Christmas trivia for kids: 36 questions with answers
36 Christmas trivia questions for kids, with answers: who lit the first electric Christmas tree, why snowflakes have six sides, what reindeer eat, how Christmas lights work and where Christmas comes in summer. The 18 easy ones are for ages 5 and up, the harder ones for 8 and up. Every answer has its source.
No email, no sign-up. The answers print under each question.
- Who invented it?10
- Reindeer5
- Snow and winter science6
- Christmas around the world5
- Songs and stories6
- How Christmas things work4
Who invented it?
-
Who lit the first electric Christmas tree, in 1882?
- Edward H. Johnson
- Nikola Tesla
- Thomas Edison
Answer
Edward H. Johnson, a vice president of the Edison Electric Light Company. On December 22, 1882, he lit a tree in the parlor of his New York City home with 80 hand-wired red, white and blue bulbs.Source: IEEE Spectrum, History.com · More
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Before electric lights, what did families put on Christmas trees to light them up?
- Candles
- Flashlights
- Glow sticks
Answer
Candles. Electric lights were sold as the safer choice: a General Electric ad from 1900 promised “No Danger, Smoke or Smell.”Source: IEEE Spectrum, History.com · More
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Who invented the candy cane?
- A candy maker in Ohio
- A choirmaster in Germany
- Nobody knows
Answer
Nobody knows. A popular story says a choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral in Germany had sugar sticks bent like shepherds’ crooks to keep children quiet, but there’s no proof of it.Source: National Geographic, Wikipedia, Google Patents · More
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Who created Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?
- Charles Dickens
- Clement Clarke Moore
- Robert L. May
Answer
Robert L. May, a copywriter at the Montgomery Ward store chain in Chicago, in 1939. The store bought Christmas booklets to give away each year, and writing its own saved money.Source: Wikipedia on Robert L. May, Wikipedia on Rudolph · More
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Which country started the Christmas tree as we know it?
- Australia
- Germany
- Mexico
Answer
Germany, in the 1500s. Many people say Martin Luther first put candles on a tree, but that’s a story passed down, not a record.Source: History.com, Wikipedia on artificial trees · More
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Before he picked Rudolph, which names did Robert L. May think about for his reindeer? Harder
- Rex or Rocky
- Rollo or Reginald
- Rufus or Ralph
Answer
Rollo or Reginald. He wrote the story in 1939 for the Montgomery Ward stores, which gave away 2.4 million copies in the first year.Source: Wikipedia on Robert L. May, Wikipedia on Rudolph · More
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In 1930, a company made fake Christmas trees from the same bristles it used in what? Harder
- Paintbrushes
- Toilet brushes
- Toothbrushes
Answer
Toilet brushes. The British company Addis dyed the bristles green. Even older fake trees, from 19th-century Germany, were made of goose feathers dyed green.Source: History.com, Wikipedia on artificial trees · More
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What was the first tinsel made of? Harder
- Paper
- Plastic
- Real silver
-
When was the first Christmas card sold? Harder
- 1643
- 1843
- 1943
-
Candy canes used to be bent by hand, and often more than one in five broke. Who invented a machine to bend them? Harder
- A dentist
- A firefighter
- A priest
Answer
A priest, Gregory Keller. His brother-in-law Robert McCormack made candy canes in Albany, Georgia. Keller applied for a patent on his machine in 1957 and got it in 1960.Source: National Geographic, Wikipedia, Google Patents · More
Reindeer
-
Do girl reindeer grow antlers?
- No
- Yes
Answer
Yes. Reindeer are the only deer where both males and females grow antlers. The males drop theirs in late fall, and the females keep theirs all winter, until spring.Source: Alaska Department of Fish and Game, US Food and Drug Administration
-
What are reindeer called when they live wild in North America?
- Caribou
- Elk
- Moose
Answer
Caribou. Reindeer and caribou are the same kind of animal. In North America the wild ones are called caribou, and reindeer are the herds people keep.Source: Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Wikipedia
-
What do reindeer dig through the snow to eat in winter?
- Carrots
- Lichen
- Pine cones
Answer
Lichen. It’s also called reindeer moss. Reindeer can smell it under the snow, and they scrape the snow away with their hooves to reach it.Source: Alaska Department of Fish and Game, US Food and Drug Administration
-
What sound do many reindeer make as they walk? Harder
- A buzz
- A click
- A whistle
Answer
A click. Scientists call it a knee-click, but they still don’t know for sure how it’s made or what it’s for.Source: Scientific Reports, Wikipedia
-
The back of an Arctic reindeer’s eyes shines gold in summer. What color does it turn in winter? Harder
- Blue
- Green
- Red
Answer
Deep blue. It changes in the long, dark Arctic winter, and scientists found it makes the eyes more sensitive to dim light.Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society B
Snow and winter science
-
How many sides does a snowflake have?
- 4
- 6
- 8
Answer
6. When water freezes, its molecules lock together in a six-sided pattern, so snow crystals grow with six sides or six arms.Source: NOAA
-
Why do people put salt on icy sidewalks?
- To feed the birds
- To make it sparkle
- To make the ice melt
Answer
To make the ice melt. Salty water freezes at a colder temperature than plain water, so ice with salt on it melts even when it’s a little below freezing.Source: Scientific American
-
Which day has the least daylight of the year in the United States?
- Around December 21
- December 25
- January 1
Answer
Around December 21, the winter solstice. That’s when the top half of the Earth is tipped farthest from the Sun, so it gets the shortest day and the longest night.Source: NOAA, National Weather Service
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What does a snowflake start from, high up in a cloud? Harder
- A bubble of air
- A drop of salt water
- A speck of dust or pollen
Answer
A speck of dust or pollen. A drop of very cold water freezes onto it. Then water vapor freezes onto the crystal, and it grows its arms as it falls.Source: NOAA
-
When is the Earth closest to the Sun: early January or early July? Harder
- Early January
- Early July
Answer
Early January. So winter isn’t cold because the Sun is far away. It’s cold because the Earth is tilted: in winter, the top half of the Earth leans away from the Sun and gets less sunlight.Source: NASA Space Place, National Weather Service
-
Why do pine and fir trees stay green all winter? Harder
- Snow keeps them warm
- Their needles are coated in wax
- They grow new needles every night
Answer
Their needles are coated in wax. The wax helps the needles hold on to water, so the tree can keep them through the cold. It drops old needles here and there all year, not all at once in fall.Source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Christmas around the world
-
In Australia, what season is it at Christmas?
- Spring
- Summer
- Winter
Answer
Summer. Australia is in the bottom half of the Earth, where December is summer. Swimming and outdoor games like cricket are popular ways to spend Christmas Day.Source: Wikipedia
-
What does “Feliz Navidad” mean?
- Good night
- Happy New Year
- Merry Christmas
Answer
Merry Christmas, in Spanish. It’s also a song José Feliciano recorded in 1970, in Spanish and English.Source: Wikipedia
-
Which country gives London a giant Christmas tree every year? Harder
- Canada
- Germany
- Norway
Answer
Norway. Every year since 1947, the city of Oslo has sent a tree to Trafalgar Square to thank Britain for its help in World War II.Source: Wikipedia
-
Where do poinsettias, the red Christmas plants, grow wild? Harder
- China
- Mexico
- Norway
Answer
Mexico. Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first US minister to Mexico, sent some home to South Carolina in the 1820s, and the plant got his name.Source: Wikipedia
-
On Saint Lucia’s Day in Sweden, what does the girl playing Lucia wear on her head? Harder
- A crown of candles
- A paper crown
- A Santa hat
Answer
A crown of candles. Today they’re usually electric candles. Saint Lucia’s Day is December 13, and Lucia leads a line of singers in white gowns.Source: sweden.se
Songs and stories
-
In “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” what comes on the first day?
- A partridge in a pear tree
- Five golden rings
- Two turtle doves
Answer
A partridge in a pear tree. A partridge is a bird that lives and nests on the ground, so you’d rarely see one up in a pear tree.Source: Wikipedia, Wikipedia on partridges
-
Which Christmas song was the first one played in space?
- Jingle Bells
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Silent Night
Answer
Jingle Bells. On December 16, 1965, astronauts Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford played it aboard Gemini 6 on a tiny harmonica and bells they had sneaked on board. The harmonica is now at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.Source: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
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Who wrote “A Christmas Carol,” the story of grumpy Ebenezer Scrooge?
- Charles Dickens
- Mark Twain
- Robert L. May
Answer
Charles Dickens, in 1843. That’s the same year the first Christmas card was sold.Source: Wikipedia, Wikipedia on Christmas cards
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Add up every gift in “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” counting the repeats. How many are there? Harder
- 78
- 144
- 364
Answer
364. Day 1 has 1 gift, day 2 has 2 + 1 = 3, day 3 has 3 + 2 + 1 = 6, and so on up to 78 on day 12. Add all twelve days and you get 364, almost one for every day of the year.Source: Wikipedia
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In the 1823 poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” how many reindeer pull the sleigh? Harder
- 6
- 8
- 9
Answer
8. The last two were first printed as Dunder and Blixem, and later as Donder and Blitzen. Rudolph came later, in a 1939 story by Robert L. May.Source: Wikipedia, Wikipedia on Rudolph
-
Where was “Silent Night” first sung? Harder
- Austria
- England
- The United States
Answer
Austria, on Christmas Eve 1818. It was sung at St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, near Salzburg, with a guitar. Joseph Mohr wrote the words and Franz Xaver Gruber the music.Source: Wikipedia
How Christmas things work
-
Why do LED Christmas lights stay cool to the touch?
- They are made of ice
- They have tiny fans
- They make light with less heat
Answer
They make light with less heat. Old bulbs turned most of their electricity into heat. LEDs give the same light with much less electricity.Source: US Department of Energy
-
What glues a gingerbread house together?
- Icing
- Nails
- Tape
Answer
Icing. Builders use royal icing, made from sugar and egg whites, because it dries hard like glue.Source: Wikipedia
-
On some old strings of Christmas lights, one dead bulb made the whole string go dark. Why? Harder
- The bulbs shared one path for electricity
- The plug turned itself off
- The wire froze
Answer
The bulbs shared one path for electricity. They were wired in a line, called a series, so the electricity had to go through every bulb, and one broken bulb broke the path. Mini lights now have a tiny part in each bulb, called a shunt, that lets the electricity go around a dead bulb so the rest stay lit.Source: Wikipedia, Wikipedia on shunts
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Why does a cut Christmas tree need water every day? Harder
- To keep bugs away
- To keep it from drying out
- To make it grow taller
Answer
To keep it from drying out. A cut tree keeps drinking water through its trunk, so its stand should hold about a quart of water for every inch across the trunk. A dry tree catches fire much more easily than a watered one, so a grown-up should check the water every day.Source: National Christmas Tree Association, NIST
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How to play
- Pick a reader. A grown-up or an older kid reads each question out loud, with the choices for little kids.
- Everyone guesses. Teams of mixed ages work well: the little ones take the easy questions, the big ones the harder ones.
- Read the answer out loud. The second sentence is often the best part.
- Keep score, or don’t. A point for each right answer and two for a harder one, or just play until dinner’s ready.
Keep the questions coming on the road.
Tumbly Drive tells the true story of the bridge, town or forest outside the window, then quizzes the back seat. Free to start.
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Questions parents ask
What are some easy Christmas trivia questions for kids?
Do girl reindeer grow antlers? Answer: Yes. How many sides does a snowflake have? Answer: 6. In Australia, what season is it at Christmas? Answer: Summer. The 18 questions without a “Harder” mark are for about age 5 and up.
How do you play Christmas trivia with kids?
One grown-up reads a question out loud and everyone else guesses. Read the choices to little kids, and let older kids answer without them. Then read the answer, so everyone learns something. Play in teams at a party, one question a night at dinner, or in the car on the way to family.
What ages are these questions for?
The 18 easy ones are for about 5 and up. The 18 marked “Harder” are for about 8 and up, and grown-ups won’t know all of them either.
Can I print these Christmas trivia questions?
Yes. Press Print the questions: you get every question with its choices and its answer, on plain paper, with no email and no sign-up.
Are the answers true?
Each answer was checked against the source linked under it. Where history doesn’t know, like who invented the candy cane, the answer says so. Here’s who invented Christmas lights, candy canes and the rest, in more detail.
Is this page OK for kids who believe in Santa?
Yes. It asks about a poem, a song and the man who wrote Rudolph’s story, and it never says whether anyone is real.
Is there a trivia game for the car?
Tumbly Drive tells kids the true story of the bridge, town or forest outside the window, read aloud through the car speakers, then asks the back seat a quiz question about it. It works anywhere you drive in the US and is free to start. Here are road trip trivia questions with answers too.