Christmas Trivia Questions for Adults with Answers
December’s glitter may dim when you’re no longer writing letters to the North Pole, but the holidays still sparkle when you’ve got a roomful of friends and a stack of clever questions. Christmas trivia for adults is a chance to trade small talk for spirited debate – Was “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” released in the ’70s or the ’80s? Who first dreamed up eggnog? Suddenly, your living-room gathering feels more like a pub quiz, only with twinkling lights and the scent of cinnamon in the air.
These questions let us peek behind the tinsel at the quirky history, pop-culture footnotes, and curious customs that have kept Yuletide fresh for centuries. From obscure carol lyrics to vintage toys and surprising statistics on holiday spending, each answer tells a story – and maybe earns someone bragging rights over the fruitcake. So pour a festive drink, warm up those competitive instincts, and get ready to discover just how much (or little) everyone really knows about the season.
Let’s look at the best trivia questions for grown ups –
- In the 1988 film Die Hard, what plush toy is John McClane carrying as a gift when he lands in L.A.?
A giant stuffed teddy bear - Which Oscar-winning actor narrated the 2000 live-action How the Grinch Stole Christmas?
Anthony Hopkins - In The Holiday (2006), which online service lets Amanda and Iris arrange their house-swap?
HomeExchange.com (an internet home-exchange site) - In The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), which Muppet plays Charles Dickens as the on-screen narrator?
Gonzo - Which real New York department store is central to the 1947 classic Miracle on 34th Street?
Macy’s - In National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Cousin Eddie empties which vehicle’s waste into a storm drain?
The RV’s chemical toilet (sewage tank) - What 2004 Robert Zemeckis film centers on a magical train that appears on Christmas Eve?
The Polar Express - In the original Gremlins (1984), what gift does Billy receive that spawns chaos?
A Mogwai named Gizmo - Which 2015 horror-comedy focuses on an Alpine demon who punishes non-believers at Christmas?
Krampus - Who composed the jazz score for the TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas?
Vince Guaraldi - The 1947 film The Bishop’s Wife was remade in 1996 as what Denzel Washington movie?
The Preacher’s Wife - Which British sitcom, famed for holiday specials, ended with “Time on Our Hands” on Christmas Day 1996?
Only Fools and Horses - In Arthur Christmas (2011), what is the name of Santa’s gigantic stealth sleigh?
The S-1 - Who plays cynical TV executive Frank Cross in Scrooged (1988)?
Bill Murray - Which 1992 sequel features Kevin McCallister surviving Christmas in Manhattan?
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York - Which 1994 Mariah Carey single finally hit U.S. No. 1 in 2019?
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” - On which saint’s feast day does “Good King Wenceslas” take place?
St. Stephen’s Day (26 December) - Which carol’s refrain is “O come, let us adore Him”?
“O Come, All Ye Faithful” - Which glam-rock band scored a 1973 UK No. 1 with “Merry Xmas Everybody”?
Slade - “Fairytale of New York” was recorded by The Pogues and which guest vocalist?
Kirsty MacColl - Which duo released the novelty hit “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” in 1979?
Elmo & Patsy - Who created “The Chipmunk Song” under the name David Seville in 1958?
Ross Bagdasarian Sr. - Which single-word refrain from “Angels We Have Heard on High” is sung in extended melisma?
“Gloria” - “Carol of the Bells” is adapted from a Ukrainian chant celebrating which season?
Spring - Which pop-punk band released “Yule Shoot Your Eye Out” in 2003?
Fall Out Boy - In which 1944 musical did Judy Garland debut “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”?
Meet Me in St. Louis - Which former Beatle co-wrote the anti-war song “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” in 1971?
John Lennon - Whose 2011 album Christmas is one of this century’s top sellers?
Michael Bublé - “Father Christmas,” a 1977 single about a mugged department-store Santa, is by which band?
The Kinks - Which hymn always opens King’s College Cambridge’s Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols?
“Once in Royal David’s City” - Who wrote the 1844 Christmas novella The Chimes?
Charles Dickens - “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” first appeared under what title in 1823?
“A Visit from St. Nicholas” - In Dr. Seuss’s tale, the Grinch’s heart grows by how many sizes?
Three - Which accident-prone character in Tolkien’s Letters from Father Christmas causes North-Pole havoc?
The North Polar Bear - Hercule Poirot’s Christmas is set at which country house?
Gorston Hall - Narnia is “always winter but never Christmas” under whose reign?
The White Witch - Truman Capote’s fruitcake memoir is titled what?
“A Christmas Memory” - At Hogwarts, Christmas presents usually arrive by what magical post?
Owls - Who penned The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (1902)?
L. Frank Baum - Which editor wrote the 1897 “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” reply?
Francis Pharcellus Church - In Chris Van Allsburg’s The Polar Express, what souvenir does the boy keep?
A silver bell - Which John Grisham novella became Christmas with the Kranks onscreen?
Skipping Christmas - Which 2019 animated Netflix film was co-written by Sergio Pablos?
Klaus - W. H. Auden’s WWII poem subtitled “A Christmas Oratorio” is called what?
For the Time Being - Susan Cooper’s The Dark Is Rising begins on which December date?
21 December - Saint Nicholas’s ancient see of Myra lies in which country today?
Turkey - The Council of Tours (AD 567) fixed the festive period we call what?
The Twelve Days of Christmas - Which royal couple popularized the Christmas tree in Britain via an 1848 engraving?
Queen Victoria & Prince Albert - The 1914 Christmas Truce took place near which Belgian town?
Ypres - Which U.S. president banned White House Christmas trees for conservation reasons in 1902–03?
Theodore Roosevelt - Which 1965 NASA mission first played “Jingle Bells” from space?
Gemini 6A - The first U.S. Christmas stamp (1962) depicted which biblical motif?
Madonna and Child - During the 1968 Apollo 8 broadcast, astronauts read from which biblical book?
Genesis - Germany’s oldest Christkindlmarkt is held in what Bavarian city?
Nuremberg - The “X” in “Xmas” comes from what Greek letter?
Chi - In Ireland, 6 January is colloquially called what?
Little Christmas / Women’s Christmas - Who gave the first televised Urbi et Orbi Christmas blessing (1963)?
Pope Paul VI - The live Nativity tableau tradition is credited to which saint (1223)?
St. Francis of Assisi - Which Victorian civil servant commissioned the first commercial Christmas card?
Sir Henry Cole - Ukrainian legend of the Christmas spider says webs on your tree bring what?
Good luck and prosperity - What black-currant liqueur turns Champagne into a Kir Royale?
Crème de cassis - Early Victorian mince pies contained which meat?
Mutton - The coconut-milk “eggnog” Coquito originates from where?
Puerto Rico - Dresden Stollen’s loaf shape symbolizes whom?
Baby Jesus in swaddling clothes - What lye-soaked whitefish is a Christmas classic for many Scandinavian-Americans?
Lutefisk - Italian-Americans call their seafood feast on 24 December what?
The Feast of the Seven Fishes - Which tart red berry is often added to mulled cider?
Cranberry - What orange-flavored liqueur flambés crêpes Suzette?
Grand Marnier - Which spice, dubbed “queen of spices,” flavors Lebkuchen?
Cardamom - Portuguese rabanadas are similar to which breakfast favorite?
French toast - The purple rice cake puto bumbong is sold outside which Filipino dawn Masses?
Simbang Gabi - A British bread sauce is thickened chiefly with what ingredient?
Breadcrumbs - The beet soup that opens a Polish Christmas Eve meal is called what?
Barszcz czerwony (red borscht) - Spain’s go-to holiday sparkling wine is known as what?
Cava - Dutch windmill-shaped cookies for Sinterklaas are called what?
Speculaas - In Caracas, Venezuela, many attend early Mass on what unusual conveyance?
Roller skates - “Krampuslauf” parades featuring a horned monster happen mainly in which country?
Austria - Mexico’s Las Posadas lasts how many nights before Christmas Eve?
Nine - Boston’s annual Christmas tree is a thank-you gift from which Canadian province?
Nova Scotia - Ethiopian Christmas (Gena) falls on what Gregorian date?
7 January - Greek islanders often decorate a small what—symbolizing safe voyages—instead of a tree?
A boat - Sweden’s Yule Goat tradition links back to which Norse god’s goat-drawn chariot?
Thor - Which Finnish city proclaims the “Christmas Peace” each 24 December?
Turku - Iceland’s first Yule Lad arrives on which date?
12 December - The Catalan Nativity character “Caganer” is shown doing what?
Defecating - Australia’s first “Carols by Candlelight” (1938) took place in which city?
Melbourne - Bamboo fireworks called “boomers” liven up Christmas in which Caribbean republic?
Trinidad and Tobago - Fried emperor-moth caterpillars eaten at Christmas in southern Africa are called what?
Mopane worms - Colombia begins the season with “Día de las Velitas” on what date?
7 December - Irish “wren boys” parade on which day immediately after Christmas?
St. Stephen’s Day (26 December) - A misprinted phone number in a 1955 Sears ad led to what modern Santa-tracking tradition?
The NORAD Santa Tracker - NORAD’s predecessor (CONAD) that took the first calls was based in which U.S. state?
Colorado - Which Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber pastry means “snowball” in German?
Schneeball (snowball) - Which London street has held a celebrity Christmas-light switch-on every year since 1959?
Oxford Street - What is the first name of Scrooge’s warm-hearted nephew in A Christmas Carol?
Fred - How many different ghosts visit Scrooge in total?
Four - The poinsettia plant is native to—and named after the first U.S. envoy to—what country?
Mexico - Which illustrator’s 1930s Coca-Cola ads fixed Santa’s modern red-suit image?
Haddon Sundblom - The Evergleam aluminum Christmas tree debuted in 1958 from which Wisconsin company?
Aluminum Specialty Company - In Moore’s poem, which reindeer’s name evolved from “Dunder” to its modern spelling?
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