Christmas Food Trivia: 30 Questions and Answers

Christmas food trivia is a tasty way to learn where holiday dishes come from. These 30 questions have answers and are good for a party, a cookie swap or a family dinner.

How to Play Christmas Trivia

1. Choose a host to read the questions.
2. Split into teams and give each team paper and a pen.
3. After each question, teams have 15 seconds to write an answer.
4. The host reads the answer. Each right answer scores 1 point.
5. The team with the most points wins. Break ties with one more question.

Dinner and Sides

1. Which bird is the classic main dish at a US Christmas dinner? Answer: Turkey
2. Which pink or brown meat, often glazed with honey or brown sugar, is another popular Christmas main? Answer: Ham
3. In “A Christmas Carol,” what bird did the Cratchit family eat for Christmas dinner? Answer: A goose
4. What tart red berries grow in bogs and are made into sauce for turkey? Answer: Cranberries
5. What tiny cabbage-like vegetable is a common holiday side, often roasted? Answer: Brussels sprouts
6. In the United States, which orange vegetable is often baked with marshmallows or brown sugar at Christmas? Answer: Sweet potatoes
7. Which small orange fruit is often tucked into the toe of a Christmas stocking? Answer: A tangerine, orange or clementine
8. What nut do people roast over an open fire in a famous Christmas song? Answer: Chestnuts
9. What Italian-American Christmas Eve meal features many types of seafood? Answer: The Feast of the Seven Fishes
10. What filled corn husk bundles are a Christmas Eve favorite in Mexico? Answer: Tamales
11. Which Canadian meat pie from Quebec is often served on Christmas Eve? Answer: Tourtière

Desserts and Baking

12. Which German city is famous for its fruit and nut Christmas bread called stollen? Answer: Dresden
13. Which Italian city is the home of the tall, fruity bread panettone? Answer: Milan
14. What is the French name for the Yule log cake? Answer: Bûche de Noël
15. What dark, sticky syrup gives gingerbread its deep brown color? Answer: Molasses
16. In which country did the tradition of building gingerbread houses become popular? Answer: Germany
17. What are the main ingredients in fruitcake, besides flour and sugar? Answer: Candied fruit and nuts
18. Which US state is most linked to pecan pie? Answer: Texas or the South in general (pecans are native to the southern US)
19. What does a traditional English plum pudding contain instead of fresh plums? Answer: Dried fruit, like raisins and currants
20. Which dessert, often set aflame with brandy, is served at British Christmas dinners? Answer: Christmas (plum) pudding
21. Which two types of chocolate are layered in peppermint bark? Answer: Dark (or semisweet) and white chocolate
22. Which Canadian bar dessert is named after a city in British Columbia? Answer: The Nanaimo bar
23. Which German spice cookie, often shaped like a heart, is a Christmas market favorite? Answer: Lebkuchen
24. Which flavor is most linked to candy canes? Answer: Peppermint

Drinks and Sweets

25. What drink is made from milk, cream, sugar and eggs and topped with nutmeg? Answer: Eggnog
26. What does “wassail” mean in Old English? Answer: “Be well” or “good health”
27. What spices are often added to mulled cider or mulled wine? Answer: Cinnamon and cloves
28. What is the name of the spiced hot wine served in Sweden at Christmas? Answer: Glögg
29. Which two flavors are in a classic hot chocolate topping at the holidays? Answer: Whipped cream and marshmallows (accept any marshmallow or cream answer)
30. What cookies are cut into shapes like stars, trees and bells before frosting? Answer: Sugar cookies

Tips for a Fun Trivia Night

• Serve a plate of the foods from the questions as you go.
• Check for food allergies before any taste test round.
• Ask guests to share a family recipe tradition between rounds.
• Give the winners a tin of cookies or a candy cane bundle.
• Print the quiz sheet so players can take it home to quiz relatives.