New questions every morning · Free, no sign-up

Christmas song trivia

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

  • 2 quizzes
  • 20 questions
  • 2 levels
  • Printable list
Medium
Hard
Questions and answers — printable list
  1. Who composed the melody for "Silent Night" in 1818, after Joseph Mohr wrote the original poem two years earlier?Franz Xaver GruberSchoolteacher and organist Franz Xaver Gruber composed the melody in 1818, and the carol debuted that very night, Christmas Eve, at St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, Austria.
  2. Who wrote the English lyrics to the carol "Good King Wenceslas" in 1853, fitting them to a much older tune?John Mason NealeHymnwriter John Mason Neale wrote the English lyrics in 1853 to fit a 13th-century spring carol tune. (Britannica)
  3. According to the historical account, how many days did George Frideric Handel reportedly take to compose the oratorio "Messiah" in 1741?24 daysHandel composed "Messiah" in 24 days, between August 22 and September 14, 1741. (Britannica)
  4. In 1940, Irving Berlin told his musical arranger Helmy Kresa that which song was "the best song anybody ever wrote"?White ChristmasBerlin made the remark about "White Christmas" to arranger Helmy Kresa in 1940. (Smithsonian Magazine)
  5. Songwriter Johnny Marks, who adapted the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer story into a song, was related to creator Robert L. May in what way?He was May's brother-in-lawJohnny Marks was Robert May's brother-in-law and turned the 1939 promotional story into the song. (Smithsonian Institution)
  6. Before being reissued under its now-familiar title, "Jingle Bells" was originally published under what name?The One Horse Open SleighJames Lord Pierpont's tune was first published as "The One Horse Open Sleigh" before being reissued as "Jingle Bells." (Library of Congress)
  7. The harmonica and sleigh bells used in the 1965 Gemini VI "Jingle Bells" performance in space were later donated to which institution?Smithsonian's National Air and Space MuseumThe instruments played by astronauts Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford were donated to the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. (Smithsonian Magazine)
  8. Mariah Carey co-wrote "All I Want for Christmas Is You" in 1994 with which producer?Walter AfanasieffCarey co-wrote the 1994 hit with producer Walter Afanasieff for her album Merry Christmas. (Library of Congress)
  9. José Feliciano, who wrote and recorded "Feliz Navidad" in 1970, was born in which US territory?Puerto RicoFeliciano was born in Lares, Puerto Rico, on September 10, 1945. (Britannica)
  10. As of December 2023, which Christmas song became only the third ever to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100?Rockin' Around the Christmas TreeBrenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" topped the Hot 100 for the first time on the chart dated December 9, 2023, becoming only the third Christmas song ever to reach No. 1, according to Billboard.
  11. The tune later used for 'Good King Wenceslas' was first published in the 1582 songbook Piae Cantiones as what kind of song?A 13th-century spring carolThe melody first appeared as "Tempus adest floridum," a 13th-century spring carol, in the 1582 Finnish songbook Piae Cantiones, per Britannica.
  12. According to the historical account behind 'Good King Wenceslas,' who murdered the 10th-century Duke of Bohemia the carol is named for?His brother BoleslavWenceslas, the real Duke of Bohemia behind the carol, was murdered by his own brother, Boleslav, per Britannica.
  13. The 'Boar's Head Carol,' among the oldest Christmas carols still performed today, was first printed in what year?1521The "Boar's Head Carol" was printed in 1521 and remains among the oldest carols still performed, per Britannica.
  14. In what city did Handel's 'Messiah' premiere in 1742, at Easter rather than during the Christmas season when it's most often performed today?Dublin"Messiah" premiered on April 13, 1742, in Dublin, Ireland, at Easter, per Britannica.
  15. Which Christmas song's Bing Crosby recording is called the best-selling single in the world by physical copies, with estimated sales exceeding 50 million, per the Library of Congress?White ChristmasCrosby's recording of "White Christmas" is the best-selling single in the world by physical copies, with estimated sales over 50 million, per the Library of Congress.
  16. Besides 'A Holly Jolly Christmas,' which two songs did Burl Ives perform for the 1964 TV special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?"Silver and Gold" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"Burl Ives voiced narrator Sam the Snowman in the 1964 TV special and sang "A Holly Jolly Christmas," "Silver and Gold," and the closing reprise of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." "We're a Couple of Misfits" was instead sung by Billie Mae Richards and Paul Soles, the voices of Rudolph and Hermey.
  17. Phil Spector recorded Darlene Love's 'Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)' and the rest of his 1963 holiday album 'A Christmas Gift for You' at which Hollywood studio?Gold Star StudiosPhil Spector produced 'A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector,' including Darlene Love's 'Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),' during August-September 1963 sessions at Gold Star Studios in Hollywood.
  18. Before recording 'Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),' Darlene Love sang lead on 'He's a Rebel' in 1962, but that single was officially credited to which group?The CrystalsDarlene Love recorded the lead vocals for "He's a Rebel," a song officially credited on release to the Crystals, per Britannica.
  19. 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)' grew out of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's peace campaign, which began with a March 1969 'bed-in for peace' held in which city?AmsterdamLennon and Ono launched their peace campaign with a bed-in for peace at the Amsterdam Hilton from March 25 to 31, 1969; a second bed-in followed in Montreal that May, and the campaign eventually led to 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over).'
  20. Leroy Anderson, composer of 'Sleigh Ride,' began his long professional association with conductor Arthur Fiedler and which orchestra in 1936?The Boston Pops OrchestraAnderson began his long association with Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra in 1936, per Britannica.

Keep playing

Christmas30 questions, 3 quizzes Halloween90 questions, 9 quizzes Thanksgiving30 questions, 3 quizzes

Top scores

Most right answers first. Level pegging is broken by time. Only your best run on a quiz counts, so replaying it can improve your place but never stacks up.

Overall leaderboard →

About the Christmas song quiz

Christmas song trivia gets tricky fast because even the most familiar carols carry disputed histories. By the 1850s, "Silent Night" had spread so widely that the Prussian royal court's Hofkapelle launched an investigation into who had actually written it. Historians still argue over whether "Jingle Bells" was composed in Medford, Massachusetts, or Savannah, Georgia — the same uncertainty that trips up quiz-takers who assume every classic carol has one clean origin story.

The 2 quizzes in this collection move from easy rounds built around household names like Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" and Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song," to medium rounds on songwriters such as Irving Berlin, Mel Tormé, and Johnny Marks, and hard rounds on chart records — Brenda Lee's belated No. 1, the decades-long climb of "Last Christmas," and the real medieval duke behind "Good King Wenceslas." Across 20 questions, expect dates, composers, and firsts.

Frequently asked questions

What is the #1 Christmas song of all time?

There is no single official ranking, since different measures tell different stories. By U.S. copyright registration data, "Silent Night" is the most-recorded Christmas song in the country, with 733 registered versions since 1978, ahead of "Joy to the World" in second place with 391. Other songs top other lists: "White Christmas" is the best-selling single in the world by physical copies.

What are some funny Christmas trivia questions?

One good format is to ask about oddities that don't sound plausible until you check them — for example: which two Gemini VI astronauts smuggled a harmonica and a set of sleigh bells into orbit and played "Jingle Bells" over the radio in 1965, prompting Mission Control's deadpan reply, "You're too much"? True stories with a punchline make better trivia than plain fact recall.

What is the funniest Christmas song of all time?

There's no objective way to rank songs by funniness, but plenty of Christmas music history has a comic angle. Robert L. May invented Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in 1939 purely as a marketing gimmick for the Montgomery Ward department store, and the company gave away 2.4 million free copies of the booklet that first holiday season — an oddly deadpan origin for one of the season's most beloved characters.

What is the rarest Christmas song?

There's no data ranking Christmas songs by rarity, but "Feliz Navidad" stands out as an outlier in the catalog. Written and recorded by José Feliciano in 1970, it's one of the few holiday standards that the Library of Congress notes doesn't trace back to Tin Pan Alley or older European musical tradition, and it wasn't added to the National Recording Registry until 2026.

What is the oldest Christmas song ever?

There's no single agreed-upon "oldest" carol, but the facts point to some strong candidates. The tune behind "Good King Wenceslas" was first published as "Tempus adest floridum," a 13th-century spring carol, in the 1582 Finnish songbook Piae Cantiones — centuries before John Mason Neale wrote its familiar English lyrics in 1853. The "Boar's Head Carol," printed in 1521, is also among the oldest carols still performed today.

What's the coolest Christmas song?

Coolest is subjective, but by one measure "Jingle Bells" wins outright: it became the first song ever performed in space, when Gemini VI astronauts Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford smuggled a harmonica and sleigh bells aboard and played it on December 16, 1965. Mission Control's Elliot See radioed back only, "You're too much" — arguably the coolest reaction in Christmas music history too.

Sources for the answers above

No made-up answers

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