There is a specific type of quiz night that happens every December: the one where someone at the pub suggests a Christmas round, three people groan, and then those same three people end up being the most engaged participants in the room. Christmas trivia has this effect on people. Nobody admits they're excited about it, and then the questions start and everyone has an opinion about every single answer.
The Christmas round works because it's the one topic where generational knowledge actually evens things out. Younger people know the recent films and chart-toppers. Older people have the traditions and history locked down. The food and drink round creates chaos at every age because it turns out most people have strong feelings about Christmas food and very few facts to back them up. That tension is exactly what a good round needs.
Fifty questions across five rounds: Christmas films (the most competitive round by some distance), Christmas traditions and origins, Christmas songs and music, Christmas food and drink, and Christmas around the world. The last round catches people — it turns out a lot of countries celebrate Christmas in ways that surprise those who've only ever experienced a British one.
These are good for Christmas party quiz nights, office events, or a dedicated seasonal pub quiz round. The difficulty is mixed throughout — some are absolute gimmes, some will genuinely stump the room, and the food and drink round is going to cause at least one table to argue about something.
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Round 3: Christmas Songs & Music (Questions 21–30)
21. Who originally recorded "Last Christmas" in 1984?
✓ Wham!
💡 "Last Christmas" was written and produced by George Michael. It was kept off the UK Christmas number one by Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" — both released in December 1984.
22. Which singer recorded "All I Want for Christmas Is You" in 1994?
✓ Mariah Carey
💡 Written by Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff, the song consistently re-enters charts every December. In 2019 — 25 years after its release — it finally reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100.
23. What are the opening words of "Jingle Bells"?
✓ "Dashing through the snow"
💡 "Jingle Bells" was written by James Lord Pierpont in 1857 for Thanksgiving, not Christmas. It was also the first song broadcast from space — played on a smuggled harmonica by astronaut Wally Schirra aboard Gemini 6 in December 1965.
24. Who sang "Fairytale of New York" alongside Kirsty MacColl in 1987?
✓ The Pogues (Shane MacGowan)
💡 "Fairytale of New York" reached number two in the UK charts in 1987, kept off the top spot by the Pet Shop Boys. It has repeatedly topped polls as the best Christmas song ever written in Britain.
25. Who wrote "White Christmas", the best-selling physical single of all time?
✓ Irving Berlin
💡 Irving Berlin wrote "White Christmas" for the 1942 film Holiday Inn. Bing Crosby's recording has estimated worldwide sales of over 50 million copies. Berlin was born in Russia and came to America as a child immigrant.
26. Which band recorded "Merry Xmas Everybody" in 1973, and who is their distinctive-voiced lead singer?
✓ Slade; lead singer Noddy Holder
💡 "Merry Xmas Everybody" reached number one in the UK in 1973 and has re-entered the charts almost every Christmas since. Noddy Holder has said the song earns him substantial royalties each December.
27. Which carol contains the soaring refrain "Glo-o-o-oria, in excelsis Deo"?
✓ "Angels We Have Heard on High"
💡 "Angels We Have Heard on High" is a traditional French carol ("Les Anges dans nos campagnes") translated into English. "In excelsis Deo" means "Glory to God in the highest" in Latin — the words of the angels at the Nativity.
28. Bob Geldof and Midge Ure organised which 1984 charity single to raise money for the Ethiopian famine?
✓ "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid
💡 "Do They Know It's Christmas?" featured artists including Bono, Boy George, George Michael, Sting and Paul Young. It remains one of the best-selling singles in UK chart history and was re-recorded in 1989, 2004 and 2014.
29. Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer recorded which famous anti-commercialism Christmas song in 1975?
✓ "I Believe in Father Christmas"
💡 "I Believe in Father Christmas" samples Sergei Prokofiev's "Troika" from the Lieutenant Kijé suite. Lake described it as a protest against the commercialisation of Christmas. It reached number two in the UK charts in 1975.
30. Which artist had the UK Christmas number one in 1957 with "Mary's Boy Child" — and whose version of the same song topped the UK charts again at Christmas 1978?
✓ Harry Belafonte (1957); Boney M (1978)
💡 Harry Belafonte's "Mary's Boy Child" was the UK Christmas number one in 1957. Boney M's disco version "Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord" topped the UK charts at Christmas 1978 — making it one of very few songs to reach UK number one twice in different versions.
Round 4: Christmas Food & Drink (Questions 31–40)
31. What type of meat is traditionally served for Christmas dinner in the UK?
✓ Turkey
💡 Turkey became the traditional British Christmas bird during the 16th century, replacing goose. Henry VIII is thought to be the first English monarch to have eaten turkey at Christmas.
32. What spirit is traditionally poured over Christmas pudding before it is set alight?
✓ Brandy
💡 The brandy creates a dramatic blue flame. The tradition of flaming the pudding dates to Victorian times and was seen as symbolically representing the passion of Christ. The blue colour comes from ethanol burning at a relatively low temperature.
33. What is "Stollen"?
✓ A traditional German Christmas fruit bread
💡 Stollen is a dense fruit bread containing marzipan, dried fruits and spices, dusted with icing sugar. It originates from Dresden, where the famous Dresdner Stollen has been made since the 14th century and is celebrated with an annual festival.
34. In which country is "Panettone" a traditional Christmas food?
✓ Italy
💡 Panettone is a tall, dome-shaped sweet bread from Milan containing candied orange peel, citron and raisins. It is exchanged as a gift between families and colleagues throughout December and is popular across South America thanks to Italian immigration.
35. What are the two main ingredients in a traditional brandy butter?
✓ Butter and brandy (creamed together with icing sugar)
💡 Brandy butter — also called "hard sauce" in North America — is traditionally served alongside Christmas pudding and mince pies. It is made by creaming butter with icing sugar and brandy until fluffy and pale.
36. What is "Glühwein"?
✓ German mulled wine
💡 Glühwein ("glow wine") is red wine heated with cinnamon, cloves, star anise and orange peel. It is the most popular drink at German Christmas markets, which have been held in Germany since at least the 14th century.
37. Mince pies once contained real meat. What type of meat was most commonly used in historical recipes?
✓ Beef or mutton (shredded)
💡 Medieval mince pies — called "shred pies" or "coffins" — contained minced meat mixed with dried fruits, spices and suet. Meat was gradually replaced by suet and dried fruit alone from the 18th century. The word "mincemeat" still refers to the fruit and suet mixture used today.
38. What is a Yule log cake (Bûche de Noël) traditionally made from?
✓ A chocolate Swiss roll decorated with chocolate buttercream to resemble tree bark
💡 The cake imitates the real Yule log — a large log traditionally burned in the fireplace on Christmas Eve in Germanic and Norse custom. The cake version became popular in France during the 19th century.
39. In "A Christmas Carol", what does the Cratchit family eat for their Christmas dinner?
✓ Goose (not turkey)
💡 The Cratchits eat a goose — turkey was a luxury only the wealthy could afford in 1843 when Dickens wrote the story. The book helped shape the modern British Christmas, including the expectation of charitable giving and the family feast.
40. What are the main ingredients in traditional eggnog?
✓ Eggs, cream or milk, sugar, and spirits such as bourbon, rum or brandy
💡 Eggnog is most popular in the United States and Canada. It likely derives from early British "posset" — warm ale or wine mixed with milk, eggs and spices. The name may come from "egg and grog" or "noggin", an old term for a small drink.
Round 5: Christmas Around the World (Questions 41–50)
41. In which country is it traditional to eat KFC on Christmas Day?
✓ Japan
💡 KFC Japan launched its "Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakkii" ("Kentucky for Christmas") campaign in 1974 and it became a genuine national tradition. Japanese families pre-order their Christmas KFC buckets weeks in advance — the queues on Christmas Eve are legendary.
42. In Spain and many Latin American countries, on which date do children receive gifts from the Three Kings (Los Reyes Magos)?
✓ 6 January (Epiphany / El Día de Reyes)
💡 Children leave their shoes out on the night of 5 January for the Three Kings to fill with presents. In most Spanish-speaking countries this is the primary gift-giving occasion — not Christmas Day itself.
43. What is the name of the kind witch in Italian folklore who delivers gifts to children on the eve of Epiphany?
✓ La Befana
💡 La Befana flies on a broomstick on the night of 5 January, filling good children's stockings with sweets and leaving coal for naughty ones. She is more beloved than Santa in many parts of Italy.
44. In Scandinavian countries, what is the name of the Christmas gnome figure who brings gifts?
✓ Tomte (Sweden) / Julenisse (Norway and Denmark)
💡 The Tomte/Julenisse originates in Norse folklore as a household spirit who protected the farm. Over centuries he merged with Father Christmas traditions to become the gift-giving figure of Scandinavian Christmas.
45. What is "Noche Buena", and in which cultures is it the primary Christmas celebration?
✓ Christmas Eve; the main festive occasion in Spain, Mexico, the Philippines and most of Latin America
💡 Noche Buena (Good Night) is a large family feast on Christmas Eve in Catholic Hispanic cultures, typically followed by Midnight Mass. Christmas Day itself tends to be quieter.
46. On what date do Ethiopian Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas ("Ganna")?
✓ 7 January
💡 Ethiopian Christmas (Ganna) is celebrated on 7 January. It is a religious rather than commercial celebration, with church services beginning at midnight. A traditional game similar to field hockey — also called Ganna — is played on the day.
47. Which country invented the Advent calendar?
✓ Germany
💡 Advent calendars originated in 19th-century Germany as a way to count down the 24 days to Christmas. The first commercially printed Advent calendar is credited to Gerhard Lang around 1908. Today they range from chocolate-filled to luxury versions containing whisky or perfume.
48. In which South American country do people celebrate "Novenas de Aguinaldos" — nine nights of prayers, carols and festivities leading up to Christmas?
✓ Colombia
💡 The Novenas de Aguinaldos run from 16 to 24 December in Colombia. Each evening families gather for prayers, carols (villancicos), traditional food and fireworks. It is one of the most cherished Christmas traditions in the country.
49. In Australia, what season is it during Christmas?
✓ Summer
💡 Australian Christmas falls in the height of summer, with temperatures often exceeding 30°C. Many Australians celebrate with barbecues on the beach. "Christmas in July" — a midwinter Christmas dinner — is a popular tradition in cooler southern parts of the country.
50. What is the "Feast of the Seven Fishes", and where does it originate?
✓ A Christmas Eve tradition of eating seven seafood dishes, rooted in Italian-American Catholic culture
💡 The Feast of the Seven Fishes is rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition of abstaining from meat on Christmas Eve (la Vigilia di Natale). While a seafood Christmas Eve meal is common throughout Italy, the specific "seven fishes" tradition is most strongly associated with Italian-American communities in the United States.
How many did you get right?
Play a live interactive Christmas quiz — timer, scoring, instant results. Free, no signup.
Play Christmas Quiz →
Play a live interactive Christmas quiz — timer, scoring, instant results. Free, no signup.
Play Christmas Quiz →
Christmas trivia has an energy to it that's unlike any other quiz topic — probably because people take it personally in a way they don't about, say, geography. Every wrong answer about Christmas is somehow an indictment of the Christmas they've been celebrating for decades. That feeling is genuinely entertaining to watch.
Let us know if you find any errors, or if you've got a Christmas category you think we should add to the next version — hello@simplyquizzes.com. More seasonal content is on the blog throughout the year.