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Holiday Trivia Questions for Kids and Families
Mooncakes, Mardi Gras, Groundhog Day and more: thirty holiday trivia questions with answers from around the world, for any time of year.
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Easy holiday trivia questions for kids
1.In France, kids try to stick a paper fish on people's backs without being noticed. On which spring day do they play this prank?
April Fools' Day (April 1). The French call the day and its pranks 'poisson d'avril', which means 'April fish'.
2.What do people traditionally put on top of a Christmas tree?
A star or an angel. Decorated Christmas trees first became popular in Germany.
3.Which costumed dances are famous at Chinese New Year parades?
Lion and dragon dances. The lion dance is believed to bring good luck for the year ahead.
4.What does a groundhog supposedly predict on Groundhog Day?
Whether winter will last longer. The most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, lives in Pennsylvania.
5.What is the traditional main dish at an American Thanksgiving dinner?
Turkey. No record says whether turkey was served at the Pilgrims' 1621 harvest feast.
6.In the United States, what lights up the night sky at many Fourth of July celebrations?
Fireworks. July 4 marks the day in 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was adopted.
7.Which holiday, held every April 22, encourages people around the world to take care of the planet?
Earth Day. The very first Earth Day was held in the United States in 1970.
8.Cinco de Mayo gets its name from the Spanish words for which date?
May 5. It remembers a Mexican army victory at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It is not Mexico's Independence Day.
9.At Lunar New Year, what do children traditionally find inside the special envelopes that grown-ups give them?
Money. In Mandarin Chinese, these lucky envelopes are called hong bao.
10.Latkes, the crispy pancakes eaten at Hanukkah, are usually made from which vegetable?
Potatoes. Frying them in oil recalls the Hanukkah story of the Temple lamp oil that lasted far longer than expected.
11.On Children's Day in Japan, families fly colorful streamers shaped like which fish?
Carp. In Japan the carp stands for success, and a family often flies one streamer for each member.
12.At Midsummer in Sweden, people dance in rings around a tall pole decorated with what?
Flowers and leafy greenery. Swedes have been raising and dancing around Midsummer poles since the late Middle Ages.
Medium holiday trivia questions
13.Mardi Gras means 'Fat Tuesday' in which language?
French. It is the last day of feasting before the season of Lent begins.
14.On what date is Boxing Day?
December 26. It is a public holiday in the UK, Australia and many other countries.
15.Easter is set by the first full moon after which yearly event?
The spring equinox. In Western churches, Easter can fall anywhere from March 22 to April 25.
16.Which round treats are eaten at China's Mid-Autumn Festival?
Mooncakes. The festival is held when the full moon is said to be at its biggest and roundest.
17.During Diwali, many families make colorful patterns on the floor from colored powder or sand. What are these designs called?
Rangoli. On the second day of Diwali, many homes are decorated with rangoli and little clay lamps.
18.In Islam, what is the meal called that breaks a day of fasting at sunset?
Iftar. The meal eaten before dawn, just before the fast begins, is called suhoor.
19.Carnival parades in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, are put on by 'schools' named after which dance?
Samba. The samba schools parade at the Sambadrome, Rio's traditional Carnival stage.
20.For Day of the Dead, families set up home altars with favorite foods to honor loved ones who have died. What are these altars called?
Ofrendas. A sweet bread called pan de muerto is a traditional treat of the holiday.
21.On what date is Canada Day celebrated each year?
July 1. It marks Confederation in 1867 and was called Dominion Day until 1982.
22.Japan's Hinamatsuri, when families set out dolls on tiered stands each March, celebrates the health and happiness of whom?
Girls. The top step usually holds an emperor and empress doll dressed in old court robes.
Hard holiday trivia questions for adults
23.Which Jewish festival is celebrated by building a temporary hut called a sukkah?
Sukkot. Families often eat their meals inside the sukkah during the festival.
24.Juneteenth, on June 19, remembers the day in 1865 when enslaved people were told they were free in which Texas city?
Galveston. The name Juneteenth blends 'June' and 'nineteenth'. It became a US federal holiday in 2021.
25.On the night before Holi, many Hindus light bonfires to remember the defeat of which figure from an old story?
Holika. In the story, Holika's defeat and the rescue of young Prahlad show good triumphing over evil.
26.Nowruz, the Persian New Year, has a name that means what?
New day. Its roots go back more than 3,000 years to ancient Persia.
27.The name Kwanzaa comes from a phrase meaning 'first fruits' in which African language?
Swahili. Kwanzaa candles are placed in a candleholder called a kinara.
28.Half-moon-shaped rice cakes called songpyeon are a favorite food of which Korean harvest holiday?
Chuseok. Families often make them together and steam them on a layer of pine needles.
29.During Thailand's Loy Krathong festival, people float small decorated rafts on rivers. What plant are they traditionally made from?
Banana (stems and leaves). 'Loy' means 'to float'. The festival falls on a full moon, usually in November.
30.Enkutatash, the Ethiopian New Year, usually falls in which month of the Western calendar?
September. Ethiopia's calendar has 12 months of 30 days, plus a short 13th month of five or six days.
Ways to use these holiday questions
Because these questions hop from Sweden's Midsummer poles to Korea's half-moon rice cakes, they make a fun "holiday passport" night: give each player a paper passport and stamp in a country for every right answer. Teachers can use one question a week as a calendar warm-up, choosing the festival closest to today's date, or pin up a world map and let students place each holiday as they answer it. Families can save each question for when its holiday comes around, then make a small treat from the answer, like latkes or mooncakes.
Make it a Bingo night: free printable winter holidays bingo cards from Room Game Night.
Play Holidays trivia together
Room Trivia has a whole holidays category with different questions: four answers to pick from, points for speed, and a scoreboard. Put it on a TV or laptop and everyone answers on their own phone. Free, with no app and no account.