Free · no sign-up · 102 UK questions with answers
Christmas quiz: 102 questions and answers, free and no sign-up
Play the quiz, ten random questions a round, or scroll down for the full list with answers to read out on Christmas Day or at the pub. Six rounds: general knowledge, kids, films and TV, music, food and drink, and a harder pub quiz.
10 questions, four answers each. Pick a round and see how much Christmas you really know.
All 102 Christmas quiz questions
Tap a question to reveal the answer. Printing puts the questions first and the answers at the end, so the quizmaster can read them out.
🇬🇧 General knowledge
1.At what time is the monarch's Christmas message traditionally broadcast on Christmas Day?Show answer
3pm. It has usually gone out at 3pm on Christmas Day, so many families gather round after dinner.
2.Which monarch gave the first royal Christmas broadcast, on the radio in 1932?Show answer
King George V. The first message went out from Sandringham House.
3.In which year was the royal Christmas message first shown on television?Show answer
1957. Queen Elizabeth II presented it on TV for the first time in 1957.
4.Who sent the first commercial Christmas card, in 1843?Show answer
Sir Henry Cole. Cole, a London civil servant, had the artist John Callcott Horsley design it.
5.Which royal is credited with making Christmas trees fashionable in Britain?Show answer
Prince Albert. A picture of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert with their tree, published in 1848, started the craze.
6.Which country sends London a Christmas tree for Trafalgar Square every year?Show answer
Norway. Oslo has sent a tree every year since 1947, as thanks for British help in the Second World War.
7.Why is 26 December called Boxing Day?Show answer
Christmas boxes of money or gifts were given to servants and tradespeople. It is a bank holiday across the UK, and a day for sport, shopping and leftovers.
8.Which author published A Christmas Carol in 1843?Show answer
Charles Dickens. It came out on 19 December 1843 and helped shape how Britain thinks of Christmas.
9.Besides Jacob Marley, how many spirits visit Scrooge in A Christmas Carol?Show answer
Three. The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come.
10.What is the name of the Scottish celebration held on 31 December?Show answer
Hogmanay. Historically Hogmanay was bigger in Scotland than Christmas.
11.Who invented the Christmas cracker in London in the 1840s?Show answer
Tom Smith. Smith is said to have been inspired by the crackle of a log on the fire.
12.Which carol opens the famous Nine Lessons and Carols from King's College, Cambridge, sung first by a solo chorister?Show answer
Once in Royal David's City. The service began in 1918 and has been broadcast on the BBC since 1928.
13.Which pantomime character is traditionally played by a man in a dress?Show answer
The Dame. Dames such as Widow Twankey or Mother Goose are a panto tradition.
14.Which pantomime features Buttons?Show answer
Cinderella. Buttons is Cinderella's loyal friend and the pantomime's chief comic.
15.In which pantomime does a boy sell the family cow for magic beans?Show answer
Jack and the Beanstalk. It is one of the most popular pantomimes in Britain.
16.Which sport has a full programme of fixtures across English leagues on Boxing Day?Show answer
Football. Boxing Day matches are a long-standing British tradition.
17.In which year was William the Conqueror crowned King of England on Christmas Day?Show answer
1066. The coronation took place at Westminster Abbey on 25 December 1066.
🧒 Easy (for kids)
1.What colour is Father Christmas's suit?Show answer
Red. It usually has white fur trim.
2.Which reindeer has a shiny red nose?Show answer
Rudolph. Rudolph leads the sleigh on foggy nights.
3.How many reindeer pull the sleigh if you count Rudolph?Show answer
Nine. Eight named reindeer, plus Rudolph at the front.
4.What do you pull with a friend at Christmas dinner to make a bang?Show answer
A Christmas cracker. Inside there's usually a paper hat, a joke and a small gift.
5.What do you wear on your head from a cracker?Show answer
A paper crown. The tissue-paper crowns are part of the fun.
6.What do children hang up for Father Christmas to fill with presents?Show answer
A stocking. Many families fill it with a satsuma, sweets and small gifts.
7.How many doors are there in a typical advent calendar?Show answer
24. You open one a day from 1 December until Christmas Eve.
8.What plant do people kiss under at Christmas?Show answer
Mistletoe. It has pale berries and hangs in a doorway.
9.In the Christmas story, which town was Jesus born in?Show answer
Bethlehem. It is where the school nativity play is set.
10.What is the name of the boy in The Snowman?Show answer
James. His name appears on a present tag in the film.
11.What does Father Christmas travel in?Show answer
A sleigh. It is pulled by flying reindeer.
12.What do children often leave out for the reindeer?Show answer
A carrot. A mince pie and a drink often go out for Father Christmas himself.
13.What is Father Christmas's wife called?Show answer
Mrs Claus. She is often pictured baking in the North Pole kitchen.
14.Which small green vegetable is on many Christmas dinner plates, and many children dislike it?Show answer
Brussels sprouts. They are named after the city of Brussels.
15.On which date is Christmas Day?Show answer
25 December. Christmas Eve is the night before, and Boxing Day is the day after.
16.Who stole Christmas in the Dr Seuss book?Show answer
The Grinch. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! was published in 1957.
17.What is the pointy-eared helper who makes Father Christmas's toys?Show answer
An elf. Elves work in the toy workshop at the North Pole.
18.What colour are the berries on holly?Show answer
Red. Holly leaves are spiky, so be careful.
19.What does a snowman usually have for a nose?Show answer
A carrot. Coal for the eyes and a scarf complete the look.
20.Who is the youngest of the Cratchit children, who says 'God bless us, every one'?Show answer
Tiny Tim. He is from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
🎬 Films & TV
1.Who wrote and directed the 2003 film Love Actually?Show answer
Richard Curtis. It was Curtis's first film as a director.
2.What job does Hugh Grant's character have in Love Actually?Show answer
Prime Minister. Hugh Grant plays David, the British Prime Minister.
3.On which channel was The Snowman first shown, on 26 December 1982?Show answer
Channel 4. It has been repeated at Christmas ever since, and a sequel, The Snowman and the Snowdog, followed in 2012.
4.Who wrote and illustrated the picture book The Snowman?Show answer
Raymond Briggs. The book came out in 1978 and has no words at all.
5.Which choirboy sang in the original 1982 film of The Snowman, though he went uncredited?Show answer
Peter Auty. Aled Jones later had a hit with his own recording.
6.Who plays Buddy in the 2003 film Elf?Show answer
Will Ferrell. Buddy is a human raised by elves at the North Pole.
7.Who plays Ebenezer Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)?Show answer
Michael Caine. Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat narrate.
8.Which British studio, famous for Wallace and Gromit, co-produced the 2011 film Arthur Christmas?Show answer
Aardman. James McAvoy voices Arthur, Father Christmas's younger son.
9.Which actor plays teacher Paul Maddens in the school film Nativity! (2009)?Show answer
Martin Freeman. He tells his rival that Hollywood is coming to the school's nativity play.
10.In Home Alone, which city is the McCallister family flying to on holiday?Show answer
Paris. Kevin, played by Macaulay Culkin, is left behind at home.
11.Which action film is set at a Christmas Eve office party at Nakatomi Plaza?Show answer
Die Hard. It was released in 1988 and starred Bruce Willis.
12.Which Christmas film directed by Frank Capra was released in 1946?Show answer
It's a Wonderful Life. James Stewart plays George Bailey.
13.In It's a Wonderful Life, what is the name of the angel who is trying to earn his wings?Show answer
Clarence. He's Clarence Odbody, angel second class.
14.Which Oscar-winning actor stars in the 2004 film The Polar Express?Show answer
Tom Hanks. He plays several roles, including the train conductor.
15.Which department store's Christmas TV adverts have been a national talking point since 2007?Show answer
John Lewis. Each year's advert is eagerly awaited, usually in early November.
16.Who is the grumpy green star of the 2000 film directed by Ron Howard, based on a Dr Seuss book?Show answer
The Grinch. Jim Carrey played him.
🎶 Music & Christmas No.1s
1.Which band had the Christmas No.1 in 1973 with Merry Xmas Everybody?Show answer
Slade. Mud followed in 1974 with Lonely This Christmas.
2.Which group had the Christmas No.1 in 1974 with Lonely This Christmas?Show answer
Mud. It topped the chart the year after Slade.
3.Which charity single was the Christmas No.1 of 1984?Show answer
Do They Know It's Christmas? by Band Aid. Bob Geldof and Midge Ure wrote it to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia.
4.Which song kept Wham!'s Last Christmas off No.1 in 1984?Show answer
Do They Know It's Christmas? by Band Aid. Last Christmas stalled at No.2.
5.In which year did Wham!'s Last Christmas finally reach No.1 in the UK?Show answer
2021. It topped the chart dated 1 January 2021, nearly 37 years after its release.
6.Who had the Christmas No.1 in 1985 with Merry Christmas Everyone?Show answer
Shakin' Stevens. It was a Christmas hit for Shakin' Stevens in 1985.
7.Which singer had the Christmas No.1 in 1988 with Mistletoe and Wine?Show answer
Cliff Richard. It topped the chart over Christmas 1988.
8.Which X Factor winner had the Christmas No.1 in 2008 with Hallelujah?Show answer
Alexandra Burke. Leonard Cohen wrote the song.
9.Which band's Killing in the Name beat the X Factor winner to Christmas No.1 in 2009, after a Facebook campaign?Show answer
Rage Against the Machine. The X Factor winner that year was Joe McElderry.
10.Which choir, led by Gareth Malone, had the Christmas No.1 in 2011?Show answer
The Military Wives. Their single Wherever You Are topped the chart.
11.Which food was the theme of LadBaby's Christmas No.1 singles from 2018 to 2022?Show answer
Sausage rolls. Their sausage-roll singles raised money for food banks.
12.How many Christmas No.1s in a row did LadBaby have between 2018 and 2022?Show answer
Five. It was a record-breaking run.
13.Which song by The Pogues was held off the 1987 Christmas No.1 spot by the Pet Shop Boys?Show answer
Fairytale of New York. The Pet Shop Boys had the No.1 with Always on My Mind.
14.Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You came out in which year?Show answer
1994. She wrote it with Walter Afanasieff.
15.In which language was Silent Night originally written?Show answer
German. It was first performed in Austria in 1818.
16.Which Russian composer wrote the ballet The Nutcracker?Show answer
Tchaikovsky. It premiered in St Petersburg in 1892.
17.Which composer wrote White Christmas, made famous by Bing Crosby?Show answer
Irving Berlin. Berlin wrote it for the 1942 film Holiday Inn.
🥧 Food & drink
1.What did mince pies traditionally contain, before they became sweet?Show answer
Minced meat. They were savoury for centuries, and turned sweet in the 1700s as sugar got cheaper.
2.How many plums are in a traditional Christmas pudding?Show answer
None. 'Plum' used to mean raisins or other dried fruit.
3.Which coin was traditionally hidden in the Christmas pudding for luck?Show answer
A sixpence. A silver threepence or sixpence was believed to bring wealth in the year ahead.
4.What is Stir-up Sunday?Show answer
The last Sunday before Advent, when the pudding is traditionally made. Everyone in the family gives the mixture a stir and makes a wish.
5.How is a Christmas pudding traditionally served?Show answer
Flamed with brandy and topped with holly. Dickens describes the flaming brandy in A Christmas Carol.
6.Which two ingredients make a Snowball cocktail?Show answer
Advocaat and lemonade. A squeeze of lime juice is often added.
7.Which chocolate tin was first made in Halifax, West Yorkshire, in 1936?Show answer
Quality Street. It was first made by Mackintosh's.
8.What are pigs in blankets?Show answer
Sausages wrapped in bacon. A British Christmas dinner favourite.
9.What does Scrooge send the Cratchits on Christmas morning?Show answer
A prize turkey. The Cratchits' own dinner was goose.
10.Brussels sprouts are named after which city?Show answer
Brussels. The city is the capital of Belgium.
11.Which hot drink is made from red wine heated with spices such as cloves and cinnamon?Show answer
Mulled wine. It's the classic Christmas market drink.
12.What do many British children leave out for Father Christmas?Show answer
A mince pie. A glass of sherry is the traditional drink.
13.Which tart red sauce is traditionally served with turkey?Show answer
Cranberry sauce. Bread sauce is another British favourite.
14.Bread sauce is made by simmering breadcrumbs in what?Show answer
Milk. Onion and cloves usually flavour it.
15.A traditional Christmas cake is covered in which almond paste before it is iced?Show answer
Marzipan. Then comes the royal icing, and often a robin or holly.
16.What is a Yule log in cake form?Show answer
A chocolate roulade made to look like a log. It is often dusted with icing sugar 'snow'.
🍻 Pub quiz (harder)
1.In which year did the Christmas truce take place on the Western Front?Show answer
1914. Roughly 100,000 British and German troops took part in informal truces over Christmas.
2.In 1647 Parliament did what to Christmas?Show answer
Abolished the festival. Celebrations returned after the monarchy was restored in 1660.
3.Which Roman winter festival is often linked to Christmas traditions?Show answer
Saturnalia. It was celebrated in December, with feasting and gift-giving.
4.At which racecourse is the King George VI Chase run each Boxing Day?Show answer
Kempton Park. The race has been run on Boxing Day since 1947.
5.In which year did Christmas Day become a public holiday in Scotland?Show answer
1958. Boxing Day followed in 1974.
6.Who wrote the script for the first royal Christmas broadcast, in 1932?Show answer
Rudyard Kipling. George V read it on the radio.
7.Which company did Robert L. May create Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for in 1939?Show answer
Montgomery Ward. The department store gave away 2.4 million booklets in the first year.
8.Who recorded the song version of Rudolph in 1949, written by Johnny Marks?Show answer
Gene Autry. It became a huge hit.
9.Who composed the music for the ballet The Nutcracker, premiered in 1892?Show answer
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. It was first performed in St Petersburg.
10.Where was Silent Night first performed, in 1818?Show answer
Oberndorf, Austria. The words were by Joseph Mohr.
11.In which year did the carol service at King's College, Cambridge, first take place?Show answer
1918. The BBC began broadcasting it in 1928.
12.Tom Smith invented the Christmas cracker in which year?Show answer
1847. He was a London sweet-maker.
13.Which two songwriters wrote the 1984 Band Aid single?Show answer
Bob Geldof and Midge Ure. The single was recorded in a single day.
14.The Pet Shop Boys had the 1987 Christmas No.1 with a cover of which song?Show answer
Always on My Mind. The Pogues' Fairytale of New York was held at No.2.
15.Which retailer's 2007 Christmas advert began a British tradition of heavily publicised festive adverts?Show answer
John Lewis. The adverts are now released early in November.
16.In the Christmas carol, what is the total number of gifts given across all twelve days?Show answer
364. One partridge on day one plus two doves on day two and so on adds up to 364.
Christmas quiz: your questions answered
- Is the Christmas quiz really free?
- Yes. The online quiz and the printable questions and answers are free, with no sign-up and no email address needed. Press «Play again» as often as you like.
- Can I print the Christmas quiz questions and answers?
- Yes. Press the print button above the list. The questions are laid out for A4 paper first and the answers come at the end on their own page, so the quizmaster can read them out and keep the answers hidden.
- What rounds are there?
- General knowledge, easy questions for kids, films and TV, music and Christmas No.1s, food and drink, and a harder pub quiz round. Each online round is ten questions picked at random from the round you choose.
- Are the questions British?
- Yes. They cover British traditions and realities: the King's message at 3pm, Boxing Day, crackers, panto, mince pies and Christmas pudding, Christmas No.1s and favourite festive films and TV. Music questions are about chart facts only, never lyrics.
- How do I run a Christmas quiz night at home or in the pub?
- Print the list, split everyone into teams and read out ten questions a round. Mix an easy round with the pub quiz round so there is something for every age, and let teams swap papers to mark the answers.