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Christmas emoji quiz: every line below is a holiday movie, song or tradition spelled out in emoji. Guess the answer from the pictures. There are 36 puzzles in three rounds, with an answer key at the end of each round so the host can check answers without spoiling the next one. It works on a phone in a group chat, on a TV screen at a party or read out loud as a family game while the cookies bake.
A boxed game for the same crowd: Pictionary
Emoji puzzles are drawing without the drawing. When your group is ready to pick up a pen, Pictionary is the classic next step: two teams race to guess what a teammate is sketching. It costs about $19.
Price band: $10–$20 (about $19) · Check today’s price on Amazon
How to run a Christmas emoji quiz
- Choose a quizmaster. That person keeps the answer keys and does not play.
- Split the room into teams of two to four. Teams keep emoji quizzes social, and they stop one fast phone user from winning everything.
- Show one emoji line at a time. Text it to a group chat, cast it to the TV or hold up a phone.
- Give each team 30 seconds to write down an answer. Movie and song titles only need to be close: “Rudolph” is fine for the full song title.
- Score 1 point per correct answer and 2 points for the only team that gets a tough one. After all three rounds, the highest score wins.
If you are playing over video, the quizmaster can share a screen and teams can send answers by private message. That stops anyone from copying the loudest team.
Round 1: Christmas movies in emoji
Twelve holiday films, from old classics to family favorites. A few use the film’s most famous scene rather than its title, so think about what happens in the movie.
| # | Emoji clue |
|---|---|
| 1 | 🏠👦🏻🔒✈️ |
| 2 | 🧝♂️🍝🏙️ |
| 3 | 💚😠🎄 |
| 4 | 🚂❄️🔔 |
| 5 | 🔫🐰👓 |
| 6 | 👻👻👻💰 |
| 7 | 💀🎃🎄 |
| 8 | 🔔👼🌉 |
| 9 | ✨3️⃣4️⃣🛣️ |
| 10 | 🎅📝 |
| 11 | 🗽👦🏻🏨 |
| 12 | ❤️🇬🇧✈️ |
Movie answers: 1. Home Alone, 2. Elf, 3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas, 4. The Polar Express, 5. A Christmas Story, 6. A Christmas Carol, 7. The Nightmare Before Christmas, 8. It’s a Wonderful Life, 9. Miracle on 34th Street, 10. The Santa Clause, 11. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, 12. Love Actually.
Round 2: Christmas songs in emoji
Twelve songs you will hear on the radio every December. Humming the answer counts if the quizmaster agrees.
| # | Emoji clue |
|---|---|
| 1 | 🦌🔴👃 |
| 2 | ❄️❄️❄️ |
| 3 | 🔔🔔🪨 |
| 4 | 🎸🎄 |
| 5 | 👀👩💋🎅 |
| 6 | 👵🦌🚗 |
| 7 | 🤍🎄 |
| 8 | 🤫🌙 |
| 9 | 🥁👦 |
| 10 | ⛄🎩✨ |
| 11 | 1️⃣2️⃣📅 |
| 12 | 💙🎄 |
Song answers: 1. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, 2. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!, 3. Jingle Bell Rock, 4. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, 5. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, 6. Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer, 7. White Christmas, 8. Silent Night, 9. The Little Drummer Boy, 10. Frosty the Snowman, 11. The Twelve Days of Christmas, 12. Blue Christmas.
Round 3: Christmas traditions and things in emoji
Twelve foods, decorations and traditions. These are the easiest round for kids, so play it first if you have young guests.
| # | Emoji clue |
|---|---|
| 1 | 🍪🥛 |
| 2 | 🍬🦯 |
| 3 | 🌿💋 |
| 4 | 🫚🍞👨 |
| 5 | 🛷🦌 |
| 6 | 🧦🔥 |
| 7 | 🤍🐘🎁 |
| 8 | 🌟🌲 |
| 9 | 🥚🥛🍹 |
| 10 | 🌰🔥 |
| 11 | 🎄⏰🌙 |
| 12 | 🎅🏠⬇️ |
Tradition answers: 1. Cookies and milk, 2. Candy cane, 3. Mistletoe, 4. Gingerbread man, 5. Sleigh and reindeer, 6. Stockings by the fireplace, 7. White elephant gift exchange, 8. Christmas tree star, 9. Eggnog, 10. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, 11. Christmas Eve, 12. Santa coming down the chimney.
How to write your own emoji puzzles
- Start with the most famous image, not the title. Home Alone is easier as a house, a boy and a plane than as the words “home” and “alone.”
- Use three to five emoji. Fewer is too vague, and more becomes a reading test.
- Mix sounds and meanings. A bell plus a rock makes Jingle Bell Rock.
- Test each one on one person before the party. If they get it in under ten seconds, it is an easy-round puzzle.
- Phones show emoji slightly differently. Check your quiz on both an iPhone and an Android phone if your group uses both.
More Christmas party games
If your family enjoys guessing holiday movies and songs, Yule Never Guess Christmas Trivia has ready-made Christmas questions, so nobody has to write a quiz. It costs about $30. For a word game where clues come out wrong on purpose, Poetry for Neanderthals has players describe words using only one-syllable words. It costs about $20.
For more ideas, see our Christmas movie trivia questions, the Christmas song trivia questions, our Christmas Heads Up words and our guide to hosting a Christmas trivia night.
Christmas emoji quiz FAQ
How do you play a Christmas emoji quiz?
Show a line of emoji that stands for a holiday movie, song or tradition, and players or teams guess what it means. The fastest correct answer scores.
Can kids play a Christmas emoji quiz?
Yes. Start with the traditions round, which uses everyday things like cookies and candy canes. Kids 7 and up usually manage the songs round too.
How long does an emoji quiz take?
About 20 to 30 minutes for all 36 puzzles with a group, including time to read the answers.
Is an emoji quiz good for a virtual party?
Very good. Paste each emoji line into the chat or share a screen, and teams send answers by private message.
