From festive films to iconic songs and historical facts, this is the perfect activity to do over Christmas – no phones allowed!
Film
1. Question: Who played the love interest of Will Ferrell’s character, Buddy, in the 2003 film, Elf?
Answer: Zooey Deschanel
2. Question: What was the name of the family in the Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol?
Answer: Cratchit
3. Question: The movie Miracle on 34th Street is based on a real-life department store. What is it?
Answer: Macy’s New York
4. Question: What beloved comedian makes a cameo in the first Home Alone film as a polka playing musician?
Answer: John Candy
5. Question: What was the real name of the character Tim Allen plays in The Santa Clause?
Answer: Scott Calvin
6. Question: In Home Alone 2, what Oscar-winning Irish actress plays the Central Park Pigeon Lady who scares Kevin before he gets to know her?
Answer: Brenda Fricker
7. Question: In the movie It’s A Wonderful Life, what happened every time a bell rang?
Answer: An angel got his wings
8. Question: Apart from all being shown around Christmas time, what do the Harry Potter film franchise, Die Hard and Love Actually have in common?
Answer: They all star Alan Rickman
9. Question: In Love Actually, what carol does the Prime Minister (played by Hugh Grant) and his driver sing to a group of children at the doorstep of one of his constituents?
Answer: Good King Wencelas
10. Question: In The Holiday, who plays the four lead roles? (Two female, two male)
Answer: Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jack Black and Jude Law
Music
1. Question: Which Christmas song contains the lyric: “Everyone dancing merrily in the new old-fashioned way?”
Answer: “Rocking Around The Christmas Tree”
2. Question: In the song Winter Wonderland, who do we pretend the snowman is?
Answer: Parson Brown
3. Question: What popular Christmas song was actually written for Thanksgiving and was also the first song broadcast in space?
Answer: Jingle Bells
4. Question: In the carol Silent Night, what are the last two lines of the first verse?
Answer: Sleep in heavenly peace
5. Question: What did Frosty The Snowman do when a magic hat was placed on his head?
Answer: He began to dance around
6. Question: According to the song, what did my true love give to me on the eleventh day of Christmas?
Answer: Eleven pipers piping
7. Question: What is reportedly the best-selling Christmas song ever?
Answer: White Christmas by Bing Crosby
8. Question: In what year did Jingle Bells become the first ever song broadcast in space?
Answer: 1965 by the crew on Gemini 6
9. Question: Who had a hit in 1985 with the song Walking in the Air?
Answer: Aled Jones
10. Question: Which famous Christmas song begins with the lyrics: ‘The mood is right, the spirit’s up, we’re here tonight and that’s enough’?
Answer: Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney
TV
1. Question: In the Fr Ted Christmas Special, ‘A Christmassy Ted’, what is the name of the award Ted wins?
Answer: The Golden Cleric
2. Question: Which festive song do Smithy and Gavin sing together over the phone in the Gavin and Stacey Christmas episode?
Answer: Do They Know It’s Christmas?
3. Question: What character does Ross Gellar dress as to teach his son Ben about Hannukkah in Season 9 of Friends?
Answer: The Holiday Armadillo
4. Question: In the iconic Irish TV special Zig and Zag’s Christmas Crisis, what is the name of the aftershave that is stolen from their home?
Answer: Scent of Man
5. Question: Who does Michael Scott go up against for the role of Santa at the office Christmas party in Season 6 of The US Office?
Answer: Phyllis
History
1. Question: Which country started the tradition of putting up a Christmas tree?
Answer: Germany
2. Question: What year did the Radio City Music Hall in New York begin it’s Christmas Spectacular Show with the world famous Rockettes?
Answer: 1933
3. Question: Which US president banned Christmas trees from the White House?
Answer: Theodore Roosevelt
4. Question: What has been given to the people of Britain by the city of Oslo in Norway each year since 1947?
Answer: Christmas Tree (displayed in Trafalgar Square)
5. Question: True or false: Christmas crackers were invented by a sweet maker from London called Tom Smith?
Answer: True
Random
1. Question: In the poem “‘Twas The Night Before Christmas?” visions of which food danced in children’s heads as they slept?
Answer: Sugar plums
2. Question: What gifts do the Wise Men give the baby Jesus in the story of the Nativity?
Answer: Gold, frankincense and myrrh
3. Question: What American fast food chain became synonymous with Christmas in Japan thanks to an ingenious marketing campaign?
Answer: Kentucky Fried Chicken. The KFC – Kentucky For Christmas campaign was a huge success in 1974.
4. Question: How many presents in total we were given in the 12 Days of Christmas?
Answer: 364
5. Question: Which ocean is Christmas Island situated in?
Answer: Indian Ocean
6. Question: Who is the patron saint celebrated on the 26th December?
Answer: Saint Stephen
7. Question: ‘Wassailing’ is the old tradition that is now more commonly known as what?
Answer: Carolling
8. Question: In what children’s novel is it ‘always winter but never Christmas’?
Answer: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by CS Lewis
9. Question: Which way do you stir a Christmas pudding mixture for good luck?
Answer: Clockwise
10. Question: What food should be eaten on the 12 days of Christmas to ensure good luck for the year ahead?
Answer: A mince pie
Kids
1. Question: In a famous Christmas song, what type of bird was sat in a pear tree?
Answer: A partridge
2. Question: True or false: there is a town called Santa Claus?
Answer: True! Santa Claus is a town in Indiana in the United States.
3. Question: Which Christmas song includes the lyrics: ‘Dashing through the snow, in a one horse open sleigh’?
Answer: Jingle Bells
4. Question: What type of animal does Santa use to pull his sleigh: a) Horse, b) Donkey, c) Reindeer?
Answer: c) Reindeer
5. Question: What date is Christmas Eve on?
Answer: 24th December
6. Question: Name the two most popular items placed on top of a Christmas tree?
Answer: Star and Angel
7. Question: Name three of Santa’s Reindeer – that are not Rudolph!
Answer: Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Dancer, Prancer, Dasher, Vixen
8. Question: According to the song ‘Santa Claus is coming to Town’, how many times does Santa check his list?
Answer: Twice
9. Question: In the song Frosty the Snowman, what were Frosty’s eyes made from?
Answer: Coal
10. Question: What plant with prickly green leaves and red berries is a traditional Christmas decoration?
Answer: Holly
