New Year's Eve quiz questions to ring in 2026

Planning a New Year's Eve party? A quick quiz round is a brilliant way to keep guests entertained before the countdown begins. These nine questions cover traditions from around the world, a bit of history, and some wonderfully strange customs that might surprise even well-travelled players.

The questions

1In which country is it a popular tradition to eat KFC for Christmas dinner, thanks to a successful 1974 marketing campaign?

Answer:Japan(click to reveal)

The "Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakkii" (Kentucky for Christmas) campaign was so successful that families now order their KFC buckets weeks in advance. It's become one of the country's most recognisable holiday traditions.

2Which Pacific island nation is traditionally the first inhabited place to welcome the New Year?

Answer:Kiribati (specifically the Line Islands, which are at UTC+14)(click to reveal)

Samoa and Tonga are also in the running, but Kiribati's Line Islands technically cross the date line first. Source

3In Spain, what do people traditionally eat at the stroke of midnight, one for each chime of the clock?

Answer:12 grapes (las doce uvas de la suerte)(click to reveal)

The tradition dates back to 1909 when grape growers in Alicante had a surplus and came up with this clever marketing idea. It stuck, and now the Puerta del Sol in Madrid broadcasts the chimes nationwide.

4Robert Burns wrote the lyrics to "Auld Lang Syne," the song sung at midnight in many English-speaking countries. But what does "auld lang syne" actually mean?

Answer:"Old long since" or "times gone by"(click to reveal)

The phrase is Scots dialect. Burns collected and adapted the lyrics from an older folk song in 1788.

5In Scotland, what single word refers to the New Year's Eve celebration?

Answer:Hogmanay(click to reveal)

The origins of the word are debated, but the celebration itself involves first-footing (the first person to cross your threshold should be a dark-haired man bearing gifts), fireworks, and often a dip in freezing water on New Year's Day.

6In Ecuador and Colombia, families build and burn effigies in the street at midnight. What are these effigies called?

Answer:Año Viejo (meaning "old year")(click to reveal)

The effigies often represent politicians, celebrities, or cartoon characters, and burning them symbolises leaving the old year's troubles behind.

7At the famous Times Square celebration in New York, what happens at midnight as the countdown ends?

Answer:A giant crystal ball drops (descends down a pole)(click to reveal)

The tradition began in 1907. The current ball weighs nearly 12,000 pounds, is covered in 2,688 Waterford crystal triangles, and takes 60 seconds to make its descent.

8In Denmark, people save chipped plates and dishes throughout the year to throw at friends' front doors on New Year's Eve. What does a large pile of broken crockery on your doorstep supposedly indicate?

Answer:You have many loyal friends (or good luck for the coming year)(click to reveal)

The bigger the pile, the more popular you are. It's a messy but affectionate tradition.

9In several Latin American countries, the colour of underwear worn on New Year's Eve is thought to influence the year ahead. What colour should you wear if you want wealth and prosperity?

Answer:Yellow (or gold)(click to reveal)

Red is for love and romance, white for peace, and green for health. Some enthusiastic celebrants layer multiple colours to cover all bases.

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