Christmas quiz: 40 questions and answers

Round 1: Christmas around the world

• 1. In which country did people start bringing Christmas trees indoors, about 500 years ago? Germany.
• 2. Which country sends London a giant Christmas tree every year as a thank-you? Norway.
• 3. In Italy, what is the name of the kind old witch who brings presents on 6 January? La Befana.
• 4. Which country has 13 Yule Lads who visit children in the nights before Christmas? Iceland.
• 5. In the Netherlands, Sinterklaas arrives each year on what kind of transport? A steamboat.
• 6. Which country is home to the giant straw Gävle Goat put up every Christmas? Sweden.
• 7. Poinsettias, the red Christmas plant, first came from which country? Mexico.
• 8. The red "petals" of a poinsettia are really what part of the plant? Leaves (called bracts).
• 9. On what date is Boxing Day? 26 December.
• 10. In which country is Christmas Eve dinner traditionally twelve meat-free dishes? Poland (also Ukraine and Lithuania).

Round 2: A Christmas in Australia

• 1. In Australia, Christmas falls in which season? Summer.
• 2. Which seafood do many Aussies queue up for on Christmas Eve? Prawns.
• 3. Which dessert, a meringue base with cream and fruit on top, is a Christmas favourite? Pavlova.
• 4. In the Aussie Christmas song "Six White Boomers", what pulls Santa's sleigh? Six white kangaroos.
• 5. Which famous yacht race leaves Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day? The Sydney to Hobart.
• 6. The Boxing Day cricket Test is played at which ground? The MCG (the Melbourne Cricket Ground).
• 7. At the beach on Christmas Day, you swim between flags of which two colours? Red and yellow.
• 8. Carols by Candlelight on Christmas Eve is held in which city? Melbourne.
• 9. Christmas Island, an Australian territory, is famous for the yearly march of millions of which animal? Red crabs.
• 10. Which stone fruit, bought by the box in December, is an Aussie Christmas treat? Cherries (mangoes count too).

Round 3: Food and treats

• 1. Which spice gives gingerbread its name? Ginger.
• 2. Candy canes are usually striped in which two colours? Red and white.
• 3. Which small silver coin was traditionally hidden in a Christmas pudding for luck? A sixpence.
• 4. What is inside a mince pie today? Fruit mince: dried fruit and spices.
• 5. Marzipan is made mainly from which nut? Almonds.
• 6. Stollen, a fruit bread dusted with icing sugar, comes from which country? Germany.
• 7. Panettone, a tall sweet bread, comes from which country? Italy.
• 8. A chocolate Yule log cake is made to look like what? A log of wood.
• 9. Eggnog is made from milk or cream, sugar and what else? Eggs.
• 10. Which vegetable do children leave out for Santa's reindeer? Carrots.

Round 4: The kids' round

• 1. What colour is Rudolph's nose? Red.
• 2. Where does Santa live? The North Pole.
• 3. Not counting Rudolph, how many reindeer pull Santa's sleigh? Eight.
• 4. What do people hang up for Santa to fill with presents? Stockings.
• 5. What are Santa's helpers called? Elves.
• 6. What goes on the very top of a Christmas tree? A star (or an angel).
• 7. Which month is Christmas in? December.
• 8. What do you build from big balls of snow? A snowman.
• 9. Which prickly green plant with red berries is a Christmas decoration? Holly.
• 10. How many points does a snowflake usually have? Six.

How to run this Christmas quiz

• Make teams of mixed ages, so every team has someone for the kids' round and someone for the Test cricket.
• One point a question, and double points on the round each team picks before the quiz starts.
• Tie-breaker: "How many kilometres is the Sydney to Hobart?" Closest wins. (About 630 nautical miles, or about 1,160 km.)

Play it on your TV

Pick the Christmas quiz in the quiz library: 100 more Christmas questions (none of the 40 above), with ten fresh ones each time you play, so nobody gets the same quiz twice. It covers Christmas around the world, carols and stories, films, food, Santa for the kids and an Aussie Christmas at the beach.

You can also type these questions into your own quiz in our quiz builder, or have AI write you a fresh Christmas quiz on any theme (an Aussie Christmas, Christmas movies, your family). Then the TV shows each question, everyone answers on their phone, and the TV keeps the score.

More ideas: Christmas party games for the family and how to host a quiz night.

Quiz

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