Christmas Words Starting With Q

Here are all ten Christmas words that begin with Q; choose another letter for U, X or any other.

Christmas Words Starting With Q

  1. QuempasA German name for old carols sung from house to house, short for a Latin carol.
  2. QuiriniusThe governor whose census Luke uses to date the birth of Jesus.
  3. Queen's Christmas messageThe British sovereign's Christmas broadcast, in a queen's reign.
  4. Quarter dayChristmas Day is one of the four English quarter days, when rents fell due.
  5. Quince cheeseOne of the thirteen desserts of a Provençal Christmas.
  6. Queso de bolaA ball of Edam cheese in red wax, served at Christmas Eve dinner in the Philippines.
  7. QuviasukvikThe Inuktitut word for Christmas, and a festival that starts on Christmas Eve.
  8. Qagħaq tal-għaselMaltese honey rings, served at Epiphany.
  9. Quadragesima Sancti MartiniSaint Martin's Lent, the forty-day fast that was later shortened and called Advent.
  10. QuailGame such as quail may be on a rural American Christmas table.

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How it works

Q is the hard letter of the Christmas alphabet game. These ten Christmas words that start with Q are real: a Wikipedia article ties each one to Christmas, from the Bible story to the Christmas tables of other countries.

Read the full guide

Q Christmas words a table will accept

Quail, Quince cheese and Quarter day are plain English, so they pass without a fight. For Quempas, Quviasukvik and Queso de bola, read the line under the word aloud.

Christmas words beginning with U, T, G and F

The list under the tool has 11 for U, 20 for T, 14 for G and 13 for F. Past the obvious ones: Upside-down tree and Uvas for U; Tió de Nadal, Tomte and Tourtière for T; Galette des rois and Geese a-laying for G; Farolito, Frumenty and Father Frost for F.

X and Z

X has two: Xmas and the 1551 spelling X'temmas. Z has six, Zimtsterne and Zest among them. A word no article backed was left out, which is why X stops at two.

  • Before the alphabet game starts, agree whether foreign words and two-word names count. If they do, Q, U and Z are no longer dead letters.

Questions and answers

What is a Christmas word that starts with Q?

Quempas, a German name for old carols sung from house to house. From the Bible story there is Quirinius, the governor whose census Luke uses to date the birth of Jesus.

What are some U Christmas words?

Ugly sweater, Unwrap, Under the tree and Under the mistletoe are the everyday ones. Christmas words starting with U from other countries include Uszka, Uzvar and Ube halaya, and from Rome the blessing Urbi et Orbi.

What is a Christmas word that starts with T?

Tree, Tinsel, Turkey and Toys come first. More Christmas words that start with T: Three Kings, Twelfth Night, Turtle doves, Tannenbaum, Tamales, Turrón and Trifle.

Which Christmas words begin with G or F?

Christmas words that begin with G: Garland, Gift, Gingerbread, Gold, Goose, Gabriel and Gloria. Christmas words beginning with F: Fir, Frankincense, Fruitcake, Father Christmas, Figgy pudding, French hens and Fairy lights.

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Browse Holiday Games

All 331 Christmas words

A 11

  • Adoration of the Magi The wise men's visit, a popular subject in art.
  • Advent
  • Advent calendar
  • Advent wreath Marks the four weeks of Advent.
  • Aguinaldo The Misa de Aguinaldo, or gift Mass, is held in the Philippines from December 16 to 24.
  • Almond A whole one is hidden in Danish Christmas rice pudding, and the finder wins a prize.
  • Amaryllis Sold as an indoor flowering bulb for Christmas.
  • Angel
  • Annunciation to the shepherds The angels tell the shepherds of the birth, in Luke 2.
  • Apple Early trees were hung with apples, wafers and paper roses.
  • Artificial tree

B 16

  • Babbo Natale The Italian name for Santa Claus.
  • Balthazar One of the names tradition gives the three Magi.
  • Bauble
  • Befana The old woman who brings Italian children gifts on Epiphany Eve.
  • Bells
  • Belsnickel A fur-clad gift-bringer in the folklore of the German Palatinate.
  • Bethlehem
  • Blitzen One of Santa's eight reindeer.
  • Boar's head Presented at the Boar's Head Feast of the Christmas season.
  • Bow Usually tied at the top or bottom of a wreath.
  • Boxing Day 26 December, the day after Christmas Day.
  • Bread sauce Served with the turkey at a British Christmas dinner.
  • Bredele Small biscuits baked in Alsace at Christmas.
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Bûche de Noël The French name for the Yule log cake.
  • Buñuelo A fried sweet pastry on Latin American Christmas tables.

C 25

  • Camel The Magi's camels stand in many nativity scenes.
  • Candle
  • Candlemas 2 February, the fortieth day and the close of the Christmas season.
  • Candy cane
  • Carol
  • Caroling
  • Carp The usual fish of a Polish Christmas Eve supper.
  • Caspar One of the names tradition gives the three Magi.
  • Census In Luke, a census is why Joseph takes Mary to Bethlehem.
  • Chestnuts
  • Chimney
  • Chrismon tree An evergreen placed in a church during Advent and Christmas.
  • Christingle A candle set in an orange, used in Advent and Christmas services.
  • Christkind The Christ-child, the gift-bringer in Austria and Switzerland.
  • Christmas card
  • Christmas cracker Snaps when pulled, with a paper hat, a small gift and a joke inside.
  • Christmas pudding A boiled or steamed pudding served at Christmas dinner in Britain.
  • Christmas tree
  • Cloves May be studded into the orange of a Christingle.
  • Coal In Poland, naughty children get a lump of coal on Saint Nicholas Day.
  • Comet One of Santa's eight reindeer.
  • Cookies
  • Cougnou The bread of Jesus, baked at Christmas in the southern Low Countries.
  • Crèche Another name for a nativity scene, from French.
  • Cupid One of Santa's eight reindeer.

D 10

  • Dancer One of Santa's eight reindeer.
  • Dasher One of Santa's eight reindeer.
  • December
  • Decorations
  • Ded Moroz A Slavic figure like Santa Claus; the name is usually translated as Father Frost.
  • Dominostein A sweet sold mainly at Christmas in Germany and Austria.
  • Donkey Shown with an ox in most nativity scenes.
  • Donner One of Santa's eight reindeer.
  • Drummers drumming The twelfth gift in the carol of the twelve days.
  • Duck Roast duck with apple and prune stuffing is a Danish Christmas dish.

E 9

  • East The wise men say they saw the star in the East.
  • Edam Its red color ties this cheese to Christmas in Sweden and Norway.
  • Egypt Where Joseph flees with Mary and the child, in Matthew.
  • Electric lights
  • Elf
  • Emmanuel A title of Christ in the O Antiphons of Advent, which English speakers know best as a hymn.
  • Epiphany The feast of the Magi's visit.
  • Eve
  • Evergreen

F 13

  • Fairy lights Another name for Christmas lights.
  • Farolito A candle in a paper bag, a Christmas light of New Mexico.
  • Father Christmas The traditional English name for the figure of Christmas.
  • Father Frost The usual English name for Ded Moroz.
  • Feast of the Seven Fishes An Italian American Christmas Eve meal of fish and seafood.
  • Figgy pudding A treat once given to carol singers on Christmas Eve.
  • Fir
  • Five gold rings The fifth gift in the carol of the twelve days.
  • Flight into Egypt The family's escape from King Herod, told in Matthew.
  • Frankincense One of the three gifts of the Magi.
  • French hens The third gift in the carol of the twelve days.
  • Fruitcake
  • Frumenty A wheat porridge that was a Christmas Eve dish in old Yorkshire.

G 14

  • Gabriel The angel sent to Mary, in Luke.
  • Galette des rois The French king cake of puff pastry, for Epiphany.
  • Garland
  • Geese a-laying The sixth gift in the carol of the twelve days.
  • Gift
  • Gift exchange
  • Gingerbread
  • Gingerbread house
  • Gingerbread man
  • Gloria Gloria in excelsis Deo, the oldest hymn on the angels' news to the shepherds.
  • Gold One of the three gifts of the Magi.
  • Goose The Christmas roast in Germany, France and Austria.
  • Gospel The birth is told in the gospels of Matthew and Luke.
  • Green With red and gold, a traditional color of Christmas decorations.

H 13

  • Hallaca Stuffed corn dough boiled in plantain leaves, served at Christmas in Venezuela.
  • Ham
  • Hamper A Christmas hamper is a traditional gift of small food items.
  • Hanging of the greens The ceremony of decorating a church at the start of Advent.
  • Hay A handful goes under the tablecloth at a Polish Christmas Eve supper.
  • Hearth Where the Yule log burns.
  • Herod The king in whose reign Jesus is born.
  • Herring Pickled herring opens the Swedish Christmas table.
  • Ho ho ho How Santa's laugh is written.
  • Holly
  • Holy Family
  • Honey Goes into kutia, the grain dish of a Ukrainian Christmas Eve.
  • Hot chocolate

I 7

  • Icicle Loose strips of tinsel are made to look like icicles.
  • Icing Covers a gingerbread house, with candies.
  • Imbuljuta tal-Qastan A Maltese chocolate and chestnut drink served after Midnight Mass.
  • Infant Jesus
  • Inn
  • Innkeeper In Las Posadas, the lines of the innkeepers are often sung.
  • Ivy With holly and mistletoe, a popular Christmas plant.

J 15

  • January Epiphany falls on 6 January.
  • Jerusalem Where the wise men first ask for the newborn king.
  • Jesse tree Decorated through Advent with symbols of the stories before Christmas.
  • Jesus
  • Jingle bell Another name for a sleigh bell.
  • Jólabókaflóðið Iceland's flood of new books in the months before Christmas.
  • Jolly Santa is usually shown as portly, jolly and white-bearded.
  • Joseph
  • Joulupukki The Finnish Christmas figure; the name means Yule goat.
  • Joy
  • Judea Both gospel accounts set the birth in Bethlehem in Judea.
  • Jul The Swedish word for Christmas.
  • Julbord The Swedish Christmas table, a buffet.
  • Julenisse The nisse as a Christmas gift-bringer.
  • Jumper A Christmas jumper is the British name for a Christmas sweater.

K 10

  • King cake The cake of Epiphany in many countries.
  • King's Christmas message The British sovereign's broadcast each Christmas.
  • Kings The Three Kings is another name for the Magi.
  • Kissing bough A ball of greenery with mistletoe tied below, a traditional English Christmas decoration.
  • Koledari Slavic carolers; in Bulgaria they set out at midnight on Christmas Eve.
  • Kourabiedes Greek shortbread; the Christmas ones may carry a whole clove.
  • Kransekake A Norwegian wreath cake, often made for Christmas.
  • Kris Kringle An American form of Christkindl.
  • Kūčios The traditional Christmas Eve dinner in Lithuania.
  • Kutia A grain dish with poppy seeds and honey, at the Christmas Eve supper in Ukraine.

L 14

  • Lametta Tinsel in long loose strips.
  • Lantern The parol is the ornamental lantern of a Philippine Christmas.
  • Lapland In Finland, Santa's home is said to be in Lapland.
  • Las Posadas Nine days of processions, December 16 to 24, chiefly in Mexico.
  • Lebkuchen Honey-sweetened German cakes, part of Germany's Christmas traditions.
  • Lechón Roast pig, often the center of Christmas Eve in Cuba.
  • Letters to Santa Children write them, often with a wish list.
  • Lights
  • Lords a-leaping The tenth gift in the carol of the twelve days.
  • Lucia Saint Lucy's Day, 13 December, is kept with candles and saffron buns.
  • Luke One of the two gospels that tell the birth.
  • Luminaria Holiday lights; in New Mexico, a candle in a paper bag.
  • Lussekatt The saffron bun of Saint Lucy's Day.
  • Lutefisk Dried whitefish cured in lye, part of Christmas in Norway, Sweden and Finland.

M 18

  • Magi The wise men who bring three gifts.
  • Maids a-milking The eighth gift in the carol of the twelve days.
  • Manger
  • Market A Christmas market runs through the four weeks of Advent.
  • Mary
  • Marzipan Often baked into a stollen.
  • Melchior One of the names tradition gives the three Magi.
  • Melomakarona A Greek dessert of flour, olive oil and honey, made mainly in the Christmas season.
  • Merry
  • Messiah The oratorio of this name is a fixture of Christmas concerts.
  • Midnight Mass The first service of Christmas, on the night of Christmas Eve.
  • Mince pie A sweet English pie of fruit and spices, served in the Christmas season.
  • Misa de Gallo Rooster's Mass, the Spanish name for Midnight Mass.
  • Mistletoe
  • Moravian star A lit star used as a decoration in Advent, Christmas and Epiphany.
  • Mrs. Claus The wife of Santa Claus.
  • Mummers Troupes who act folk plays, often at Christmas.
  • Myrrh One of the three gifts of the Magi.

N 14

  • Natale The Italian word for Christmas.
  • Nativity
  • Nativity play A play of the birth story, also called a Christmas pageant.
  • Nativity scene
  • Nazareth Where Joseph lives before the birth, in Luke.
  • Night of the Radishes 23 December in Oaxaca, when oversized radishes are carved into scenes.
  • Nisse A household spirit of Nordic folklore, now tied to Christmas gifts.
  • Nochebuena The Good Night, the Spanish name for Christmas Eve.
  • Noel From Old French; in English since the late 14th century.
  • North Pole Where Santa Claus is said to live.
  • Norway spruce The original Christmas tree species in northern Europe.
  • Nougat Black and white nougat are two of the thirteen desserts of a Provençal Christmas.
  • Nutcracker A figure usually made to look like a toy soldier.
  • Nuts

O 6

  • O Antiphons Sung at Vespers on the last seven days of Advent.
  • Olentzero The figure who brings presents on 24 December in Basque tradition.
  • Opłatek The Christmas wafer shared at Christmas Eve supper in Poland.
  • Orange A Christingle is a candle set in an orange.
  • Ornament
  • Ox Shown with a donkey in most nativity scenes.

P 23

  • Pageant A Christmas pageant is another name for a nativity play.
  • Pandoro A sweet bread of Verona, most popular around Christmas.
  • Panettone The sweet bread of Milan, usually made for Christmas.
  • Pantomime A family stage comedy of the British Christmas season.
  • Paper hat Found inside a Christmas cracker.
  • Parol The Philippine Christmas lantern, most often a five-pointed star.
  • Parsnips
  • Partridge The first gift in the carol of the twelve days, in a pear tree.
  • Pavlova A meringue dessert popular on Christmas Day in the southern summer.
  • Père Noël Father Christmas, the gift-bringer in France.
  • Pfeffernüsse Small German spice cookies tied to Christmas.
  • Pierogi A food of every Polish Christmas table.
  • Pigs in blankets Small sausages wrapped in bacon, served with the British Christmas turkey.
  • Piñata Star-shaped ones are broken open each night of Las Posadas.
  • Pine
  • Pipers piping The eleventh gift in the carol of the twelve days.
  • Plum pudding Another name for Christmas pudding.
  • Poinsettia
  • Polvorón A crumbly Spanish shortbread, a common Christmas dessert in Latin America.
  • Prancer One of Santa's eight reindeer.
  • Presents
  • Pudding
  • Pyramid A Christmas pyramid is a decoration from Germany's Ore Mountains.

Q 10

  • Qagħaq tal-għasel Maltese honey rings, served at Epiphany.
  • Quadragesima Sancti Martini Saint Martin's Lent, the forty-day fast that was later shortened and called Advent.
  • Quail Game such as quail may be on a rural American Christmas table.
  • Quarter day Christmas Day is one of the four English quarter days, when rents fell due.
  • Queen's Christmas message The British sovereign's Christmas broadcast, in a queen's reign.
  • Quempas A German name for old carols sung from house to house, short for a Latin carol.
  • Queso de bola A ball of Edam cheese in red wax, served at Christmas Eve dinner in the Philippines.
  • Quince cheese One of the thirteen desserts of a Provençal Christmas.
  • Quirinius The governor whose census Luke uses to date the birth of Jesus.
  • Quviasukvik The Inuktitut word for Christmas, and a festival that starts on Christmas Eve.

R 8

  • Red With green and gold, a traditional color of Christmas decorations.
  • Red cabbage Sweet-sour red cabbage is a hot side dish of a Danish Christmas.
  • Reindeer
  • Réveillon A long dinner held on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve.
  • Ribbon
  • Rice pudding The base of risalamande, the Danish Christmas dessert.
  • Risalamande Danish rice pudding with cream and almonds, served at Christmas dinner.
  • Roscón de reyes The king cake eaten in Spain and Latin America around 6 January.

S 25

  • Sack
  • Saint Nicholas The fourth-century bishop behind the figure of Santa Claus.
  • Santa Claus
  • Schwibbogen A candle arch from the Ore Mountains of Saxony.
  • Scrooge A name that became a word for a miser.
  • Secret Santa Each person in a group is given one name at random to buy a gift for.
  • Shepherds
  • Simbang Gabi Nine days of Masses before Christmas in the Philippines.
  • Sinterklaas The Dutch figure based on Saint Nicholas.
  • Sixpence A coin once put in the Christmas pudding, said to bring wealth.
  • Sleigh
  • Snow
  • Speculaas Spiced biscuits of the Low Countries, long eaten around the feast of Saint Nicholas.
  • Sprouts
  • St. Stephen's Day 26 December in Western churches.
  • Stable
  • Star
  • Star of Bethlehem The star the wise men follow, in Matthew.
  • Star singers Young people dressed as the Magi who go from door to door at Epiphany.
  • Stocking
  • Stollen A German fruit bread, often coated with powdered sugar.
  • Straw What a Yule goat is usually made of.
  • Sugar plum A small round hard candy, widely tied to Christmas.
  • Swaddling clothes What the child is wrapped in on icons of the Nativity.
  • Swans a-swimming The seventh gift in the carol of the twelve days.

T 20

  • Tamales Steamed corn dough parcels, eaten around Christmas in Costa Rica and El Salvador.
  • Tangerine In Mexico the Three Wise Men fill children's shoes with tangerines, candies and nuts.
  • Tannenbaum German for fir tree, often taken to mean Christmas tree.
  • Three Kings
  • Three wise men
  • Tinsel
  • Tió de Nadal The Christmas log of Catalan tradition.
  • Tomte The Swedish name for the nisse.
  • Tourtière A French Canadian meat pie, part of the Christmas Eve meal in Quebec.
  • Toy soldier The usual shape of a nutcracker doll.
  • Toys
  • Tree
  • Tree topper The ornament on the top of the tree, most often a star or an angel.
  • Trifle A layered dessert, popular at Christmas in Australia and New Zealand.
  • Truce The Christmas truce was a set of unofficial ceasefires in 1914.
  • Turkey
  • Turrón A nougat of honey and almonds, eaten around Christmas in Spain and Italy.
  • Turtle doves The second gift in the carol of the twelve days.
  • Twelfth Night The last night of the Twelve Days of Christmas.
  • Twelve days The season that begins on Christmas Day.

U 11

  • Ube halaya On the list of Christmas dishes of the Philippines.
  • Ugly sweater A Christmas sweater with an over-the-top design.
  • Under the mistletoe Where the kissing custom takes place.
  • Under the tree Where the wrapped presents are placed.
  • Unleavened wafer The Christmas wafer of Poland and Lithuania is unleavened, made of flour and water.
  • Unwrap
  • Upside-down tree An early Slovenian custom hung the tree upright or upside-down.
  • Urbi et Orbi The papal blessing given at Christmas and Easter.
  • Uszka The name means little ears; served in beetroot soup at a Polish Christmas Eve supper.
  • Uvas The twelve grapes eaten at midnight on New Year's Eve, part of Hispanic Christmas festivities.
  • Uzvar A drink of dried fruit at the Ukrainian Christmas Eve supper.

V 8

  • Vanillekipferl Crescent-shaped biscuits from Vienna, traditionally made at Christmas.
  • Vánočka A plaited bread baked around Christmas in the Czech Republic.
  • Vertep A Ukrainian portable puppet theatre that presents the nativity scene.
  • Vespers Christmastide begins with First Vespers on the evening of December 24.
  • Vigil Christmas Eve is properly the Vigil of the Nativity.
  • Village A Christmas village is a miniature village set up for the season.
  • Virgin Mary
  • Vixen One of Santa's eight reindeer.

W 15

  • Wafer The Christmas wafer is shared at the Christmas Eve table in Poland and Lithuania.
  • Walnuts Walnuts or hazelnuts are among the thirteen desserts of a Provençal Christmas.
  • Weihnachten Christmas in the German-speaking countries.
  • Weihnachtsmarkt The German word for a Christmas market.
  • White Christmas A Christmas with snow.
  • White elephant A party swap of amusing, impractical gifts.
  • Wigilia The Christmas Eve vigil supper in Poland.
  • Window Stores dress a Christmas window for the shopping season.
  • Winter solstice When the date was fixed, 25 December was the Roman date of the winter solstice.
  • Wise men
  • Wish list Often sent with a child's letter to Santa.
  • Workshop Where Santa and his elves make the toys.
  • Wrapping paper
  • Wreath
  • Wren Day An Irish and Manx custom on 26 December.

X 2

  • X'temmas A spelling of Christmas attested in 1551.
  • Xmas A written short form of Christmas; the X comes from the Greek letter chi.

Y 8

  • Yankee swap Another name for a white elephant gift exchange.
  • Yorkshire pudding May join a British Christmas dinner, though its usual partner is roast beef.
  • Yule A winter festival of the Germanic peoples, later merged with Christmas.
  • Yule cat A mythical cat of Icelandic Christmas folklore.
  • Yule goat A Scandinavian Christmas symbol, usually made of straw.
  • Yule Lads Thirteen pranksters of Icelandic Christmas folklore.
  • Yule log A log chosen to burn on the hearth.
  • Yuletide Yule-time, in English since about 1475.

Z 6

  • Zechariah Speaks the Benedictus, one of the three canticles in Luke's story of the birth.
  • Zelten A fruit bread of South Tyrol, usually made only at Christmas time.
  • Zest Orange zest goes into Zelten, the Christmas fruit bread of South Tyrol.
  • Zimtsterne Cinnamon stars, a Christmas cookie from southwest Germany.
  • Zupa grzybowa Mushroom soup, a dish of the Polish Christmas Eve.
  • Zwetschgenmännle Figures made of dried plums, sold at Christmas markets.