How to Host Christmas Trivia
Host mode turns a laptop and a TV into a game show. You add the teams, the questions come up big enough to read from the couch, and after each one you reveal the answer and tap which teams got it. It keeps score, plays a ticking clock if you want one, and ends on a podium.
Here is how to set it up and keep it moving.
What you need
- A laptop or tablet with a keyboard if possible. Any browser made in the last few years works.
- A TV or projector. For a small room the laptop screen alone is fine.
- Two to eight teams. Three to five people per team works best.
- Scrap paper and pens, so teams can write answers down instead of shouting them.
- A prize. It can be a candy cane. People will still want it.
Getting it on the TV
- HDMI cable: the most reliable option. Plug the laptop into the TV and switch inputs.
- Chromecast or Google TV: in Chrome, open the three-dot menu, find Cast and pick your TV.
- Apple TV: on a Mac, use Screen Mirroring from Control Center.
- Video call: share your screen, or just the browser tab.
Once it's up, press F for full screen. The text scales to the screen, so it reads fine from across a living room.
Setting up the game
- Open host mode.
- Type in the team names. Press Enter to add another team.
- Pick how many questions. With discussion it runs about two minutes each, so fifteen is half an hour and thirty is a full evening.
- Choose categories and difficulty, or leave it on everything. Questions start easy and get harder as you go.
- Pick a countdown clock (15, 20 or 30 seconds) or turn it off. Turn on sound if you want the ticking and the buzzer.
Running each question
- Read the question and the four choices out loud.
- Press Space to start the clock. Teams talk it over and write down a letter.
- When time's up (or everyone's ready), press R to reveal the answer. The explanation shows underneath, which is usually enough to settle an argument.
- Press the number keys to mark which teams got it. 1 is the first team, 2 the second, and so on. Press again to undo.
- Press N for the next question.
Easy questions are worth 100 points, medium 200 and hard 300. The current value shows next to the question so teams know what's at stake.
Keyboard shortcuts
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| Space | Start or pause the clock |
| R | Reveal the answer |
| 1 to 8 | Mark a team right (press again to undo) |
| N or → | Next question |
| F | Full screen |
| Esc | End the game early or exit |
Everything also works with a mouse or a tap, so a tablet works as the remote.
Scoring and ties
The scoreboard updates as soon as you mark a team, and the leader gets highlighted. At the end the top three go up on a podium. Teams with the same score share a step.
If you need a tiebreaker, pull a question from the hard Christmas trivia page and give it to the tied teams. First correct answer written down wins.
Tips for big groups
- Answers on paper. Have teams write the letter and hold it up when you say so. It stops the loudest table from giving it away.
- One captain per team. They have the final say, which cuts the arguing time in half.
- Cap teams at six people. Bigger than that and half the team stops paying attention.
- Take a break halfway. Refill drinks, then do the second half with the clock on.
- Kids in the room? Put them on their own team with the kids questions, or let them be the one who presses the buttons.
Picking questions for your crowd
- Mixed ages or a family gathering: leave difficulty on Mixed.
- Work party: use the office party set, or pick movies, songs and food.
- Church group: the Christmas Bible trivia questions.
- Movie people: Christmas movie trivia on hard.
No screen? Print it
Every question list on the site prints cleanly, questions first and the answer key on its own page. The big list of Christmas trivia questions and answers has a section per category, and each section works as a round.
Ready to run it?
Open host modeQuestion lists for your game
- Christmas Trivia Questions and AnswersA big mixed list from every category, ready to print.
- Christmas Movie TriviaHome Alone, Elf, Christmas Vacation and the classics.
- Christmas Song TriviaWho sang it, who wrote it and what year it came out.
- Christmas Trivia for KidsEasier questions about reindeer, snowmen and cartoons.
- Hard Christmas Trivia for AdultsOnly the hard questions, for people who know their stuff.
- Christmas Bible TriviaThe Nativity as Luke and Matthew tell it.
- Santa TriviaSt. Nicholas, reindeer names and the red suit.
- Christmas Food TriviaCookies, candy canes, eggnog and holiday dinners.
- Christmas Traditions TriviaTrees, stockings, cards and where they came from.
- Christmas Around the World TriviaPosadas, Yule Lads, the Gävle goat and more.
- Office Christmas Party TriviaFive ready-made rounds plus tips for running it at work.
More Christmas party games
Trivia not enough for one night? The Left Right Game is a gift-exchange game: someone reads a Christmas story out loud, and everyone passes their present to the left or right whenever they hear the word.