Holiday Riddles (with Answers)
Holiday riddles add seasonal flavor to parties, classroom celebrations, and family traditions. They often reference decorations, food, school events, or shared memories, which helps a group connect before you even get to the answer. Every riddle here is paired with its answer so hosts and teachers can move quickly from puzzle to punchline.
Scroll through the list to find riddles that match your occasion, from winter gatherings to spring outings. Because holiday language can be regional, read the question once for imagery and once for the literal clue. If you need riddles that are not tied to a season, the family and nature hubs offer more evergreen options with the same answer-on-page format.
Riddles in this collection
- When does Christmas come before Thanksgiving?
- What falls around Christmas every year but never gets hurt?
- Why do Thanksgiving turkeys stop telling jokes at the dinner table?
- What hangs on a Christmas tree, shines like a jewel, and shatters if you play catch with it?
- What is bought by the yard, worn by a Christmas tree, and never used for measuring?
- What has long ears, shows up in Easter baskets, and never hops away?
- How can a jack-o'-lantern keep smiling all through Halloween night without moving a muscle?
- What do people cut into hearts on Valentine's Day that never bleeds?
- When does New Year's Day come before Christmas?
- Why shouldn't you tell secrets to an Easter egg?
- On Hanukkah you add one new candle each night for eight nights. Not counting the helper candle, how many candles burn in total by the end?
- What has three leaves, is tied to St. Patrick's Day, and is not pressed inside a book?
- What climbs into the Fourth of July sky with a whistle, then disappears in colored sparks?
- What is left under the Christmas tree after every gift has been opened but the celebration is not over?
Explore other types of riddles
Looking for a different style? Try another popular riddle list.