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Christmas music trivia is the game my whole family plays, because we've all had the same songs stuck in our heads since Thanksgiving. Your grandma knows every Bing Crosby record and your kids know every word of "All I Want for Christmas Is You," so everyone at the table has a shot at winning.
I wrote 57 Christmas music trivia questions with the answer right under each one, so you can host without Googling anything. Play them as one long quiz or slot a round into your next family game night.
If you want them on paper, I’ve made a printable PDF too.
How to host a Christmas music trivia night
Set a few house rules before the first question so you aren’t getting accused of ‘making up the rules’ by arguing teams (trust me, it happens even in the most agreeable families).
- Teams: Mix ages on every team so that people have a chance to score points across the different categories of questions.
- Scoring: Give 1 point for the song title and 1 for the artist.
- Name that tune: Play only the first 5 seconds of each song from your phone.
- Round order: Start with the kids round while the little ones are still awake, and save the fun facts round for tie-breakers.
If this is your first time hosting, this guide on how to host a trivia night covers timers and answer sheets. You can also slot the quiz in between these Christmas Day family games.
Christmas music trivia questions about classic carols
Most of these carols are 100 to 300 years old, which makes this the easiest round for mixed ages. If you're going caroling this year, you can plan the rest of the night with these Christmas activities for families.
Q: Which carol was first performed on Christmas Eve 1818 in Oberndorf, Austria, with a guitar?
A: "Silent Night," by Joseph Mohr and Franz Xaver Gruber
Q: Who wrote the words to "Joy to the World" in 1719?
A: Isaac Watts
Q: What was the original title of "Jingle Bells" when it was published in 1857?
A: "One Horse Open Sleigh"
Q: Which carol comes from a Ukrainian folk chant called "Shchedryk"?
A: "Carol of the Bells"
Q: Which composer wrote the melody for "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"?
A: Felix Mendelssohn
Q: Which country does the melody of "Deck the Halls" come from?
A: Wales
Q: How many gifts does the singer get in "The Twelve Days of Christmas" if you add up every verse?
A: 364
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Finish-the-lyrics Christmas song trivia
I read the first line, and you finish it. Expect lots of noise and lots of singing. If your family would rather sing the whole song, Karaoke on Roku scores each singer on words and pitch, and these karaoke songs give you a list to start from.
Q: "Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh, o'er the fields we go…"
A: "Laughing all the way"
Q: "Silent night, holy night, all is calm…"
A: "All is bright"
Q: "God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing…"
A: "You dismay"
Q: "O come, all ye faithful, joyful and…"
A: "Triumphant"
Q: "Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus…"
A: "Laid down his sweet head"
Q: "Up on the housetop reindeer pause, out jumps…"
A: "Good old Santa Claus"
Q: "Joy to the world, the Lord is come, let earth…"
A: "Receive her King"
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1940s to 1960s Christmas standards trivia
This round covers the songs your grandparents played on vinyl, from Bing Crosby to Brenda Lee. You can test the same knowledge out loud with Song Quiz on the Weekend app. You hear a short clip, then shout the song and artist into your remote.
Q: How long did it take Bing Crosby to record "White Christmas" in May 1942?
A: 18 minutes
Q: Which singer co-wrote "The Christmas Song" with Bob Wells before Nat King Cole recorded it in 1946?
A: Mel Tormé
Q: Which singing cowboy recorded "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" in 1949?
A: Gene Autry
Q: Which songwriter wrote "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and "A Holly Jolly Christmas"?
A: Johnny Marks
Q: How old was Brenda Lee when she recorded "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" in 1958?
A: 13. The song finally hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 2023, when she was 78.
Q: In what year did Bobby Helms release "Jingle Bell Rock"?
A: 1957
Q: Who sang "Blue Christmas" on his 1957 Christmas album?
A: Elvis Presley
Q: Which 1962 song was written as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis?
A: "Do You Hear What I Hear?"
Modern pop Christmas song trivia
Everything in this round came out after 1970, so the under-40s will finally get their turn to score. If your family loves Wham!, these 80s trivia questions make a good next round, and these pop trivia questions cover the newer hits.
Q: In what year did "All I Want for Christmas Is You" first hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100?
A: 2019, 25 years after its 1994 release
Q: Which 1984 song was kept off the top of the UK chart by Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?"
A: "Last Christmas" by Wham!
Q: Which 2 musicians organized Band Aid in 1984?
A: Bob Geldof and Midge Ure
Q: Who sang "Santa Tell Me" in 2014?
A: Ariana Grande
Q: Which singer released "Mistletoe" in 2011?
A: Justin Bieber
Q: Which American Idol winner sang "Underneath the Tree" in 2013?
A: Kelly Clarkson
Q: Which Taylor Swift song is about the Pennsylvania farm where she grew up?
A: "Christmas Tree Farm"
Christmas songs from movies and TV specials
Movie fans have an edge here, since every answer comes from a film or TV special you've probably watched in December. For a full round of film questions, try these movie trivia questions.
Q: Which 1944 movie introduced "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," sung by Judy Garland?
A: Meet Me in St. Louis
Q: Which 1942 movie introduced "White Christmas" on screen, sung by Bing Crosby?
A: Holiday Inn. The song won the Oscar for Best Original Song.
Q: Which song, first sung by Bob Hope in The Lemon Drop Kid, was almost titled "Tinkle Bell"?
A: "Silver Bells"
Q: Who sang "Believe" in The Polar Express?
A: Josh Groban
Q: Which Brenda Lee song plays while Kevin fakes a house party in Home Alone?
A: "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"
Q: Which song do Cady and the Plastics dance to at the talent show in Mean Girls?
A: "Jingle Bell Rock"
Q: Who sang "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" in the 1966 TV special?
A: Thurl Ravenscroft, who was also the voice of Tony the Tiger
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Name that Christmas tune
Read the description or hold up the emoji, and the first person to name the song wins the point. If your family loves the emoji ones, Guess the Emoji on the Weekend app has full rounds of emoji strings for movies, songs and sayings.
Q: Which 1958 hit stars 3 singing chipmunks, including one who wants a hula hoop?
A: "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)"
Q: Which 1970 José Feliciano song mixes Spanish and English?
A: "Feliz Navidad"
Q: Which 1979 novelty song is about a grandmother hit by Santa's sleigh team on Christmas Eve?
A: "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer"
Q: Which 1960 song is about a donkey who helps Santa climb the hills of Italy?
A: "Dominick the Donkey"
Q: 🥁👦
A: "The Little Drummer Boy"
Q: 🏃♂️🦌🏃♂️
A: "Run Rudolph Run"
Q: 🎅👀💋
A: "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"
For more ways to play, check out these games like Name That Tune and SongPop Party alternatives.
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Christmas music trivia for kids
These are easy enough for kids in kindergarten through third grade. For a longer set, try this music trivia for kids, or mix in a few music games for kids.
Got a toddler who wants in? CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ has sing-along mini-games like BINGO and Wheels on the Bus for ages 2 to 4, on Fire TV, Samsung and LG.
Q: What color is Rudolph's nose?
A: Red
Q: What brings Frosty the Snowman to life?
A: An old silk hat
Q: How many horses pull the sleigh in "Jingle Bells"?
A: 1
Q: Besides Rudolph, how many of Santa's reindeer get named in "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"?
A: 8
Q: What bird is in a pear tree in "The Twelve Days of Christmas"?
A: A partridge
Q: What does Santa check twice in "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town"?
A: His list
Q: In "Deck the Halls," what do you deck the halls with?
A: Boughs of holly
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Christmas music fun facts round
This round covers the big debates, like the No. 1 Christmas song of all time and the most controversial one, so save it for tie-breakers.
If your family wants harder questions after this, these music trivia questions go much deeper, and Jeopardy! on the Weekend app has official clues with the same rules, timer and pace as the TV show.
Q: What’s the No. 1 Christmas song of all time?
A: By sales, it's Bing Crosby's "White Christmas," which Guinness World Records lists as the best-selling physical single, at an estimated 50 million copies. Billboard's Greatest of All Time Holiday 100 Songs chart ranks "All I Want for Christmas Is You" No. 1.
Q: Which famous Christmas song wasn't meant to be a Christmas song?
A: "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne wrote it during a July 1945 heat wave in Hollywood, and the lyrics never mention Christmas.
Q: What’s the most controversial Christmas song?
A: "Baby, It's Cold Outside." Several U.S. radio stations pulled it in 2018 after listeners complained about the lyrics, even though it won an Oscar for the 1949 film Neptune's Daughter.
Q: What’s the most recorded Christmas song?
A: "Silent Night," with 733 copyrighted recordings since 1978, according to a 2014 TIME analysis of U.S. Copyright Office records
Q: What was the first song ever played in space?
A: "Jingle Bells." Gemini 6 astronauts Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford played it on a harmonica and sleigh bells in December 1965.
Q: Which holiday song was the first to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100?
A: "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)," in December 1958
Q: Whose attempt to trademark the title "Queen of Christmas" was rejected in 2022?
A: Mariah Carey's
Keep the Christmas music trivia going on your TV
Once you've played through these Christmas music trivia questions, you can keep game night going with Weekend Games on your smart TV. Launch the Weekend app on Roku, Fire TV, Samsung or LG and pick a game.
There's one for every kind of get-together, from Christmas Eve with the grandparents to a New Year's party with friends.
Here's the lineup:
- Jeopardy! uses the show's real clues, rules and timer.
- Song Quiz is music trivia across decades and genres.
- Wheel of Fortune has you spin the wheel and call letters to solve the puzzle.
- Guess the Emoji is best for fast and fun visual puzzle lovers.
- Karaoke (on Roku) scores your singing on words and pitch.
- Sketchy AF is a race to name a doodle before the drawing finishes.
- Spot On tests your geography with pins on a 3D globe.
- Bingo has the TV call the numbers while you mark your card on your phone.
- Short List is a party game where only the most popular answers count.
- BFFs is a would-you-rather game that shows how often you match your friends.
- Meme Supreme is a meme-matching game for grown-up party nights.
- Wit's End is a fantasy role-playing game in the spirit of D&D.
- 20 Questions (on Roku) is the classic yes-or-no guessing game.
- CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ (on Fire TV, Samsung and LG) is early childhood learning and entertainment for ages 2 to 4.
Want to keep the music going after dinner? Start your 7-day free trial and play Weekend Games on your smart TV.
FAQs
What are easy Christmas music trivia questions for kids?
Easy Christmas music trivia questions for kids ask what color Rudolph's nose is, what brings Frosty to life and how many horses pull the sleigh in "Jingle Bells." The kids round above has 7 questions for kindergarten through third grade.
How do you play Christmas name that tune?
To play Christmas name that tune, play the first 5 seconds of a song from your phone and give a point to whoever names it first. Add a bonus point for the artist, and use the emoji questions above when you need a break from the music.
Can I play Christmas music trivia on my TV?
Yes, you can play music trivia on your TV with Song Quiz on Roku, Fire TV, Samsung and LG through the Weekend Games app. Search for "Weekend Games" in your TV's app store, start the 7-day free trial and pick Song Quiz after you finish the Christmas rounds above.
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Free for 7 days. Cancel anytime.
