50 Christmas Fact or Fiction Questions: Are They True?
Think you know your Christmas facts? Put your holiday knowledge to the test with this fun Christmas Fact or Fiction game!
From Santa Claus and his reindeer to Christmas traditions, food, music, movies, and celebrations around the world, these Christmas statements will have everyone guessing. Some are surprisingly interesting and tricky!
Simply read each statement and decide: Fact or Fiction?
This family-friendly Christmas trivia game is perfect for:
- Christmas family game nights
- Christmas parties
- Classroom holiday parties
- Youth groups
- Office Christmas parties
- Holiday gatherings
- Christmas Eve
- Road trips
- Winter break
Be sure to grab the free printable PDF at the bottom of this post! It is the blue “download” button.
Would you like to save this idea?
Enter your email and I'll send the link straight to you.
Contents
How to Play Christmas Fact or Fiction
1. Read each Christmas statement aloud.
2. Players decide whether they think the statement is FACT or FICTION. Players can:
- call out their answer
- write it down
- hold up a Fact or Fiction card
- divide into teams
- use the free printable below
3. Reveal the correct answer and award one point for each correct answer.
4. The player or team with the most points at the end wins!
Tip: Don’t reveal the answer too quickly! Some of these Christmas facts are trickier than they sound.
*Grab the free printable below! (It’s the blue download button)
50 Christmas Fact or Fiction Questions
Test your Christmas knowledge with these fun fact or fiction questions. The answers are included!
1. Santa’s suit has always been red.
2. Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas are the same person.
3. Reindeer can run over 40 mph.
4. Santa has his own Canadian postal code which is HOH OHO.
5. Christmas trees originated in Germany.
6. Tinsel was originally made from real silver.
7. Christmas is celebrated on December 25 in every country.
8. In Japan, eating KFC has become a popular Christmas tradition.
9. Arkansas was the first U.S. state to declare Christmas a bank holiday.
10. Christmas takes place during summer in Australia.
11. “Jingle Bells” was the first song to be broadcast in outer space.
12. “Silent Night” has been translated into more than 300 languages.
13. The song “White Christmas” was written for the film White Christmas.
14. The Bible says Jesus was born on December 25.
15. Candy canes started as plain, solid white sugar sticks.
16. Mistletoe is a parasitic plant.
17. The reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh are all female.
18. Kids in Sweden leave out coffee for Santa.
19. There are 350 total gifts given in the song of the 12 Days of Christmas.
20. “Jingle Bells” was always intended to be a Christmas song.
Related: The BEST Christmas Trivia
21. Artificial Christmas trees were once made from dyed goose feathers.
Answer: FACT. Some early artificial trees made in Germany used dyed goose feathers attached to wire branches.
22. The Christmas pickle is a centuries-old tradition followed by nearly every family in Germany.
Answer: FICTION. The Christmas pickle ornament is often marketed as a German tradition, but it is not widely established as a centuries-old custom in Germany. Its popularity is much stronger in the United States.
23. Fried Caterpillars is a traditional dish in South Africa.
Answer: FACT
24. Clark Griswold puts 25,000 lights on his house in Christmas Vacation.
Answer: FACT
Related: Ultimate Christmas Movie Trivia
25. Three wise men came to visit the baby Jesus on the night of his birth.
Answer: FICTION. The Bible does not state how many wise men (Magi) came. Tradition assumes there were three only because they brought three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They did not visit Jesus in a manger or stable on the night of His birth. According to the Gospel of Matthew, they arrived later and found Mary and Jesus living in a house.
Related: Left Right Nativity Story Game
26. There are 144 “la’s” in the song “Deck The Halls”.
Answer: FICTION. There are 96.
27. Pepsi popularized the image of Santa as we now know it.
Answer: FICTION. It was Coca Cola.
28. “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” was written during a blizzard.
Answer: FICTION. It was written during a heat wave in California.
29. “Jingle Bells” is the bestselling Christmas song of all time.
Answer: FICTION. “White Christmas” is the bestselling Christmas song of all time.
30. The Who’s in Whoville eat turkey for their main Christmas course.
Answer: FICTION. They eat roast beast.
31. Eggnog originated from England.
Answer: FACT.
32. In older days, women in England who wanted to find a husband ate a Gingerbread man for good luck.
Answer: FACT.
33. Tree skirts were invented to catch dripping candle wax from Christmas trees.
Answer: FACT. They first appeared in the 1870s.
34. Baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
Answer: FACT. According to Gospel accounts, Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea.
35. Christmas used to be illegal to celebrate.
Answer: FACT. It was illegal to celebrate from 1659 to 1681.
36. There are approximately 20,000 songs with ‘Christmas’ in the title.
Answer: FICTION. There are approximately 10,000.
37. The movie It’s a Wonderful Life, was investigated by the FBI under suspicion of Communist propaganda.
Answer: FACT
38. In Home Alone, the picture of Buzz’s girlfriend was actually of a boy wearing a wig.
Answer: FACT
Related: Home Alone Movie Quiz
39. The alleged tomb of Saint Nicholas is in France.
Answer: FICTION. Saint Nicholas served as the Bishop of Myra in the Antalya province of Turkey. After his death, he was originally entombed in Demre, Turkey.
40. Fruitcakes have been known to remain edible for decades.
Answer: FACT
41. Ukrainians decorate their Christmas trees with traditional glass ornaments.
Answer: FICTION. In Ukraine, families adorn their Christmas trees with spider webs instead of traditional decorations. This custom comes from a folktale about a poor widow who couldn’t afford decorations, and on Christmas morning, her children found their tree covered in beautiful webs spun by sympathetic spiders. This is believed to bring good luck for the coming year.
42. Norwegians hide their brooms from witches and evil spirits on Christmas Eve.
Answer: FACT. According to Norwegian folklore, Christmas Eve is a time when witches and evil spirits wake up and roam the dark winter nights looking for brooms and mops to steal for flight.
43. The first commercial Christmas card featured a family drinking wine.
Answer: FACT. The first Christmas card was sent in 1843, and it featured a family drinking wine together (the whole family, kids and all!).
44. Reindeer actually “click” when they walk because of their hooves hitting the ground.
Answer: FICTION. The click is caused by tendons slipping over the bones in their feet.
45. In the original 1823 poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas”, the final two reindeer were named Donner and Blitzen.
Answer: FICTION. They were given the Dutch names Dunder and Blixem, which translate literally to “Thunder and Lightning”.
46. Rudolph is one of Santa’s original reindeer.
Answer: FICTION. He was invented in 1939 for the Montgomery Ward department store.
47. The United States government officially recognizes Santa Claus as a pilot.
Answer: FACT. In 1927, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Aeronautics formally issued Santa his official pilot’s license, along with airway maps and a promise to keep the runway lights burning on Christmas Eve.
48. The Rockefeller Center tree is found in Washington D.C.
Answer: FICTION. It is found in New York City.
49. Brenda Lee was 13 when she recorded “I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas”.
Answer: FICTION. Brenda Lee was 13 years old when she recorded “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree”.
50. Santa’s sleigh is powered by 9 reindeer.
Answer: FACT. While the famous 1823 poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” originally established a team of eight reindeer, a ninth was officially added to the lineup in 1939 with the introduction of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Free Christmas Fact or Fiction Printable Game
Want an easy way to play?
Grab our free Christmas Fact or Fiction printable! Simply download the PDF, print the questions, and you’re ready to play.
Players can mark FACT or FICTION for each statement before you reveal the answers. It’s an easy Christmas game to bring to a party, classroom, family gathering, or Christmas Eve celebration.
Christmas Fact Or Fiction? Answer Key To The Printable Above
- FACT
- FICTION
- FACT
- FICTION
- FACT
- FACT
- FACT
- FICTION
- FICTION
- FACT
- FACT
- FICTION
- FICTION
- FACT
- FACT
- FACT
- FACT
- FICTION
- FICTION
- FACT
Merry & Bright Christmas Six Stack (Screen-Free Fun)
The Merry & Bright Christmas Six Stack does the planning for you. It has 9 ready-to-print Christmas games for kids, teens, and adults, so you’ll always have the right game whether you’ve got 10 minutes or the whole evening. No prep, no shipping, no screens. Just print, cut, and play.
“So fun and easy to download” – Lynette W
“At friends gatherings, I am the one designated to come up with games and activities. Thanks for your wonderful, fun ideas! They are a great help!” – Louise
Related:
- Christmas Which Came First? Game
- Christmas Higher or Lower Game- Coming Soon
What’s Next?
Then, don’t miss the free Newsletter packed with helpful family connection and routine resources!
Pin this Christmas Fact or Fiction? Trivia Game to Pinterest for later!
