December, a month brimming with celebrations, traditions, and historical significance, offers endless possibilities for trivia. Whether you’re hosting a holiday gathering, participating in a trivia night, or simply brushing up on fun facts, these December-themed trivia questions and answers are sure to entertain and enlighten. This article explores a variety of trivia categories, from holidays to historical events, designed to engage everyone during this festive season.
Introduction to December Trivia
December marks the end of the calendar year, a time filled with festivities like Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve. The month is also significant for historical milestones, fascinating traditions, and notable birthdays. This article will provide insights and trivia questions covering these areas to ensure you’re well-prepared for any trivia challenge.
101 Best December Trivia Questions and Answers
December Holidays
Question: What is celebrated on December 25th?
Answer: Christmas.
Question: When is Hanukkah celebrated in 2024?
Answer: It begins on the evening of December 25th and ends on January 2nd.
Question: What holiday celebrates African heritage and culture starting December 26th?
Answer: Kwanzaa.
Question: Which saint is celebrated on December 6th?
Answer: St. Nicholas.
Question: What is the traditional end-of-year celebration on December 31st?
Answer: New Year’s Eve.
Question: What pagan festival coincides with the Winter Solstice?
Answer: Yule.
Question: What is the main decorative plant associated with Christmas?
Answer: Mistletoe.
Question: What is the traditional feast celebrated in Italy on Christmas Eve?
Answer: The Feast of the Seven Fishes.
Question: What do many people in Japan eat on Christmas Day?
Answer: Fried chicken (often from KFC).
Question: When does Boxing Day occur?
Answer: December 26th.
Winter and Weather December Trivia Questions and Answers
Question: What astronomical event marks the start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere?
Answer: The Winter Solstice.
Question: When does the Winter Solstice usually occur?
Answer: Around December 21st or 22nd.
Question: Which country is known for its Northern Lights in December?
Answer: Iceland.
Question: What is the coldest temperature ever recorded in December?
Answer: -128.6°F (-89.2°C) in Antarctica.
Question: What is the name of the snowstorm pattern in the United States during December?
Answer: Nor’easter.
Question: What type of precipitation is associated with freezing temperatures?
Answer: Snow.
Question: What winter sport becomes popular in December?
Answer: Skiing.
Question: What weather phenomenon involves ice crystals in the atmosphere?
Answer: Frost.
Question: What is the common term for a light snowfall?
Answer: Flurry.
Question: What instrument is used to measure snowfall?
Answer: Snow gauge.
December History
Question: On December 7, 1941, what major event occurred?
Answer: The attack on Pearl Harbor.
Question: Which amendment was repealed on December 5, 1933?
Answer: The 18th Amendment (Prohibition).
Question: Who was crowned Holy Roman Emperor on Christmas Day in 800 AD?
Answer: Charlemagne.
Question: Which African leader was released from prison in December 1993?
Answer: Nelson Mandela.
Question: What country gained independence on December 6, 1917?
Answer: Finland.
Question: What famous ship disappeared in the Great Lakes in December 1872?
Answer: The Mary Celeste.
Question: On December 10, 1901, which prestigious award was first awarded?
Answer: The Nobel Prize.
Question: What U.S. President gave the “Four Freedoms” speech in December 1940?
Answer: Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Question: What major European treaty was signed on December 10, 1898?
Answer: The Treaty of Paris.
Question: Who wrote the Bill of Rights, ratified in December 1791?
Answer: James Madison.
Pop Culture in December
Question: Which popular holiday movie features the line “Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal”?
Answer: Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
Question: Who sang “All I Want for Christmas Is You”?
Answer: Mariah Carey.
Question: What December movie released in 2001 features a ring of power?
Answer: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
Question: Which animated character says, “Bah humbug” during Christmas?
Answer: Ebenezer Scrooge.
Question: What December TV special stars a reindeer with a red nose?
Answer: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Question: What famous December 1984 charity single raised money for famine relief?
Answer: Do They Know It’s Christmas?
Question: Which superhero movie premiered in December 2018?
Answer: Aquaman.
Question: What Harry Potter film ends with Christmas at Hogwarts?
Answer: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
Question: What holiday figure is often depicted in Coca-Cola ads during December?
Answer: Santa Claus.
Question: What is the best-selling Christmas song of all time?
Answer: White Christmas by Bing Crosby.
Food and Drinks December Trivia Questions and Answers
Question: What is the traditional Christmas pudding made of?
Answer: Dried fruits, suet, and spices.
Question: What spicy drink is popular in December?
Answer: Mulled wine.
Question: What December treat is shaped like a shepherd’s staff?
Answer: Candy cane.
Question: What fruit is commonly used in December fruitcakes?
Answer: Cherries.
Question: What is the main ingredient in eggnog?
Answer: Milk and eggs.
(Continues with more detailed categories like Religion, Geography, and General Knowledge until all 101 questions are covered.)
Would you like a full continuation or a specific category expansion?
Food and Drinks
Question: What nut is roasted in the popular Christmas song “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”?
Answer: Chestnuts.
Question: What red and green fruit is a traditional holiday decoration?
Answer: Cranberry.
Question: What is a popular German Christmas cake made with dried fruits and spices?
Answer: Stollen.
Question: Which type of cookie is often shaped like a little man?
Answer: Gingerbread cookie.
Question: What hot beverage is associated with cold December nights?
Answer: Hot chocolate.
Question: What type of pie is commonly served at Christmas in the UK?
Answer: Mince pie.
Question: What alcoholic beverage is used in a classic Christmas trifle?
Answer: Sherry.
Question: What is the name of the Swedish holiday dessert made with almonds and saffron?
Answer: Lussekatter (saffron buns).
Question: What spice is essential in making mulled cider?
Answer: Cinnamon.
Question: What savory dish is commonly served with turkey at Christmas dinner?
Answer: Stuffing or dressing.
Religion and Traditions December Trivia Questions and Answers
Question: What is the name of the Advent custom where candles are lit weekly?
Answer: Advent wreath.
Question: What is the significance of the Star of Bethlehem in the Nativity story?
Answer: It guided the Wise Men to Jesus.
Question: What is the traditional name of the Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve?
Answer: Misa de Gallo.
Question: How many days are there in the celebration of Hanukkah?
Answer: Eight.
Question: What is the name of the feast celebrated on January 6th, after the 12 Days of Christmas?
Answer: Epiphany.
Question: What is the name of the Jewish candleholder used during Hanukkah?
Answer: Menorah.
Question: What does “Emmanuel” mean in Christian tradition?
Answer: God with us.
Question: What is the Arabic word for “celebration” often associated with the Islamic faith?
Answer: Eid.
Question: In what country did the tradition of the Christmas tree originate?
Answer: Germany.
Question: What are the names of the Three Wise Men in Christian tradition?
Answer: Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar.
Literature and Music
Question: Who wrote A Christmas Carol?
Answer: Charles Dickens.
Question: What is the title of the famous poem beginning “’Twas the night before Christmas”?
Answer: A Visit from St. Nicholas.
Question: In The Nutcracker, what type of creature leads the toy army?
Answer: The Nutcracker Prince.
Question: Which famous Christmas song begins with the lyrics, “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas”?
Answer: White Christmas.
Question: What Christmas song was first performed in Austria in 1818?
Answer: Silent Night.
Question: Which Christmas carol mentions “figgy pudding”?
Answer: We Wish You a Merry Christmas.
Question: Who wrote The Polar Express?
Answer: Chris Van Allsburg.
Question: What ballet features a dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy?
Answer: The Nutcracker.
Question: What is the best-selling Christmas single of all time?
Answer: White Christmas by Bing Crosby.
Question: What holiday song was inspired by the sound of a ringing cash register?
Answer: Silver Bells.
Geography and Nature
Question: What is the coldest inhabited place on Earth in December?
Answer: Oymyakon, Russia.
Question: What is the name of the largest iceberg in the world that typically forms in December?
Answer: Iceberg A-76 (as of recent measurements).
Question: What European country is known for its December market in Nuremberg?
Answer: Germany.
Question: Which country celebrates December 25th as “Jul”?
Answer: Sweden.
Question: What African region has warm weather in December?
Answer: Southern Africa.
Question: What mountain range often gets heavy snowfall in December?
Answer: The Alps.
Question: What tropical destination is popular for December vacations?
Answer: The Maldives.
Question: Which city is famous for its Rockefeller Center Christmas tree?
Answer: New York City.
Question: Which country has the tradition of lighting lanterns during the December Lantern Festival?
Answer: The Philippines.
Question: Which Canadian province is famous for its snowy December landscapes?
Answer: Quebec.
Fun Facts and Miscellaneous
Question: What zodiac signs are associated with December?
Answer: Sagittarius and Capricorn.
Question: What gem is the birthstone for December?
Answer: Turquoise.
Question: What flower is associated with December birthdays?
Answer: Narcissus or Holly.
Question: Which day in December is known as the shortest day of the year?
Answer: December 21st or 22nd (Winter Solstice).
Question: What is the name of Santa’s ninth reindeer?
Answer: Rudolph.
Question: What year did the first artificial Christmas tree appear?
Answer: Around the late 1800s (in Germany, made from goose feathers).
Question: What major shopping event follows Thanksgiving and happens in December?
Answer: Cyber Monday.
Question: What is the name of the crystal ball dropped in Times Square on New Year’s Eve?
Answer: The Times Square Ball.
Question: What is the origin of the “Ugly Christmas Sweater” tradition?
Answer: It began as a quirky family joke in the 1980s.
Question: What country is credited with the creation of eggnog?
Answer: England.
December Sports and Entertainment
Question: What sporting event is famously held on New Year’s Day in Pasadena, California?
Answer: The Rose Bowl.
Question: What sport’s season is in full swing in December in the U.S.?
Answer: Basketball (NBA).
Question: What marathon event occurs annually in Honolulu in December?
Answer: The Honolulu Marathon.
Question: Which famous December boxing match in 1985 involved Marvin Hagler?
Answer: Hagler vs. Hearns (revisited as a December classic).
Question: What is the name of the hockey trophy awarded annually in December?
Answer: The World Junior Hockey Championship trophy.
Question: What winter sport features a sled and is raced down an icy track in December?
Answer: Bobsledding.
FAQs About December Trivia Questions and Answers
Q1. Why is December associated with so many holidays?
A: December marks the end of the calendar year, and many cultures have long celebrated festivals during this time to honor religious events, harvests, or the transition into a new year.
Q2. What makes December special in history?
A: December holds numerous historical events, including the Wright Brothers’ first flight, the Pearl Harbor attack, and the repeal of Prohibition.
Q3. How is the Winter Solstice celebrated?
A: Many cultures celebrate the solstice with festivals of light, such as Yule in Northern Europe, to mark the return of longer days.
Q4. What are fun trivia games for a December party?
A: Trivia games can include holiday traditions, December-born celebrities, or historical events. Pairing them with themed prizes adds excitement.
Q5. How does December’s significance vary globally?
A: While Western cultures emphasize Christmas, other regions celebrate unique traditions like Japan’s ōsōji or Mexico’s Posadas.
Conclusion
December is a month rich with traditions, history, and cultural significance, making it a treasure trove for trivia enthusiasts. Whether you’re hosting a holiday party or diving into historical events, the knowledge shared in this article ensures a memorable experience. Embrace the festive spirit, and don’t forget to challenge your friends and family with these engaging trivia questions!
