Christmas Quiz – Printable Version
20 multiple-choice questions with an explained answer key, ready to print.
Print the sheet (or save it as a PDF from the print window), hand it out, then mark it together using the answer page: every answer is explained. Perfect for a party, a birthday, a classroom, a care home or a team activity.
Name: ………………………………Score: ……… / 20
- What is the name of the red-nosed reindeer who guides Father Christmas's sleigh?
- A. Dasher
- B. Comet
- C. Rudolph
- D. Blitzen
- In Provence, how many desserts are traditionally served on Christmas Eve?
- A. 7
- B. 10
- C. 12
- D. 13
- Which Charles Dickens tale (1843) features the miser Ebenezer Scrooge?
- A. A Christmas Carol
- B. Oliver Twist
- C. David Copperfield
- D. Great Expectations
- In which town was Jesus born, according to the Gospels?
- A. Nazareth
- B. Bethlehem
- C. Jerusalem
- D. Jericho
- Before Father Christmas arrived, who brought children their presents on Christmas Eve in many French families?
- A. The Sandman
- B. The Baby Jesus
- C. The Snow Fairy
- D. Old Man Winter
- Which singer created 'Petit Papa Noël' in 1946, one of the best-selling records in France?
- A. Charles Trenet
- B. Luis Mariano
- C. Yves Montand
- D. Tino Rossi
- In which town is La Poste's 'Father Christmas secretariat', which answers children's letters, located?
- A. Strasbourg
- B. Colmar
- C. Libourne
- D. Lille
- According to a mainly American tradition, what is hidden in the Christmas tree, with the child who finds it getting an extra present?
- A. A glass pickle
- B. A golden key
- C. An acorn
- D. A wooden star
- According to the legend of Saint Nicholas, why do people hang stockings by the fireplace at Christmas?
- A. To keep Santa warm
- B. He supposedly threw gold coins down the chimney, which fell into stockings hung to dry
- C. To decorate the house
- D. So the reindeer can rest in them
- On what date do most Orthodox Christians (in Russia, Serbia…) celebrate Christmas?
- A. 7 January
- B. 6 December
- C. 25 December
- D. 1 February
- In the song 'The Twelve Days of Christmas', what is the very first gift from the true love?
- A. A partridge in a pear tree
- B. Two turtle doves
- C. Five gold rings
- D. Three French hens
- In Russia, what is the name of the granddaughter of Ded Moroz ('Grandfather Frost') who helps him hand out New Year's presents?
- A. Babushka
- B. Snegurochka
- C. Matryoshka
- D. Katyusha
- What are the traditional names of the three Wise Men?
- A. Peter, Paul and James
- B. Herod, Simeon and Joseph
- C. Gabriel, Michael and Raphael
- D. Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar
- In 'The Polar Express' (2004), which actor plays several characters, including the train conductor?
- A. Tom Hanks
- B. Jim Carrey
- C. Robin Williams
- D. Tim Allen
- In which South American capital is it a tradition to go to December dawn masses… on roller skates?
- A. Caracas
- B. Bogotá
- C. Lima
- D. Buenos Aires
- What is Santa traditionally called in the United Kingdom?
- A. Father Christmas
- B. Saint Nick
- C. Kris Kringle
- D. Old Winter
- What share of their yearly oysters do the French eat during the festive season?
- A. Barely 5%
- B. About half
- C. About a quarter
- D. Almost all
- Roughly how long does it take for a farmed Christmas tree to reach 2 metres?
- A. 1 to 2 years
- B. 3 to 4 years
- C. 7 to 10 years
- D. 20 to 25 years
- Why does the fir tree keep its green needles in the middle of winter, unlike the oak, which loses its leaves?
- A. Its thick, waxy needles withstand frost and drought
- B. It grows faster in winter
- C. It stores heat in its trunk
- D. It never photosynthesises
- In Spain, what is the nickname of the jackpot of the Christmas lottery, drawn every 22 December?
- A. El Gordo
- B. La Gorda
- C. El Grande
- D. La Suerte
Answer key — Christmas Quiz
- C. RudolphRudolph was invented in 1939 for a promotional booklet by the American department store Montgomery Ward, before becoming a hit song.
- D. 13The 13 desserts represent Christ and the 12 apostles: dried fruit (the 'mendiants'), white and black nougat, olive-oil bread, dates…
- A. A Christmas CarolVisited by three ghosts, Scrooge rediscovers the Christmas spirit.
- B. BethlehemThe Gospels of Matthew and Luke place the birth in Bethlehem, in Judea.
- B. The Baby JesusUntil the mid-20th century, in many Catholic families it was 'le petit Jésus' (the Baby Jesus) who left the presents.
- D. Tino RossiTino Rossi sang it in the film 'Destins' (1946). The song sold millions of copies and remains one of the best-selling records ever in France.
- C. LibourneSet up in 1962 at the suggestion of Françoise Dolto, whose brother was France's Postmaster General, the secretariat has been based in Libourne (Gironde) since 1967 and answers over a million letters a year.
- A. A glass picklePresented as German, the custom is almost unknown in Germany.
- B. He supposedly threw gold coins down the chimney, which fell into stockings hung to dryHe is said to have secretly helped three poor young women get married this way.
- A. 7 JanuaryThey follow the old Julian calendar for religious feasts, 13 days behind our Gregorian calendar.
- A. A partridge in a pear treeThe gifts pile up each day up to twelve drummers drumming. An American bank calculates the total cost every year: over $40,000!
- B. SnegurochkaHer name means 'the Snow Maiden'. Dressed in blue and white, she comes from a folk tale and an opera by Rimsky-Korsakov.
- D. Melchior, Caspar and BalthazarMatthew's Gospel gives neither their names nor their number: these traditions appeared several centuries later.
- A. Tom HanksThanks to motion capture, he also plays the father, Santa Claus and a mysterious hobo.
- A. CaracasSome streets are closed to cars to let the skaters through. The origin of this Venezuelan custom remains a mystery.
- A. Father ChristmasThis older English figure often wore a green coat and symbolised good cheer.
- B. About halfFrance is Europe's leading producer and consumer of oysters, and Christmas and New Year meals account for a huge share of them.
- C. 7 to 10 yearsThe Nordmann fir, the best-selling tree in France, grows slowly: it takes 7 to 10 years of cultivation, with regular pruning, to get a nicely conical tree of 1.5 to 2 m.
- A. Its thick, waxy needles withstand frost and droughtNarrow and coated with protective wax, the needles lose very little water when the ground freezes, and the sap contains natural ‘antifreeze’.
- A. El GordoHeld since 1812, the draw is one of the oldest lotteries in the world.