50 Christmas music quiz questions to tax your loved ones

Our sister title, the Northwich Guardian, asked Radio Northwich DJ and keen amateur quizmaster, Julian Williams, to put together a list of 50 Christmas lyrics-based quiz questions to put your little grey cells to the test. 

Julian has even included clues, providing the number of words and letters in each answer.

Switch off the telebox, pick up a pen and paper, and get going, but be warned – one or two of these are real headscratchers.

You will find the answers below, so no scrolling down in advance. That would be cheating.

1.      Sleigh bells ring, are you listening (6,10)

2.      Good tidings we bring, to you and your kin (2,4,3,1,5,9)

3.      The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight (1,6,4,2,9)

4.      We’re dancing in the midnight sky (7,2,3,3)

5.      When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even (4,4,9)

6.      The rising of the sun and the running of the deer (3,5,3,3,3)

7.      Dashing through the snow, in a one horse-open sleigh (6,5)

White Christmas crooner, Bing Croscy (right) with wife and actress, Kathryn Crosby in 1976 (Image: Carlos Rene Perez/AP)

8.      The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay (4,2,1,6)

9.      And in our world of plenty, we can spread a smile of joy (2,4,4,3,9)

10. O, tidings of comfort and joy (3,4,2,5,9)

11. Come and behold him, born the king of angels (1,4,3,2,8)

12. You better watch out, you better not cry (5,5,2,6,2,4)

13. And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing (3,2,3,5)

14. Field and fountain, moor and mountain (2,5,5,2,6,3)

15. Follow that star tonight, Bethlehem, Bethlehem (6,6)

A partridge (no pear tree alas) (Image: Pixabay)

16. Long time ago in Bethlehem, so the holy bible says (5,3,5)

17. With logs on the fire, and gifts on the tree (9,3,4)

18. With th’ angelic host proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem (4,3,6,6,4)

19. On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me (3,6,4,2,9)

20. Frosty wind may moan, earth stood hard as iron (2,3,5,9)

21. He came down to earth from heaven, who is God and lord of all (4,2,5,6,4)

St Nicholas (Image: Pixabay)

22. Gloria, hosanna in excelsis (4,4,7,2,4)

23. All of the other reindeer, used to laugh and call him names (6,3,3,5,8)

24. Lully, lullah, thou little tiny child, bye bye, lully lullay (8,5)

25. The world in solemn stillness lay, to hear the angels sing (2,4,4,1,8,5)

26. Hail thou ever blessed morn (3,4,3,7,4)

27. When the kids start singing, and the band begins to play (1,4,5,2,9,8)

28. They looked up and saw a star, shining in the east beyond them far (3,5,4)

29. The stars are brightly shining, it is the night of our sweets saviour’s birth (1,4,5)

Reindeer (Image: Pixabay)

30. With a corn cob pipe and a button nose (6,3,7)

31. Pray for peace, people everywhere (2,3,4,4,1,4)

32. Leading onward, beaming bright (2,4,8,3,2,3)

33. The moon is right, the spirit’s up (9,9,4)

34. Come, they told me, pah rum pum pum pum (3,6,7,3)

35. Snow is falling all around me (5,9,8)

36. What a bright time, it’s the right time, to rock the night away (6,4,4)

White Christmas (just like the ones we used to know) (Image: Pixabay)

37. Where the tree tops glisten and children listen (5,8)

38. How lovely are your branches (1,9,4)

39. Hurry down the chimney tonight (5,4)

40. I’m so sorry for that laddie, he hasn’t got a daddy (3,6,3,4,5,5,6)

41. The angel of the Lord came down, and glory shone around (5,9,7,5,6)

42. She didn’t see me creep, down the stairs to have a peep (1,3,5,7,5,5)

43. See the fur to keep you warm, snugly round your tiny form (3,7,5)

44. Over the hills and everywhere (2,4,2,2,3,8)

Nativity scene (Image: Pixabay)

45. She’d been drinking too much egg nog (7,3,3,4,2,1,8)

46. Christ is born, and now lies sleeping (7)

47. Why lies he in such mean estate, where ox and ass are feeding (4,5,2,4)

48. And the boys of the NYPD choir were singing Galway Bay (9,2,3,4)

49. And there’s nothing in the world gonna get in my way (3,2,4,3,9)

50. Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree (4,9)

ANSWERS

 1.      Winter Wonderland

2.      We Wish You a Merry Christmas

3.      O, Little Town of Bethlehem

4.      Walking in the Air

5.      Good King Wenceslas

6.      The Holly and the Ivy

7.      Jingle Bells

8.      Away in a Manger

9.      Do They Know It’s Christmas

10. God rest Ye, Merry Gentleman

11. O, Come, All Ye Faithful

12. Santa Claus is Coming to Town

13. Joy to the World

14. We Three Kings of Orient Are

15. Little Donkey

16. Mary’s Boy Child

17. Mistletoe and Wine

18. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

19. The Twelve Days of Christmas

20. In the Bleak Midwinter

21. Once in Royal David’s City

22. Ding Dong, Merrily on High!

23. Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer

24. Coventry Carol

25.  It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

26. See Amid the Winter Snow

27. I Wish It Could be Christmas Everyday

28.  The First Noel

29. O, Holy Night

30. Frosty the Snowman

31. Do You Hear What I Hear

32. As With Gladness Men of Old

33. Wonderful Christmas Time

34. The Little Drummer Boy

35. Merry Christmas Everyone

36. Jingle Bell Rock

37. White Christmas

38. O, Christmas Tree

39. Santa Baby

40. The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot

41. While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks by Night

42.  I Saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus

43. The Rocking Carol

44. Go tell It to the Mountain

45. Grandma Got Runover by a Reindeer

46. Torches

47. What Child Is This

48. Fairy Tale of New York

49. I’ll Be Home For Christmas

50. Blue Christmas

This quiz is supplied by Julian Williams, resident quizmaster at the Broken Cross on Thursday evenings from 8pm.

Julian is happy to provide and present quizzes for charities free of charge.

He can be contacted at Julianwi@aol.com.