Christmas Trivia Conversation Starters

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ABOUT CHRISTMAS TRIVIA CONVERSATION STARTERS

This set of Christmas trivia conversation starters provides interesting facts about holiday tradi-

tions throughout the world while inspiring a personal discussion. The questions for discussion

create a link between the fact and the personal experience of participants, making each

fact memorable. Read the fact, read the question, then exchange your stories and opin-

ions. The cards are great for providing a quick learning opportunity at home, at school, and

on the go!

Would you like more Christmas-themed activities? Play Christ-

mas trivia to discover more fascinating facts about holiday

celebrations around the world, learn about gift-bringers with

the Christmas Guess Who Game, and dress them as paper

dolls with Christmas paper doll set.

Find even more in the Christmas Around the World Bundle!

In Iceland, there are no native evergreen trees,

so the first Jól or Christmas Trees were mountain

ashes, also known as rowan.

If there were no evergreen trees available in

your area, what would be your second choice

for a festive tree?

In Spain, the people have a special fondness for

nativity scenes, and they build them in style! The

scene doesn’t only include the manger, but

spreads to the whole city of Bethlehem.

An unusual, but essential figure of these nativity

scenes includes a pooping man also known as a

caganer. Sometimes the creators give him the

face of an unpopular celebrity.

Whose face would you give to a caganer?

In Japan, the New Year is celebrated more

widely than Christmas. There is however one

unique tradition associated with Christmas in

that country. It is ordering fried chicken from a

KFC restaurant! The tradition came to life in

1974, as a result of a very successful marketing

campaign, and has continued to this day.

What food do you consider a Christmas staple?

Is there some food you would like to add to

your family’s holiday menu?

In the days leading to Christmas, many Alpine

towns host a monster parade for Krampus, a

half-goat and half-demon. According to the

local folklore, Krampus punishes naughty

children, so that Saint Nicholas, who brings

presents to good children at the same time,

doesn’t get overworked.

What kind of scary creature would you like to

dress as for a Krampus parade?

Is it better for the environment to get a live tree

or an artificial tree? The answer is complex! Live

trees can be composted, but the Christmas

tree farms where they grow are not a good re-

placement for biodiverse ecosystems, and

many use pesticides. Artificial trees are made

from plastics that cannot be recycled, but their

overall impact depends on how many years

they are used for before being replaced.

What kind of tree do you prefer? What creative

solutions can you offer to minimize the environ-

mental impact?

At the end of the 19th century, Erwin Perzy was a

maker of surgical instruments. In an attempt to

create a bright surgical lamp, he added various

reflective particles into water. The effect

reminded him of falling snow, and thus the first

snow globe was created. The demand for snow

globes was so huge that Perzy opened a shop in

Vienna that exists to this day!

Do you know examples of how someone failed

in one way, while succeeding in another at the

same time? Has it ever happened with you?

Nine days before Christmas in 1965, Gemini 6

astronauts gave a troubling report to Mission

Control: “We have an object, looks like a satel-

lite going from north to south, up in a polar or-

bit...” The tense report of the unidentified flying

object was suddenly broken by the sound of

“Jingle Bells” played by a harmonica and a

handful of sleigh bells that the crew had

brought along on the spacecraft as a prank.

“Jingle Bells” became the first song performed

in space.

What song would you like to play from space?

Christmas crackers first appeared about 175

years ago. They were invented by sweet maker

Tom Smith, looking for a way to sell more

bonbons. At first, all the crackers had candy in

them, but very soon the company started

adding paper hats, toys, and other gifts. Inside

of their expensive crackers, you could even find

a solid silver box with a piece of gold and silver

jewelry!

What would you like to find inside a cracker?

Jolabokaflod is an Icelandic tradition of ex-

changing books for Christmas. It started during

WW2 when paper was one of the very few ma-

terials not being rationed. But the tradition last-

ed to this day. After all, cozying down with a

book sounds like a great way to relax during

holidays!

What book would you give to your friend for

Jolabokaflod?

In Russia, children get their presents delivered by

Grandfather Frost! Grandfather Frost is similar to

Santa Claus in many ways, but he wears a long

red coat, carries a magical staff, and comes on

New Year’s eve. The most noticeable difference

though is that he rarely travels alone. He is

usually accompanied by his granddaughter, a

sweet young girl named Snegurochka.

Make up a new companion for your local gift-

bringer. Should it be an animal? A family

member? Or a magical being?

During WW2, prisoners of war were allowed to

receive packages from the Red Cross, as long

as the packages didn’t contain any weapons.

For Christmas in 1944, the packages contained

a deck of cards. It seemed like a pretty innocu-

ous present—except these cards were created

in collaboration between the Allies and the US

Playing Card Company and hid maps of es-

cape routes in them! The cards helped the es-

cape of 32 prisoners.

What is the most memorable present you have

ever received?

If you add up all the presents given in the

popular song “Twelve Days of Christmas”, the

number will come to 364! That’s a lot of

presents.

How many presents do you usually give? What

is the most memorable gift that you have ever

given?

There are a variety of foods that children leave

out for Santa—or a similar local gift-bringer.

Most popular offerings include milk and cookies

for Santa or carrots and hay for his horses or

reindeer. In Scandinavia, there is a long-

standing tradition of leaving a bowl of porridge.

If you were Santa, what would you like to find

left for you?

There are many ways for gift bringers to deliver

gifts—Befana the Christmas witch from Italy flies

on a broomstick, Jultomten from Sweden walks

or rides a goat, and Sinterklaas journeys to the

Netherlands by steamboat. Even Santa Claus is

known to change his modes of transportation! In

Australia, he sometimes hitches a ride with six

kangaroos.

What alternative mode of transportation should

Santa try, in your opinion?

In 1823, Clement Moore wrote a poem that intro-

duced eight reindeer for Santa’s sleigh. Their

names were Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen,

Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen. Rudolph got

added to the list in 1939. Most of the names

sound male, however it is known that male rein-

deer lose their antlers from November to Febru-

ary, but the females don’t. Based on depictions,

that means that all Santa’s reindeer are girls!

How would you name Santa’s reindeer?

Sinterklaas, or Saint Nicholas, can be considered

a grandfather of Santa Claus. He used to be

popular in Europe, and in some countries, he still

gets his own celebration! For example, people in

the Netherlands celebrate Sinterklaas Day on

December 5. It is customary to exchange little

gifts—and personal poems about each other.

Some of the poems are touching and sweet, but

many are humorous with a teasing undertone.

Compose a quick rhyme for someone you know.

On Christmas eve in 1914, the world was divided

by war. Yet in the trenches, for a short time, the

soldiers on opposite sides established an unofficial

truce. It all started with the Germans singing car-

ols from their trenches and the British responding

with carols of their own. Later, they came out, ex-

changed gifts, and did small favours for each

other, such as giving haircuts.

Friendship can start in a variety of ways. Remem-

ber the beginning of one of your friendships.

There are four official languages in Switzerland,

so Swiss people can wish each other Merry

Christmas in four different languages. In Swiss

German it is 'Schöni Wiehnachte', in French it's

'Joyeux Noël', in Italian it's 'Buon Natale' and in

Romansh it's 'Bellas festas da Nadal'.

What languages can you wish Merry Christmas

in?

The first decorated trees were adorned with ap-

ples, white candy canes and pastries in the

shapes of stars, hearts and flowers. This tradition

started in 16th century Germany. Shortly after,

the first glass ornaments appeared, also in Ger-

many. The tradition of decorating tree did not

become widespread until the 19th century

though. It was Prince Albert, the husband of

Queen Victoria, who shared it with his wife—

and the rest of the world.

Do you have any tree ornaments that are par-

ticularly dear to you? Which ones?

The largest gingerbread village made to date

consisted of 1,251 candy-clad gingerbread

houses. And as far as breaking records for an

individual house goes, the biggest gingerbread

house was 3 m (10’) tall, 18 m (60’) long, and 12

m (42’) wide.

Would you like to live in a gingerbread house?

What is your ideal house to live in?