# Holiday Trivia

**Type:** Table Trivia Game
**Duration:** 20 minutes per session
**When:** During meal service (staggered between table groups)
**Participants:** ~50 guests per session (2 tables at a time)
**Age Range:** All ages (questions progress from child to adult difficulty)

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## Game Concept

Holiday Trivia keeps guests engaged during meal service by having half the room play trivia while the other half eats, then switching. This prevents dead time and creates energy during what could be a passive meal period.

**Format:**
- 3 rounds per game
- 5 questions per round (progressive difficulty: Q1=child level → Q5=adult level)
- 1 audio bonus per round (Christmas song identification, 2 points)
- Self-grading honor system (fast, no staff verification needed)
- Winners announced at end (multiple winners fine, no tie-breaker)

**Scoring:**
- 1 point per correct answer (5 per round)
- 2 points for audio bonus
- 7 points per round, 21 total possible

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## Flow Integration

**Timeline:**
1. **Doors open:** -15 min before showtime
2. **Show starts:** +5 min after showtime
3. **Session 1 (20 min):** Tables 1-2 eat, Tables 3-4 play trivia (Set A)
4. **Session 2 (20 min):** Tables 3-4 eat, Tables 1-2 play trivia (Set B)
5. **Full room:** Christmas Countdown game (all tables together)
6. **Transition:** Room assignments and release to breakout rooms

**Key design:**
- Different question sets for each session (A and B) so eating tables don't overhear answers
- Same answer sheets/boards used for both trivia and Christmas Countdown
- Seamless transition from trivia → Countdown → rooms

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## Why This Works

**Solves meal service problem:**
- Prevents 40 minutes of passive eating time
- Creates engagement during staggered service
- Families/groups interact while waiting for food or after eating

**All-ages participation:**
- Difficulty progression ensures everyone contributes
- Kids answer Q1-2, adults help with Q4-5
- Families work together as teams

**Fast-paced energy:**
- Honor system grading = no delays
- 3 rounds = momentum and variety
- Audio bonuses add excitement and break up format

**No IP concerns:**
- All audio songs are public domain secular Christmas songs
- No licensing fees, no copyright issues

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## Materials Needed

### Per Show (Reusable)

**Answer Sheets:**
- Paper answer sheets (6 per page, cut apart)
- 3 rounds with spaces for Q1-5, Bonus, Total, Grand Total
- Simple black text on white, plenty of writing space
- ~50 sheets per session (25 groups × 2 sessions = 50 total)
- Quantity for 30 shows: Print as needed (low cost, ~$10-20 per show for paper)

**Pens/Pencils:**
- Available at each table
- Shared among groups

**Audio Equipment:**
- Microphone for host (already owned)
- Sound system for audio clips (already owned)
- Audio clips prepared: 10-15 sec each, 3 per set

---

## Question Sets Available

**Set A (Tables 3-4, first session):**
- Round 1: Rudolph, reindeer count, milk & cookies, Frosty's hat, "White Christmas"
- Round 2: Snowman, stockings, Elf movie syrup, poinsettia, St. Nicholas birthplace
- Round 3: Snow color, Max the dog, Christmas Carol ghosts, 5 golden rings, Coca-Cola
- Audio: "Jingle Bells," "Deck the Halls," "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"

**Set B (Tables 1-2, second session):**
- Round 1: Christmas tree, carrots for reindeer, Home Alone Paris, coin in pudding, Macy's Parade 1924
- Round 2: Santa's red suit, toys from elves, Polar Express "Believe," tinsel, Oklahoma last state
- Round 3: Snow falls, star/angel topper, reindeer games, 6-point snowflake, Nutcracker ballet
- Audio: "Winter Wonderland," "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas," "Up on the Housetop"

**Backup Set 1:**
- For variety or additional shows
- Different questions, same format
- Audio: "Deck the Halls," "Good King Wenceslas," "Jingle Bells"

**Backup Set 2:**
- For variety or additional shows
- Different questions, same format
- Audio: "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," "Winter Wonderland," "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas"

**Backup Set 3:**
- For variety or additional shows
- Different questions, same format
- Audio: "Up on the Housetop," "Good King Wenceslas," "Deck the Halls"

**Total:** 75 unique questions + 15 audio bonuses across 5 sets

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## Public Domain Audio Songs Used

All songs are secular (non-religious) and public domain (no copyright concerns):

1. "Jingle Bells"
2. "Deck the Halls"
3. "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"
4. "Winter Wonderland"
5. "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas"
6. "Up on the Housetop"
7. "Good King Wenceslas"

Audio clips: 10-15 seconds each, vary which section of song is used for unpredictability.

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## Difficulty Progression (Every Round)

**Question 1 (Child Level):**
- Simple recognition, basic concepts
- Examples: "What color is Rudolph's nose?" "What do elves make?"
- Young children can contribute

**Question 2 (Easy-Medium):**
- Still accessible, slightly more knowledge
- Examples: "How many reindeer pull Santa's sleigh?" "What goes on top of a Christmas tree?"

**Question 3 (Medium):**
- General knowledge most people know
- Examples: "In Elf, what does Buddy put syrup on?" "What plant is called the Christmas flower?"

**Question 4 (Medium-Hard):**
- More specific, requires recall
- Examples: "Which reindeer shares a name with Valentine's Day symbol?" "How many points does a snowflake have?"

**Question 5 (Adult Level):**
- Challenging trivia, historical facts
- Examples: "What is the best-selling Christmas single?" "What year was the first Macy's Parade?"

**Audio Bonus:**
- Varies by song familiarity
- Familiar Christmas songs most people can identify

---

## Timing Breakdown

**Per Round (~4-5 minutes):**
- Questions 1-5: ~2.5 min (30 sec each)
- Audio bonus: ~30 sec
- Reveal answers: ~1 min
- Self-grading: ~30 sec

**Total Game:**
- 3 rounds: 13-15 minutes
- Grand total + winners: 2-3 minutes
- Buffer: 2-4 minutes
- **Total: ~20 minutes**

---

## Staff Requirements

**Trivia Host (1 person):**
- Runs game with microphone
- Reads questions at good pace
- Plays audio clips (or signals tech)
- Announces answers
- Manages timing
- Declares winners

**Tech Support (1 person, optional):**
- Manages audio playback if host can't do both
- Monitors sound levels
- Troubleshoots tech issues

**Floor Staff (optional):**
- Distribute answer sheets before game
- Ensure pens/pencils available
- Monitor for groups needing help

**Streamlined design:** Can run with just host + microphone. Self-grading = no verification needed.

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## Budget

**One-time costs:**
- Question sets already created (included in this package)
- Audio clips to source/create: Free (public domain songs, use any recording)

**Per-show costs:**
- Answer sheet printing: ~$10-20 per show (50 sheets × 30 shows = ~$300-600 total)
- Pens/pencils: Minimal (reusable)

**Total for 30 shows:** ~$300-600 (just printing costs)

**Per-guest cost:** $0.10-0.20 per guest

---

## Setup Requirements

**Before show:**
- Print answer sheets (50 per show, cut into individual sheets)
- Prepare audio clips (3 per set, cued and ready)
- Test sound system and microphone
- Place pens/pencils at tables
- Host reviews question set and familiarizes with content

**During show:**
- Distribute answer sheets when guests are seated (before food service)
- Host ready with microphone and question set
- Audio clips ready to play on command

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## Transition to Christmas Countdown

After both trivia sessions complete, all groups have:
- Eaten their meal
- Played trivia
- Answer sheets/boards in hand

**Host transition:**
"Great job everyone on trivia! Now that we've all eaten and played, it's time for our big full-room game - Christmas Countdown! You'll use the same answer boards you used for trivia, so keep those handy!"

Groups flip answer sheets over to dry-erase side (or receive dry-erase boards if using those instead of paper).

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## Files in This Folder

- `GAME-INFO.md` - This file, game overview
- `trivia-answer-sheets.html` - Printable answer sheets (6 per page)
- `trivia-set-A.html` - Question Set A (Tables 3-4, first session)
- `trivia-set-B.html` - Question Set B (Tables 1-2, second session)
- `trivia-backup-1.html` - Backup question set
- `trivia-backup-2.html` - Backup question set
- `trivia-backup-3.html` - Backup question set
- `trivia-host-guide.html` - Complete host operations guide

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## Design Notes

**Honor system works:**
- Keeps pace fast, no bottlenecks
- Builds trust and fun atmosphere
- Reduces staff workload significantly
- Adults naturally help kids understand scoring

**Progressive difficulty critical:**
- Ensures all ages participate
- Families collaborate naturally (kids on easy Qs, adults on hard)
- No one feels left out or bored

**Audio bonuses add variety:**
- Breaks up verbal Q&A format
- Engages different skill (recognition vs recall)
- Excitement when song starts playing
- 2 points makes it worth the extra attention

**Staggered format solves logistics:**
- Can't have 100 people get food at once
- Can't have 100 people sitting idle during meal
- Trivia fills the gap perfectly
- Different sets prevent answer crossover

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**Status:** Complete - 5 question sets created, host guide written, answer sheets designed, ready to print and play