Christmas This or That Questions, Movies and Secret Santa Pairs

Pairs for family dinner, the office party and your Secret Santa questionnaire.

Random this or that picker

Christmas
Open gifts Christmas EveorOpen gifts Christmas morning
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Twenty pairs fill about 10 minutes.

Jump to a section (11)
  1. This or that Christmas edition: traditions
  2. Christmas food and treats
  3. Christmas movie this or that
  4. Decorations and lights
  5. Secret Santa this or that questions
  6. This or that gift questions and gift ideas
  7. Christmas this or that questions for adults
  8. How to play the Christmas this or that game
  9. How to run a Secret Santa questionnaire this or that style
  10. Tips for this or that questions Christmas edition
  11. Frequently asked questions

This or that Christmas edition: traditions

Every family runs Christmas a little differently. These this or that Christmas questions show whose house does what.

  1. Open gifts Christmas EveorOpen gifts Christmas morning?
  2. Real treeorFake tree?
  3. Matching pajamasorUgly sweaters?
  4. Christmas cardsorChristmas texts?
  5. Snowy ChristmasorSunny Christmas?
  6. Advent calendarorCountdown chain?
  7. Elf on the ShelforNo elf?
  8. CarolingorChristmas lights drive?
  9. Big family ChristmasorQuiet Christmas at home?
  10. StockingsorGifts under the tree?
  11. Christmas Eve serviceorChristmas Eve movie night?
  12. Up at dawnorSleep in?
See more questions

Christmas food and treats

  1. Gingerbread cookiesorSugar cookies?
  2. Hot cocoaorEggnog?
  3. Glazed hamorRoast beef?
  4. Candy canesorChocolate coins?
  5. FruitcakeorYule log cake?
  6. Peppermint barkorFudge?
  7. Mashed potatoesorRoast potatoes?
  8. Gingerbread houseorCookie decorating?
  9. Marshmallows in cocoaorWhipped cream on cocoa?
  10. Christmas dinnerorChristmas brunch?
  11. Cookies for SantaorCarrots for reindeer?
  12. Cinnamon rollsorPancakes on Christmas morning?

Christmas movie this or that

Movie pairs start the longest arguments. Pair a classic with a newer film so every generation at the table has a side.

  1. Home AloneorElf?
  2. The Polar ExpressorThe Santa Clause?
  3. A Christmas StoryorChristmas Vacation?
  4. 1966 Grinch cartoonor2000 Grinch movie?
  5. It's a Wonderful LifeorMiracle on 34th Street?
  6. The Muppet Christmas CarolorA Charlie Brown Christmas?
  7. RudolphorFrosty the Snowman?
  8. KlausorArthur Christmas?
  9. Die Hard is a Christmas movieorDie Hard is not a Christmas movie?
  10. Love ActuallyorThe Holiday?
  11. Animated Christmas movieorLive-action Christmas movie?
  12. Christmas movie marathonorOne movie and bed?

Decorations and lights

  1. White lightsorColored lights?
  2. Star on toporAngel on top?
  3. TinselorGarland?
  4. Matching ornamentsorHandmade ornaments?
  5. Inflatable yard SantaorSimple wreath?
  6. Decorate after ThanksgivingorDecorate in mid-December?
  7. Twinkling lightsorSteady lights?
  8. Red and greenorSilver and gold?
  9. Tree in the windoworTree in the corner?
  10. Take decorations down January 1orLeave them up until February?

Secret Santa this or that questions

Send these this or that Secret Santa questions to everyone after names are drawn. Each answer narrows down what to buy.

Copy the pairs into Google Forms or Microsoft Forms, or print the page and hand it out.

  1. MugorSocks?
  2. CandleorPlant?
  3. Sweet treatsorSalty snacks?
  4. Gift cardorWrapped surprise?
  5. Practical giftorFun gift?
  6. BookorPuzzle?
  7. Hot cocoa kitorCoffee beans?
  8. ScentedorUnscented?
  9. Desk gadgetorKitchen gadget?
  10. HandmadeorStore-bought?
  11. ExperienceorThing to keep?
  12. Funny giftorSentimental gift?
  13. Bright colorsorNeutral colors?
  14. LotionorLip balm?
  15. Board gameorCard game?

This or that gift questions and gift ideas

Use these this or that gift questions with family before you write a this or that Christmas list. They also give you this or that gift ideas for people who say they want nothing.

  1. Stocking stuffersorOne big gift?
  2. Wrapping paperorGift bags?
  3. Shop earlyorShop last minute?
  4. Wish listorSurprise me?
  5. Giving giftsorGetting gifts?
  6. Shop in storesorShop online?
  7. Cozy blanketorFuzzy slippers?
  8. GadgetorClothes?
  9. Name tags on giftsorGuess who it's from?
  10. Open one at a timeorEveryone opens at once?

Christmas this or that questions for adults

These pairs suit office parties, friend groups and family members old enough to host.

  1. Mulled wineorSpiked cocoa?
  2. Office partyorFriends' party?
  3. Host ChristmasorTravel for Christmas?
  4. White elephantorSecret Santa?
  5. Christmas Eve dinnerorChristmas Day feast?
  6. Card with a letterorCard with a photo?
  7. Visit familyorFamily visits you?
  8. Wrap as you goorWrapping marathon?
  9. Ugly sweater partyorFancy dress party?
  10. Spend more on fewer peopleorSpend less on more people?
  11. Christmas music in NovemberorChristmas music from December 1?
  12. Leftovers for daysorFresh meal on Boxing Day?

How to play the Christmas this or that game

  1. Pick 15 to 20 pairs from the sections above. Mix food, movies and traditions.
  2. Read one pair aloud: "Hot cocoa or Eggnog?"
  3. Everyone answers at once by pointing left for the first option or right for the second.
  4. Ask one person from the smaller side to defend their pick in one sentence.
  5. For a party, give a candy cane to anyone who lands on the losing side alone and still defends it.
  6. To get more pairs fast, use the random picker at /this-or-that-generator. It draws one pair at a time.

How to run a Secret Santa questionnaire this or that style

  1. Draw names first, with a hat or Wheel of Names, and set a budget.
  2. Copy 10 to 15 of the Secret Santa this or that questions above into a form or onto paper.
  3. Add three open lines at the end: favorite snack, favorite color, and "please no".
  4. Collect the answers and send each one only to that person's Secret Santa.
  5. Give everyone at least one week to shop after the answers come in.

Tips for this or that questions Christmas edition

  • Keep pairs balanced. "Gifts or Coal?" has an obvious winner, so nobody argues.
  • For kids under 7, stick to food, Santa and decoration pairs. Movie pairs only work if they have seen both films.
  • At work, skip religion and alcohol pairs. Use the traditions, food and decoration pairs.
  • Use this or that for Christmas cards too. Write one pair inside and ask the reader to text back an answer.
  • Print the page for a family dinner. The print layout fits the pairs on a few sheets.

Frequently asked questions

What is Christmas this or that?

Christmas this or that is a two-choice question game with a holiday theme, such as "Real tree or Fake tree?" or "Elf or Home Alone?". Families play it at dinner, offices use it at parties, and Secret Santa groups turn it into a gift questionnaire. Each pair takes seconds to answer, and 20 pairs fill about 10 minutes.

Good Christmas this or that questions offer two holiday favorites with no clear winner, such as Real tree or Fake tree, Gingerbread cookies or Sugar cookies, and Home Alone or Elf. Mix food, movies and traditions so everyone at the table has a strong opinion on at least a few.

Good this or that questions for Secret Santa reveal gift tastes, such as Candle or Plant, Sweet treats or Salty snacks, and Mug or Socks. Use 10 to 15 pairs, then add one open line for allergies and dislikes. The giver gets clues and the gift stays a surprise.

Copy 10 to 15 pairs from the Secret Santa section into Google Forms, Microsoft Forms or a printed sheet. Add open lines for favorite snack, favorite color and anything to avoid. Send each completed secret santa this or that form only to that person's giver.

The best christmas movie this or that pairs match two films people love for different reasons. Home Alone or Elf, The Polar Express or The Santa Clause, and Rudolph or Frosty the Snowman all split a room. "Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?" starts the longest debate.

Yes. The adults section covers hosting, travel, gift budgets and party pairs such as Mulled wine or Spiked cocoa and White elephant or Secret Santa. Skip the drink pairs at work or when kids are playing.

A christmas this or that game with 20 pairs takes about 10 minutes for a group of 8. Add a one-sentence defense from the minority side and it runs closer to 20 minutes. Stop while people still want more.

Read one pair each morning in December as a warm-up. Students move to the left or right side of the room to vote. Use food, decoration and Santa pairs, and skip religion so every family feels included.

Yes. Answer the gift questions section first: Stocking stuffers or One big gift, Gadget or Clothes, Experience or Thing to keep. Your answers show what kind of gifts to put on the list and what to leave off.

This page prints cleanly with your browser's Print button, or you can Save as PDF. The site does not host a separate download. For a custom sheet, paste your chosen pairs into Google Docs or Canva and print that.