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Christmas movie trivia

Two quizzes, 20 questions, two levels. Every answer is explained as you play.

  • 2 quizzes
  • 20 questions
  • 2 levels
  • Printable list
Easy
Medium
Questions and answers — printable list
  1. Who starred as George Bailey in the 1946 film "It's a Wonderful Life"?James StewartJames Stewart played George Bailey in Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life," according to Britannica.
  2. Which young actor played Kevin McCallister in the 1990 film "Home Alone"?Macaulay CulkinMacaulay Culkin starred as Kevin McCallister in "Home Alone," directed by Chris Columbus, per Britannica.
  3. In the 2003 film "Elf," who plays a human raised among Santa's elves who travels to New York City?Will FerrellWill Ferrell starred as the human-raised-by-elves character in Jon Favreau's "Elf," according to Britannica.
  4. Which actor played Clark Griswold in the 1989 film "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation"?Chevy ChaseChevy Chase starred as Clark Griswold attempting a perfect family Christmas, according to Britannica.
  5. In the 1988 film "Die Hard," which actor plays police detective John McClane during a Christmas party hostage crisis?Bruce WillisBruce Willis played John McClane in "Die Hard," set during a Los Angeles office Christmas party, per Britannica.
  6. In which US city does the real house used as the Parker family home in the 1983 film "A Christmas Story" still stand?Cleveland, OhioThe house used in "A Christmas Story" still stands in Cleveland, Ohio, and is open to visitors, per Smithsonian Magazine.
  7. Which actor starred as the Grinch in the live-action 2000 film "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"?Jim CarreyJim Carrey starred as the Grinch in Ron Howard's live-action 2000 adaptation, according to Britannica.
  8. In the 1966 animated TV special "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!," which actor provided the narration and voice work?Boris KarloffBoris Karloff narrated and voiced the Grinch in the 1966 Chuck Jones special, according to Britannica.
  9. In the 1947 film "Miracle on 34th Street," which actor played Kris Kringle, the man hired to play Santa at Macy's?Edmund GwennEdmund Gwenn played Kris Kringle and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the role, per Britannica.
  10. Which 1942 film starring Bing Crosby first introduced the song "White Christmas"?Holiday Inn"White Christmas" by Irving Berlin debuted in the 1942 film "Holiday Inn," according to Britannica.
  11. In what year did the Library of Congress add the 1946 film 'It's a Wonderful Life' to the US National Film Registry?1990The Library of Congress added 'It's a Wonderful Life' to the National Film Registry in 1990 for its cultural significance.
  12. For playing Kris Kringle in the 1947 film 'Miracle on 34th Street,' which Academy Award did Edmund Gwenn win?Best Supporting ActorEdmund Gwenn won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Kris Kringle, per Britannica.
  13. In what year was the 1983 film 'A Christmas Story' added to the US National Film Registry?2012The Library of Congress added 'A Christmas Story' to the National Film Registry in 2012, one of 25 films that year.
  14. What name did Rankin/Bass Productions give to the stop-motion puppet technique used in the 1964 special 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer'?AnimagicRankin/Bass called its stop-motion puppet method 'Animagic,' with puppets built in Tokyo, per Smithsonian Magazine.
  15. On which US television network did 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' debut on December 9, 1965?CBSThe special debuted on CBS on December 9, 1965, as the first TV special based on the 'Peanuts' comic strip, per Britannica.
  16. The 1954 film 'White Christmas' was the first feature released in which widescreen process developed by Paramount?VistaVision'White Christmas' was the first feature film shot in VistaVision, a Paramount widescreen process, per the Library of Congress.
  17. Who directed the 1990 film 'Home Alone,' which was written by John Hughes?Chris ColumbusChris Columbus directed 'Home Alone' from a John Hughes screenplay, per Britannica.
  18. Who directed the 1989 film 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'?Jeremiah S. ChechikJeremiah S. Chechik directed 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation,' starring Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold, per Britannica.
  19. Who wrote and directed the 2003 ensemble film 'Love Actually,' set in London in the weeks before Christmas?Richard CurtisRichard Curtis both wrote and directed 'Love Actually,' which follows ten interlocking love stories, per Britannica.
  20. Which director used performance/motion-capture animation for the 2004 film 'The Polar Express'?Robert ZemeckisRobert Zemeckis directed 'The Polar Express' using motion-capture animation to convert live actors' movements, per Britannica.

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About the Christmas movie trivia quiz

It's a Wonderful Life flopped at the box office in 1946 and only became a beloved classic after frequent U.S. television airings starting in the 1970s, made possible because its owner missed a required copyright renewal in 1974 and the film fell into the public domain for nearly two decades. That odd detour from flop to fixture is the kind of twist that makes Christmas movie trivia trickier than it looks.

This quiz pulls from golden-age classics like Miracle on 34th Street and White Christmas, stop-motion specials such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and family comedies from Home Alone to Elf. The easy level asks who played George Bailey or Kris Kringle; medium digs into Academy Award wins and National Film Registry years; hard covers production trivia like Animagic puppet-building in Tokyo or the 1949 FBI memo on It's a Wonderful Life, spread across 2 quizzes and 20 questions.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of Christmas movies show up in this quiz?

Expect a mix of eras and genres: classics like It's a Wonderful Life and Holiday Inn, animated TV specials such as A Charlie Brown Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, family comedies like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and Elf, and Christmas-set dramas and action films like Die Hard and Love Actually.

How should I use the different quiz levels on this page?

Start with the easy level if you want recognizable titles, directors, and lead actors, then move to medium for questions about awards, box-office performance, and National Film Registry honors. The hard level is built for people who already know the plots and want the behind-the-scenes production details and lesser-known credits instead.

No made-up answers

Every question here was written from a named source and reviewed before it went live.