
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas?oldid=1366046623During which season does preparation for Christmas begin?
AdventChecked against:
A liturgical feast central to Christianity, Christmas preparation begins on the First Sunday of Advent.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas?oldid=1366046623Historically, how long does Christmastide last in the West?
twelve daysChecked against:
Advent is followed by Christmastide, which historically in the West lasts twelve days and culminates on Twelfth Night.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas?oldid=1366046623What night historically culminates Christmastide in the West?
Twelfth NightChecked against:
Advent is followed by Christmastide, which historically in the West lasts twelve days and culminates on Twelfth Night.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas?oldid=1366046623What kind of conifer is usually decorated as a Christmas tree?
an evergreen coniferChecked against:
A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer such as a spruce, pine or fir, associated with the celebration of Christmas.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_tree?oldid=1360640779Name the three conifers listed as common Christmas trees.
spruce, pine or firChecked against:
A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer such as a spruce, pine or fir, associated with the celebration of Christmas.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_tree?oldid=1360640779Can a Christmas tree be artificial according to the source?
an artificial tree of similar appearanceChecked against:
It may also be an artificial tree of similar appearance.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_tree?oldid=1360640779At what part of Christmas Eve is Santa said to bring gifts?
late evening and overnight hoursChecked against:
who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Christmas Eve.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus?oldid=1365103587Who is said to make gifts in Santa's workshop?
Christmas elvesChecked against:
Christmas elves are said to make the gifts in Santa's workshop, while flying reindeer pull his sleigh through the air.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus?oldid=1365103587What pulls Santa's sleigh through the air?
flying reindeerChecked against:
Christmas elves are said to make the gifts in Santa's workshop, while flying reindeer pull his sleigh through the air.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus?oldid=1365103587Which fourth-century bishop influenced the popular conception of Santa?
Saint NicholasChecked against:
The popular conception of Santa Claus originates from folklore traditions surrounding the 4th-century Christian Greek bishop Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of children.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus?oldid=1365103587What tradition did Dutch settlers bring to New Amsterdam?
SinterklaasChecked against:
after Dutch settlers brought the legend of Sinterklaas ("Saint Nicholas") to 17th-century New Amsterdam (present-day New York City).
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus?oldid=1365103587Which 1823 poem strengthened modern depictions of Santa?
A Visit from St. NicholasChecked against:
The 1823 American poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas", written by an anonymous author, recounts Saint Nicholas arriving at the author's home on Christmas Eve in a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus?oldid=1365103587When can a Christmas stocking be hung for Saint Nicholas to fill?
Saint Nicholas Day or Christmas EveChecked against:
is hung on Saint Nicholas Day or Christmas Eve so that Saint Nicholas (or the related figures of Santa Claus and Father Christmas) can fill it
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_stocking?oldid=1364964814What may Saint Nicholas place in a Christmas stocking?
small toys, candy, fruit, coins or other small giftsChecked against:
can fill it with small toys, candy, fruit, coins or other small gifts when he arrives.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_stocking?oldid=1364964814What are small stocking gifts often called?
stocking stuffers or stocking fillersChecked against:
These small items are often referred to as stocking stuffers or stocking fillers.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_stocking?oldid=1364964814According to Western tradition, what might a badly behaved child receive?
a piece or pile of coalChecked against:
Tradition in Western culture threatens that a child who behaves badly during the year will receive only a piece or pile of coal.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_stocking?oldid=1364964814How is the candy most associated with Christmas shaped?
cane-shapedChecked against:
A candy cane is a cane-shaped stick candy often associated with Christmastide as well as Saint Nicholas Day.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candy_cane?oldid=1361377062Which two colors form the typical candy-cane stripes?
white with red stripesChecked against:
The canes are typically white with red stripes and flavoured with peppermint, but the canes also come in a variety of other flavours and colours.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candy_cane?oldid=1361377062Peppermint is the typical flavor of which striped Christmas candy?
candy caneChecked against:
A candy cane is a cane-shaped stick candy often associated with Christmastide as well as Saint Nicholas Day.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candy_cane?oldid=1361377062Where is the poinsettia indigenous?
Mexico and Central AmericaChecked against:
Indigenous to Mexico and Central America, the poinsettia was first described by Europeans in 1834.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poinsettia?oldid=1365158900To which plant family does the poinsettia belong?
EuphorbiaceaeChecked against:
is a commercially important flowering plant species of the diverse spurge family Euphorbiaceae.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poinsettia?oldid=1365158900In what kind of holiday display is the poinsettia widely used?
Christmas floral displaysChecked against:
It is particularly well known for its red and green foliage and is widely used in Christmas floral displays.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poinsettia?oldid=1365158900Whose surname gave the poinsettia its common English name?
Joel Roberts PoinsettChecked against:
It derives its common English name from Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States minister to Mexico, who is credited with introducing the plant to the US in the 1820s.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poinsettia?oldid=1365158900Who created Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in 1939?
Robert L. MayChecked against:
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer created in 1939 by Robert L. May.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolph_the_Red-Nosed_Reindeer?oldid=1359550617Rudolph is usually depicted as which member of Santa's reindeer?
the ninth and youngestChecked against:
Rudolph is usually depicted as the ninth and youngest of Santa Claus's reindeer, using his luminous red nose to guide the reindeer team as the leader of Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolph_the_Red-Nosed_Reindeer?oldid=1359550617What feature lets Rudolph guide the reindeer team?
luminous red noseChecked against:
Rudolph is usually depicted as the ninth and youngest of Santa Claus's reindeer, using his luminous red nose to guide the reindeer team as the leader of Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolph_the_Red-Nosed_Reindeer?oldid=1359550617Who wrote the novella A Christmas Carol?
Charles DickensChecked against:
A Christmas Carol, is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol?oldid=1359601371In what year was A Christmas Carol first published?
1843Checked against:
A Christmas Carol, is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol?oldid=1359601371Which miser is the central character of A Christmas Carol?
Ebenezer ScroogeChecked against:
It recounts the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol?oldid=1359601371What is the name of Scrooge's former business partner?
Jacob MarleyChecked against:
It recounts the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol?oldid=1359601371How does Scrooge change by the end of the novella?
a kinder, gentler manChecked against:
In the process, Scrooge is transformed into a kinder, gentler man.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol?oldid=1359601371Who composed the ballet The Nutcracker?
Pyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyChecked against:
by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, set on Christmas Eve at the foot of a Christmas tree
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nutcracker?oldid=1360923021From what year is Tchaikovsky's two-act Nutcracker ballet?
1892Checked against:
Op. 71, is an 1892 two-act classical ballet
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nutcracker?oldid=1360923021Where is The Nutcracker set on Christmas Eve?
at the foot of a Christmas treeChecked against:
set on Christmas Eve at the foot of a Christmas tree in a child's imagination featuring a Nutcracker doll.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nutcracker?oldid=1360923021Which Dumas story supplied the ballet's plot?
The Tale of a NutcrackerChecked against:
The plot is an adaptation of Alexandre Dumas's 1844 short story The Tale of a Nutcracker, itself a retelling of E. T. A. Hoffmann's 1816 short story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nutcracker?oldid=1360923021Who composed the music for Silent Night?
Franz Xaver GruberChecked against:
composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Night?oldid=1356661611Who wrote the lyrics to Silent Night?
Joseph MohrChecked against:
composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Night?oldid=1356661611In which Austrian town was Silent Night composed?
Oberndorf bei SalzburgChecked against:
composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Night?oldid=1356661611What did UNESCO declare Silent Night in 2011?
an intangible cultural heritageChecked against:
It was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2011.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Night?oldid=1356661611Who wrote the song White Christmas?
Irving BerlinChecked against:
Written by Irving Berlin for the 1942 musical film Holiday Inn, the song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 15th Academy Awards.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Christmas_(song)?oldid=1359049579Which 1942 film introduced White Christmas?
Holiday InnChecked against:
Written by Irving Berlin for the 1942 musical film Holiday Inn, the song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 15th Academy Awards.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Christmas_(song)?oldid=1359049579What award did White Christmas win?
Academy Award for Best Original SongChecked against:
Written by Irving Berlin for the 1942 musical film Holiday Inn, the song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 15th Academy Awards.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Christmas_(song)?oldid=1359049579Who wrote Jingle Bells?
James Lord PierpontChecked against:
It was written by James Lord Pierpont.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jingle_Bells?oldid=1365209071Under what title was Jingle Bells first published?
The One Horse Open SleighChecked against:
It was published under the title "The One Horse Open Sleigh" in September 1857.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jingle_Bells?oldid=1365209071When was The One Horse Open Sleigh published?
September 1857Checked against:
It was published under the title "The One Horse Open Sleigh" in September 1857.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jingle_Bells?oldid=1365209071On what medium was Jingle Bells first recorded?
an Edison cylinderChecked against:
It was first recorded in 1889 on an Edison cylinder; this recording, believed to be the first Christmas record, is lost.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jingle_Bells?oldid=1365209071