51 Incredible December Trivia Questions and Answers
Celebrate the final month of the year with December Trivia! From holiday traditions and winter solstice fun facts to historic events and famous birthdays, these questions highlight everything that makes December special. Perfect for family gatherings, classrooms, or festive trivia nights, this set captures the joy, history, and celebrations of the season.
1What is the origin of the name "December"?
2How many days does December have in the Gregorian calendar?
3In which calendars is December the final month of the year?
4What season begins in the Northern Hemisphere during December (astronomically)?
5In the Southern Hemisphere, what season starts in December?
6What significant astronomical event typically occurs around December 21 or 22 in the Northern Hemisphere?
7During the December solstice, over which latitude on Earth are the Sun’s rays directly overhead?
8Why does December remain named after 'ten' even though it's the 12th month now?
9What was the status of December in the early Roman calendar before January and February existed?
10Which famous aviation milestone happened on December 17, 1903?
11On what date did the first powered flight take place?
12What important U.S. constitutional milestone happened on December 15, 1791?
13When was the first awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize held?
14Which full moon name is associated with December in some Native American traditions?
15What is the significance of the December solstice in terms of daylight hours in Northern Hemisphere?
16Why do some ancient monuments align with sunrise or sunset on the December solstice?
17What change did the reform of the Roman calendar by Julius Caesar bring to December’s position in the year?
18Is December always associated with cold weather globally?
19Aside from being a calendar month, what natural phenomenon often marks December in the Northern Hemisphere?
20What is an alternative secular holiday celebrated on December 23, sometimes used as a non-commercial alternative to Christmas?
21What are two signature traditions associated with Festivus celebrations (as popularized in modern culture)?
22Why is the December solstice called a ‘solstice’ — what does the term mean?
23Do solstices and seasons depend on Earth’s distance to the Sun?
24Did December always begin the winter season in ancient Roman times?
25What is the month that precedes December in the calendar we use today?
26What is the month that follows December in the calendar we use today?
27Which month is the only one with exactly 31 days that also marks the end of the year?
28Which significant space mission orbited the Moon on December 21, 1968?
29What notable fact about daylight hours makes the December solstice special in the Northern Hemisphere?
30What natural shift begins right after the December solstice in the Northern Hemisphere?
31Did the early Roman calendar include the winter period after December as a month?
32Why might December be associated with many holidays and celebrations in modern times?
33What is one reason some scientists use December 21–22 to mark the start of winter (astronomical winter)?
34Are solstices fixed to always happen on the same calendar date every year?
35Has the length of a solar year (from one December solstice to the next) always matched the calendar year length exactly?
36Is December the only month historically named after a number (Latin)?
37Which hemisphere gets the longest day and shortest night during December solstice?
38Which hemisphere experiences the shortest day and longest night during the December solstice?
39Does the tilt of Earth’s axis affect the seasons more than Earth’s orbit shape when it comes to December weather?
40Around what latitude is the Tropic of Capricorn, over which the sun is overhead during December solstice?
41What type of calendar adjustment was introduced to make up for the mismatch between the solar year and calendar year?
42Why do some people refer to the December solstice as ‘midwinter’ even though it’s at the start of winter?
43What is another name sometimes used for the December solstice?
44How did calendar reforms affect the numbering of months like October, November, and December?
45Why do some ancient celebrations around December focus on themes of rebirth or light returning?
46What is the relationship between winter (in Northern Hemisphere) and the December solstice in terms of daylight arc of the Sun?
47Which notable pattern about temperature records has been observed in December in recent decades on Earth’s surface?
48Why does December have ‘31 days’ instead of the 30 days some months have?
49Does the December solstice mark the same season in both hemispheres?
50What happens to daylight duration in the Northern Hemisphere after the December solstice?
51What is one reason why the earliest sunset does not always coincide with the December solstice date?
Answer Key
- 1. December’s name comes from the Latin word “decem,” meaning ten — because it was originally the tenth month in the early Roman calendar.
- 2. December has 31 days.
- 3. In both the Julian and Gregorian calendars.
- 4. Astronomical winter begins in December in the Northern Hemisphere.
- 5. Astronomical summer begins in December in the Southern Hemisphere.
- 6. The winter solstice — the shortest day and longest night of the year.
- 7. During the December solstice, the Sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn (about 23.5° South).
- 8. Because when the Roman calendar was reformed by adding January and February, December remained the same but its name — meaning tenth — was retained.
- 9. December was the 10th month, and the months after it (winter days) were not part of any month.
- 10. The first successful powered flight by the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk.
- 11. December 17, 1903.
- 12. The first ten amendments to the United States Constitution — known as the Bill of Rights — became law on December 15, 1791.
- 13. The first Nobel Peace Prize was awarded on December 10, 1901.
- 14. The full moon in December is called the “Cold Moon.”
- 15. It marks the shortest period of daylight and the longest night of the year.
- 16. Because many ancient cultures marked the winter solstice as a symbolic time for sun’s rebirth, so monuments were aligned to capture the solstice sunrise or sunset.
- 17. He introduced January and February at the beginning, shifting December from being the 10th to the 12th month.
- 18. No — in the Southern Hemisphere, December corresponds to summer when it is warm.
- 19. The onset of winter weather — snow, colder temperatures, and shorter days.
- 20. The holiday is Festivus.
- 21. An unadorned aluminum Festivus pole and the “airing of grievances” or “feats of strength.”
- 22. The word comes from Latin ‘solstitium’, meaning ‘the Sun stands still,’ because the Sun appears to pause its movement before reversing direction.
- 23. No — seasons are due to Earth’s axial tilt, not how close Earth is to the Sun.
- 24. No — the early Roman calendar ended with December; the winter days after it weren’t part of any month.
- 25. November precedes December.
- 26. January follows December.
- 27. December.
- 28. The Apollo 8 mission orbited the Moon on December 21, 1968.
- 29. It’s the day with the least amount of daylight hours in the year.
- 30. Daylight hours begin to gradually increase again — days start getting longer.
- 31. No — the days after December were uncounted days until calendar reform.
- 32. Because cultures and religions often align winter and solstice traditions, making December a festive month worldwide.
- 33. Because that’s when the December solstice occurs and daylight hours are minimal.
- 34. No — the December solstice can fall on December 20, 21, 22, or 23 depending on the year.
- 35. No — the solar year is slightly longer than the calendar year, so calendar systems need leap-year adjustments.
- 36. No — other months like October, November used to be months eight and nine (‘octo’ = 8, ‘novem’ = 9).
- 37. The Southern Hemisphere enjoys the longest day and shortest night during the December solstice.
- 38. The Northern Hemisphere experiences the shortest day and longest night.
- 39. Yes — the axial tilt is what causes seasons, not the elliptical shape of Earth’s orbit.
- 40. About 23.5° South latitude.
- 41. Leap years (as done in the Julian and later Gregorian calendars) were introduced to align calendar years with the solar year.
- 42. Because in ancient traditions the solstice marked the middle of winter — symbolic of the turning point when days begin getting longer again.
- 43. The “southern solstice.”
- 44. When January and February were added to the beginning of the year, those months kept their names but shifted two positions later.
- 45. Because after the solstice, days start lengthening — symbolizing rebirth of the Sun and end of darkness.
- 46. At the solstice, the Sun’s arc across the sky is at its lowest; days are shortest and the Sun is low on the horizon.
- 47. In recent decades, warm temperature records in December have outpaced cold temperature records over a growing portion of Earth’s surface.
- 48. Because in the calendar reforms, December was assigned 31 days, like other long months, likely to balance the calendar year.
- 49. No — it marks winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
- 50. Daylight duration gradually increases; days start getting longer.
- 51. Because of the way our clocks are defined relative to Earth’s orbit and tilt, solar noon shifts slightly — so the earliest sunset may occur a few days before the solstice.
