Holiday Trivia Questions for Work: 60+ Questions with Answers for an Inclusive Office Party

Christmas traditions around the world

• Which bishop of Myra, in present-day Turkey, is the saint behind the figure of Santa Claus? Answer: Saint Nicholas.
• In Italy, which kind old witch brings gifts to children on the night before Epiphany (January 6)? Answer: La Befana.
• In Mexico, what are the nine nights of processions before Christmas called? Answer: Las Posadas.
• In Japan, a meal from which fast-food chain has become a popular Christmas dinner? Answer: KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken).
• In which season does Christmas fall in Australia? Answer: Summer.
• On which date do many Orthodox churches, such as the Russian Orthodox Church, celebrate Christmas? Answer: January 7.
• How many Yule Lads visit children in Iceland in the days before Christmas? Answer: 13.
• In the Philippines, what is the star-shaped Christmas lantern called? Answer: A parol.
• Which royal couple helped make the decorated Christmas tree popular in Britain in the 1840s? Answer: Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Hanukkah trivia questions

Hanukkah 2026 begins at sundown on Friday, December 4 and ends at nightfall on Saturday, December 12, so it falls right in the middle of office party season.

• What does the Hebrew word "Hanukkah" mean? Answer: Dedication.
• How many nights does Hanukkah last? Answer: Eight.
• How many candles does a Hanukkah menorah hold, counting the helper candle? Answer: Nine.
• What is the helper candle, used to light the others, called? Answer: The shamash.
• Hanukkah remembers the rededication of which building? Answer: The Second Temple in Jerusalem.
• Which family of Jewish rebels led the revolt that Hanukkah celebrates? Answer: The Maccabees.
• According to the story, a one-day supply of oil lasted how many days? Answer: Eight - which is why Hanukkah foods are fried in oil.
• What is the four-sided spinning top played with at Hanukkah? Answer: A dreidel.
• What are the jelly doughnuts eaten at Hanukkah called? Answer: Sufganiyot.
• What are the chocolate coins given at Hanukkah called? Answer: Gelt.

Winter holidays around the world

• Which holiday, celebrated from December 26 to January 1, honors African American heritage and culture? Answer: Kwanzaa.
• How many principles does Kwanzaa celebrate, one for each day? Answer: Seven (the Nguzo Saba).
• Who created Kwanzaa, and in which year? Answer: Maulana Karenga, in 1966.
• What is the first principle of Kwanzaa, Umoja, in English? Answer: Unity.
• What is the Kwanzaa candle holder called? Answer: The kinara - it holds seven candles in red, black and green.
• What is the Scottish name for New Year's Eve? Answer: Hogmanay.
• On which date is Saint Lucia's Day, when girls in Sweden wear a crown of candles? Answer: December 13.
• What happens on the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, around December 21 or 22? Answer: It is the shortest day and the longest night of the year.
• On which date does Lunar New Year fall in 2027? Answer: February 6, 2027.
• Which zodiac animal does Lunar New Year 2027 welcome? Answer: The goat (also called the sheep or ram).
• What color are the money envelopes given as gifts at Lunar New Year? Answer: Red.
• On which date is Boxing Day? Answer: December 26.
• Which festival of lights, celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, falls in autumn (usually October or November), not in December? Answer: Diwali.

New Year's Eve traditions worldwide

• In Spain, what do people eat at midnight, one with each chime of the clock? Answer: 12 grapes.
• In Denmark, what do people traditionally smash against the doors of friends and family on New Year's Eve? Answer: Old plates and dishes.
• How many times are temple bells rung in Japan on New Year's Eve? Answer: 108.
• In Brazil, which color do many people wear on New Year's Eve for peace and luck? Answer: White.
• In which New York square does a lit ball drop at midnight? Answer: Times Square.
• Which Scottish poet wrote the words of "Auld Lang Syne"? Answer: Robert Burns.
• In the Scottish tradition of first-footing, who is the first-foot? Answer: The first person to cross the threshold of a home after midnight.
• Which short British comedy sketch is shown on German TV every New Year's Eve? Answer: "Dinner for One".
• Which city's New Year fireworks light up its Harbour Bridge and Opera House? Answer: Sydney.

Holiday movies and songs

• In the movie Home Alone (1990), what is the name of the boy left at home? Answer: Kevin McCallister.
• Which actor plays Buddy in the movie Elf (2003)? Answer: Will Ferrell.
• In It's a Wonderful Life, what happens every time a bell rings? Answer: An angel gets his wings.
• Who wrote How the Grinch Stole Christmas? Answer: Dr. Seuss.
• By how many sizes does the Grinch's heart grow? Answer: Three.
• Which singer had a huge hit with Irving Berlin's "White Christmas"? Answer: Bing Crosby.
• Who released "All I Want for Christmas Is You" in 1994? Answer: Mariah Carey.
• Which band released "Last Christmas" in 1984? Answer: Wham!
• Which comedian first performed "The Chanukah Song" on Saturday Night Live in 1994? Answer: Adam Sandler.
• Which composer wrote the music for the ballet The Nutcracker? Answer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Winter and holiday food

• How many sides does a snowflake have? Answer: Six.
• What is the main ingredient of latkes, the fried pancakes eaten at Hanukkah? Answer: Potatoes.
• Which tall, domed sweet bread comes from Milan, Italy? Answer: Panettone.
• What is the French name for the log-shaped Christmas cake? Answer: Buche de Noel (Yule log).
• Which rice cake soup is eaten in Korea on Lunar New Year (Seollal)? Answer: Tteokguk.
• In the American South, which beans are eaten on New Year's Day for luck? Answer: Black-eyed peas.
• What are the fried dough balls eaten in the Netherlands on New Year's Eve called? Answer: Oliebollen.
• Do polar bears and penguins meet in the wild? Answer: No - polar bears live in the Arctic, and almost all penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere.

Multiple-choice holiday round (10 questions)

These are ready to paste into a live game as four-answer questions.

• How many nights does Hanukkah last? A) 6 B) 7 C) 8 D) 12. Answer: C) 8.
• How many grapes do people in Spain eat at midnight on New Year's Eve? A) 12 B) 7 C) 10 D) 3. Answer: A) 12.
• On which date does Kwanzaa begin? A) December 21 B) December 25 C) January 1 D) December 26. Answer: D) December 26.
• In which country is Saint Lucia's Day celebrated with a crown of candles? A) Italy B) Sweden C) Mexico D) Ireland. Answer: B) Sweden.
• What is a dreidel? A) A candle B) A pastry C) A spinning top D) A song. Answer: C) A spinning top.
• Which zodiac animal does Lunar New Year 2027 welcome? A) Dragon B) Horse C) Rabbit D) Goat. Answer: D) Goat.
• Hogmanay is the New Year's Eve celebration of which country? A) Scotland B) Ireland C) Wales D) Norway. Answer: A) Scotland.
• In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice is... A) The longest day B) The shortest day C) A day of equal day and night D) The first day of spring. Answer: B) The shortest day.
• Who wrote the song "White Christmas"? A) Cole Porter B) George Gershwin C) Irving Berlin D) Richard Rodgers. Answer: C) Irving Berlin.
• In Home Alone, where are the McCallister family flying when they leave Kevin behind? A) London B) Paris C) Rome D) Chicago. Answer: B) Paris.

Office edition: fill in your own company questions

The round people remember is the one about your own team. Fill in these templates with your own year (keep them kind - celebrate, never roast), then write three or four answer options for each.

• Which team shipped the most [projects / releases / features] this year?
• In which month did we [hit our big milestone / move offices / launch the new product]?
• How many new people joined the company this year?
• Which city or country did our [farthest customer / newest teammate / biggest order] come from?
• What was the most-used emoji in our team chat this year?
• Which conference room is booked the most?
• What is the most popular drink at the office coffee machine?
• Which teammate [ran a marathon / learned a new language / adopted a pet] this year? (Ask first.)
• How many cups of coffee do you think the office drank this year?
• What was the name of our biggest project of the year?

20 holiday trivia team names

Office-safe team names for the leaderboard. In Glowit every player picks their own nickname, so for team play let each table or department share one phone under one of these names.

• Jingle Bell Rockstars
• Sleigh All Day
• Yule Be Sorry
• Snow Problem
• Fa La La Leaderboard
• The Latke Legends
• Dreidel Dynasty
• Tinsel Tacticians
• Elf Esteem
• Reply All Reindeer
• Out of Office Elves
• Deck the Spreadsheets
• The Snowball Effect
• Q4 Wonderland
• The Hot Cocoa Committee
• The Midnight Grapes
• Winter Solstice Squad
• Mistletoe Metrics
• Lights, Latkes, Action
• The Year-End Reviewers

How to run it in 15 minutes

• Before the party: sign in with Google, open the Glowit editor and paste in the questions you want - or type "holiday trivia for work" into the AI quiz generator and edit the draft it gives you.
• In the office: put the game on the meeting room projector or TV; everyone answers on their own phone.
• Hybrid: share the game on the video call and show the same call on the room screen, so the office and the remote people play one game on one leaderboard.
• Fully remote: share the browser tab on Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet; everyone joins at glowit.io with the 5-digit room code and a nickname - no app and no account. Up to 200 players can join one game.
• Timing: three rounds of 8 to 10 questions with a 20-second timer fit into 15 minutes, leaderboards included. Give video calls 20 to 30 seconds to allow for delay.
• A good order: a mixed traditions round first, then movies and songs, and the office edition round as the grand finale.
• Prize ideas: a small trophy that moves desk to desk, first pick from the gift exchange, a late start on Monday, choosing the next team lunch spot, or a donation to a charity the winner picks.
• Afterwards, show the final podium and give a shout-out to the funniest nickname too.

Keep it inclusive

Not everyone at a December office party celebrates Christmas, and some people do not celebrate anything at all. A good holiday quiz is about traditions, food, music and the calendar - things anyone can enjoy guessing - not a test of religious knowledge.

• Mix traditions in every round: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Lunar New Year, the solstice and New Year's Eve around the world.
• Avoid rounds that only reward religious knowledge; ask about customs, food and history instead.
• No question should need drinking or knowledge of alcohol to answer.
• Keep the company round kind: celebrate wins, never single out one person without asking them first.
• Call it a holiday or end-of-year quiz rather than a Christmas quiz, so everyone feels invited.

Make your own holiday round with AI

Want a round about your own industry, your city's traditions or the year your team had? Type a topic into Glowit's AI quiz generator, or upload your own PDF, DOCX, HTML or TXT file, and it drafts up to 25 multiple-choice questions at a time. Read and edit every question, then press Host. The free plan includes 100 AI questions a month.