Guide · 5 min read
What are good Christmas trivia questions and answers for seniors?
Good Christmas trivia questions for seniors ask about carols, the songs of the radio years and the Nativity story, with three choices to pick from. Which carol has the line “’Tis the season to be jolly”? Deck the Halls. Below are eight real questions with their answers, then how to host a gentle Christmas quiz.
Updated October 20, 2026 · Selenby Puzzles
The best Christmas trivia for an older group feels like a conversation with a score attached. The questions reach back to carols learned in childhood, songs heard on the radio and the Christmas story from church, and every answer opens a door to a story from someone in the room. Here are eight real questions from our games, and how to run them.
Eight Christmas trivia questions with answers
These come from three of our games, from different rounds, and they are copied exactly as printed in the Host Packs, answers included. Read the question and the choices out loud, twice if it helps, and wait for the room before you read the answer.
Carols and Christmas songs
From Christmas Song Trivia, one question from each of its four rounds:
Which carol has this line: “’Tis the season to be jolly”? A. Deck the Halls · B. Jingle Bells · C. The Holly and the Ivy (Answer: A, Deck the Halls.)
Bing Crosby introduced White Christmas in which 1942 movie? A. Going My Way · B. Holiday Inn · C. Road to Morocco (Answer: B, Holiday Inn.)
In December 1965, two men played Jingle Bells on a harmonica and bells. Where? A. Orbiting the Earth · B. At the White House · C. On a TV variety show (Answer: A, Orbiting the Earth.)
In the German song O Tannenbaum, what kind of tree is a Tannenbaum? A. An oak tree · B. A fir tree · C. A holly bush (Answer: B, A fir tree.)
The Host Pack adds the story behind every answer. After the harmonica question, for instance, it tells the room that astronauts Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford surprised Mission Control from Gemini 6, and that the harmonica and bells are now at the Smithsonian.
Which came first?
From Christmas Trivia: Which Came First, two choices and both years in the answer:
Which came first? A. “Jingle Bells” · B. “White Christmas” (song) (Answer: A. “Jingle Bells” 1857, “White Christmas” 1941.)
Which came first? A. First commercial Christmas card · B. First live nativity scene (Answer: B. The live nativity scene 1223, the commercial Christmas card 1843.)
The Christmas story
From the Christmas Bible Quiz, where every answer comes with its Scripture reference:
Which angel did God send to announce Jesus’ birth to Mary? A. Michael · B. Gabriel · C. Raphael (Answer: B, Gabriel. Luke 1:26-27.)
Gold, frankincense and… what was the third gift of the wise men? A. Myrrh · B. Silver · C. Pearls (Answer: A, Myrrh. Matthew 2:11.)
Seven of these eight questions are in the Gentle 20 of their games: the friendliest questions, set aside for a short and easy game.
Why these questions suit seniors
- Choices instead of recall. Three options (A, B or C), or two in Which Came First, let a player reason toward the answer instead of searching for a name.
- The decades they lived. Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole and the carols of a church childhood are home ground for an older group, and the younger guests at the table learn something.
- A question for the table after every answer. Each one has a “Talk about it” line, such as “Did you ever have a white Christmas? Where were you?” The stories often get a bigger reaction than the score.
- Big print at a distance. The question cards print at 36 pt or larger in Song Trivia, 40 pt or larger in the Bible Quiz and 60 pt in Which Came First. In Song Trivia and the Bible Quiz the body text is 18 pt.
- No writing needed. In Easy Mode everyone holds up an A, B or C paddle, the host skips the scores and every round ends with applause.
How to host a Christmas quiz in a senior center or at home
- Choose your length. In Christmas Song Trivia, the Gentle 20 runs about 25 minutes, rounds 1 and 2 about 30 minutes, and all four rounds about an hour.
- Seat players singly or in tables of 3 to 6, with one answer sheet per table, or hand out the paddles.
- Read each question and its choices twice, then allow about 20 seconds (30 for teams).
- Read the answer and the fun fact, then the “Talk about it” question if the group wants to chat.
- At the end of a round, swap sheets and mark them, or in Easy Mode skip the scores altogether.
- Settle a tie with a tie-breaker: the closest number wins. Song Trivia has five, such as the total number of gifts in The Twelve Days of Christmas.
For teams, timing and a room of eighty, see our full guide on how to host Christmas trivia.
Which Christmas trivia game for which group
| Game | Questions | Choices | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas Song Trivia | 40 in 4 rounds | A, B or C | Carol lovers, senior centers; the Office 20 has no sacred carols |
| Christmas Trivia: Which Came First | 40 in 4 rounds | A or B | Mixed ages, gentle groups with Easy Mode paddles |
| Christmas Bible Quiz | 40 in 4 rounds | A, B or C | Church groups, Advent studies, Sunday school |
| Christmas Movie Trivia | 40 in 4 rounds | A, B or C | Fans of the classic Christmas films |
For a whole evening, the Christmas Trivia Night Bundle puts Song Trivia, Which Came First, Movie Trivia and Christmas Finish the Phrase in one download, with a ready 90-minute plan. For an activity room, the Christmas Games for Older Adults bundle pairs Which Came First with three party games and a 90-minute plan of its own.
Pick the carol that opens the afternoon, and let the questions do the rest. You’ll find every game on our Christmas party games page.
