Christmas Vacation Trivia Questions: 35 Griswold Questions With Answers

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These Christmas Vacation trivia questions cover National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, the 1989 comedy where Clark Griswold tries to give his family a perfect old-fashioned Christmas and gets a burned tree, a squirrel and a surprise visit from Eddie and his family instead. Answers follow each question, so the host can read straight down the page. Start with the easy round for casual viewers and save the cast round for the people who quote the movie every December.

Easy Christmas Vacation trivia

1. What is the family's last name? Griswold.
2. Who plays Clark Griswold? Chevy Chase.
3. What does Clark forget to bring when the family goes to cut down a tree? A saw. They dig the tree up by the roots instead.
4. How many lights does Clark staple to the house? 25,000 imported Italian twinkle lights.
5. What is the name of Eddie's dog? Snots.
6. What animal jumps out of the Christmas tree? A squirrel.
7. What does Clark get instead of his Christmas bonus? A one-year membership in the Jelly of the Month Club.
8. What does Clark plan to buy with the bonus? A swimming pool for the backyard.
9. What does Eddie drive to the Griswold house? A rundown RV.
10. Who lights the Christmas tree on fire with a cigar? Uncle Lewis.

The Griswold family and the relatives

1. What are the names of Clark's two kids? Audrey and Rusty.
2. Who plays Ellen Griswold? Beverly D'Angelo.
3. What is the name of Eddie's wife? Catherine.
4. What are the names of Eddie's two youngest kids? Rocky and Ruby Sue.
5. Which elderly aunt brings a wrapped present that turns out to be her cat? Aunt Bethany.
6. What does Aunt Bethany recite when she is asked to say grace? The Pledge of Allegiance.
7. What ingredient is hidden in Aunt Bethany's Jell-O mold? Cat food.
8. Who are the yuppie neighbors next door? Todd and Margo.
9. Which future Seinfeld star plays Margo? Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
10. Who is Clark's boss? Frank Shirley.

Famous scenes

1. Why do the lights fail to turn on at first? The plug is connected to an outlet controlled by a switch in the garage, and Ellen turns it on only after Clark gives up.
2. What does Clark coat his sled with before his famous ride? A new non-caloric, silicone-based kitchen lubricant from his company.
3. Where is Clark trapped while hiding the gifts? In the attic, where he watches old home movies.
4. What happens when Clark carves the turkey? It is so overcooked that it deflates and falls apart.
5. What does Eddie bring Clark as a surprise on Christmas Eve? Frank Shirley, kidnapped and wrapped with a bow.
6. Who shows up at the house after Eddie's surprise? A police SWAT team.
7. What causes the explosion in the street at the end? Uncle Lewis lights a match near the storm sewer where Eddie has been dumping the RV's waste.
8. What gets launched into the sky by the sewer explosion? The Santa sleigh and reindeer decoration from the front lawn.

Griswold cast and production round

1. In what year was Christmas Vacation released? 1989.
2. Who wrote the screenplay? John Hughes.
3. Who directed the movie? Jeremiah S. Chechik.
4. Which number film in the Vacation series is it? The third, after Vacation and European Vacation.
5. Who plays Eddie? Randy Quaid.
6. Who plays a teenage Audrey? Juliette Lewis.
7. Who plays Rusty, years before The Big Bang Theory? Johnny Galecki.

How to run a Christmas Vacation trivia night

Split the room into teams of three or four and give each team a name from the movie, such as Team Snots or the Jelly of the Month Club. Read ten questions per round and let teams write answers on a sheet, then trade sheets for scoring. Easy questions count one point and the cast round counts two, so movie superfans have something to chase.

Play the movie in the background with the sound off while you play. It gives guests visual hints, sparks arguments about what really happened in each scene and fills quiet gaps between rounds. Keep a bowl of eggnog or hot cocoa nearby and hand a small prize to the winning team, like a jar of jelly.

Bonus quote round

Read a famous line and ask teams who said it. Good picks include Clark's speech about a fun old-fashioned family Christmas, Eddie's comment that the jelly club is the gift that keeps on giving, and Ellen telling Clark that he sets standards no family event can live up to. Accept the character's name as correct even if a team cannot name the actor.

After the quiz, keep the holiday theme going with Yule Never Guess (about $27), a Christmas trivia card game for kids and adults, or browse our Christmas movie trivia questions for rounds on other holiday films.

Christmas Vacation trivia FAQ

How many questions should a trivia night have?

Thirty to forty questions over three or four rounds fills about an hour.

Is Christmas Vacation trivia good for kids?

The easy round works for kids who have seen the movie. The film is rated PG-13, so check that the kids at your party have watched it.

What is the hardest Christmas Vacation question?

Most groups miss what Clark coats his sled with: a non-caloric, silicone-based kitchen lubricant.