This or That Christmas Edition: 48 Cozy Questions That Split the Room Faster Than the Last Cookie

This or that christmas edition is the fastest way to get a room full of relatives talking without anyone touching a board game box. It works for the eight-year-old who has strong feelings about Elf versus Home Alone and for the uncle with opinions about eggnog, because the whole game is one simple choice, read aloud, answered out loud. Forty eight questions, four rounds that get a little livelier as the night goes on, and nothing to set up beyond the list itself.

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How to Play

Work through the four rounds in order, since they are built to escalate: Cozy Traditions warms the room up, Treats and Drinks gets specific, Decor and Style starts a few gentle arguments, and Holiday Nights closes with the questions that decide what actually happens after dinner. Read one pair of options aloud and let every guest answer in turn, out loud or with a show of hands, there is no right answer and no clock running.

With a bigger crowd, split the room instead: one side of the sofa for ‘this,’ the other for ‘that,’ so the split is visible before anyone has to explain it. Twelve questions a round keeps each one short enough to run between courses, and the game stops cleanly at the end of any round if the pie needs attention.

Cozy Traditions This or That Questions

Start where nobody has to defend an opinion, just admit out loud how your family actually runs the holiday from Christmas Eve through the first cup of coffee the next morning.

1. Real Christmas tree or artificial tree?
2. Open stockings Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
3. Christmas Eve church service or Christmas Eve movie night?
4. Drive around to see neighborhood lights or stay home and admire your own?
5. Write a letter to Santa or record a video message instead?
6. New pajamas on Christmas Eve or a surprise ornament?
7. Big family breakfast or grab-and-go pastries Christmas morning?
8. Open one gift early or wait for all of them on Christmas Day?
9. Visit grandparents’ house or host everyone at yours?
10. Hang stockings by the fireplace or along the stair railing?
11. Keep the Elf on the Shelf tradition or skip it entirely?
12. Stay in pajamas all day or get dressed before opening gifts?

If the stocking debate turns into a real argument, there is a whole night of Christmas Eve party games waiting for exactly that kind of energy.

Treats and Drinks This or That Questions

Nobody stays neutral once the kitchen gets involved, and that is the entire point of this round.

1. Hot cocoa or eggnog?
2. Gingerbread cookies or sugar cookies?
3. Peppermint mocha or spiced apple cider?
4. Cinnamon rolls or waffles on Christmas morning?
5. Leave cookies for Santa or carrots for the reindeer only?
6. Candy canes or chocolate Santas?
7. Homemade cookies or store bought, don’t tell grandma?
8. Fruitcake or Christmas pudding?
9. Mashed potatoes or stuffing on the holiday plate?
10. Ham or turkey for the main meal?
11. Pie or cheesecake for dessert?
12. Hot cocoa with marshmallows or whipped cream?

A stack of cardstock and a binder ring are really all card-making needs, no special equipment required to get a deck that survives more than one December.

Decor and Style This or That Questions

This is the round where taste finally comes up, gently, over whether the tree looks better with tinsel or without.

1. Colored lights or warm white lights?
2. Matching family pajamas or ugly Christmas sweaters?
3. Real candles or flameless candles on the mantel?
4. Themed ornaments or a mismatched collection built over the years?
5. Tree topper star or angel?
6. Stockings that match or stockings that show personality?
7. Indoor decorating only or a full yard display too?
8. Santa hat or reindeer antlers at the party?
9. Tinsel on the tree or skip it?
10. Red and green color scheme or all one color?
11. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
12. A Christmas village display or extra ornaments on the tree instead?

For the guest who already has a plan for every mantel in the house, there is more to borrow in these Christmas decor ideas by room.

Holiday Nights This or That Questions

By the last round everyone has an opinion and nobody minds saying so, which is exactly when the real plans for the evening get decided.

1. Movie marathon or board game night?
2. Go caroling or go ice skating?
3. Watch Home Alone or watch Elf?
4. Puzzle by the fire or charades with the cousins?
5. Sledding in the snow or building a snowman?
6. Christmas lights tour by car or on foot?
7. Karaoke Christmas songs or a living room dance party?
8. Stay up late by the tree or turn in early before a big day?
9. White elephant gift exchange or Secret Santa?
10. Visit a Christmas market or stay cozy at home?
11. Bake cookies together or decorate the tree together?
12. A new movie every year or rewatch the same favorite?

If board games win the vote, these indoor Christmas party games are built for exactly that kind of night.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this or that christmas edition?

It is a two-choice party game where the host asks a pair of Christmas-themed options, and every guest in turn picks the one they prefer. Nobody strategizes and nobody needs materials to play, just a list of pairs to work through out loud.

How do you play this or that christmas edition?

Read one pair of options at a time and let each guest call out, or point to, their pick before moving to the next card. There is no scoring and no setup beyond the question list, which is the entire appeal for a night already busy with dinner and dishes.

How many people do you need to play?

The game flexes from a pair of cousins on a car ride to a full dining table. You can play with just two people or a big group, and there are no rules about how many can join in.

Is this or that christmas edition appropriate for kids?

Yes, every question in all four rounds stays squarely family friendly: trees, treats, pajamas and movie nights, nothing that needs an adults-only round carved out.

How do you play with a large family gathering?

Split the room physically instead of answering one at a time: send everyone who picks ‘this’ to one side of the space and everyone who picks ‘that’ to the other, so the whole crowd answers at once and the split is visible instantly.

Do I need to print the cards to play the game?

No, the numbered lists in each round work perfectly read straight off a phone. The printable decks exist for the host who likes to pass physical cards around the table or wants a deck that survives being used again next year.