50 New Years Trivia Questions

Last Updated on January 8, 2024 by Michele Tripple

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Have a trivia expert in your family? This list of 50 New Year’s Trivia Questions is one you definitely don’t want to miss. Grab these questions and get playing in no time!

Ready to learn how to use these New Year’s trivia questions and how to play? Keep reading or click here to jump right to the New Year’s trivia questions!

New Year’s Trivia Questions

There’s something so special about a new year coming. Life feels so fresh, and there’s a new excitement about trying new things and setting goals.

Ready to learn how to use these New Year’s trivia questions and how to play? Keep reading, or click here to jump right to the New Year’s trivia questions!

And now it’s even better with these New Year’s Trivia questions to join our growing list of fun trivia games!

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Gather around with your favorite friends or family members because New Year’s Trivia is the best activity to do with a group! And while you’re at it, grab our other New Year’s games for an unforgettable New Year’s party!

Ready For More New Year’s Day Games or Printables? Try These!

But be prepared; it’s about to get really competitive! Need more trivia questions for New Year? Grab our funny trivia questions for kids as well as our Harry Potter Trivia for even more fun!

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How to Play New Year’s Trivia

There’s no wrong way to use these new year questions, but here are a few tips for having fun with this list.

If you have a small enough group, read off the New Year’s trivia questions one at a time and whoever answers first gets a point. If the group is large enough, you can split into teams and pick a person on each team to go each round.

Whoever answers the most New Year’s trivia questions correctly wins!

If you’re really into trivia like we are, you have to grab one of these sets of buzzer buttons. It’ll feel like you’re in the middle of a game show and it’s so much more fun!

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Printable New Year’s Trivia Questions

If you’re ready to grab a printable version of these questions, then be sure to grab them here! If not, our complete list of New Year’s trivia questions and answers is below! 

New Year’s Trivia

"New Year's Trivia" title in black and gold letters with trivia question and alarm clock on white background with thin black border

Question: When did the New Year’s Eve Ball first drop in Times Square?
Answer: 1907
Question: “Auld Lang Syne” is the song most associated with New Year’s Eve. Who wrote it?
Answer: Robert Burns wrote “Auld Lang Syne” in Scotland in the year 1788.
Question: How large is the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball in diameter?
Answer: 12 feet
Question: When did partiers first celebrate New Year’s Eve in Times Square?
Answer: 1904
Question: How many versions of the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball have there been to date?
Answer: Seven
Question: What materials made up the first-ever Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball?
Answer: Iron and wood
Question: What do the words “Auld Lang Syne” mean?
Answer: “Auld Lang Syne” means for old times’ sake.
Question: How much did the first Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball weigh?
Answer: 700 pounds
Question: What custom do many Americans stick to when the ball drops?
Answer: Americans usually kiss after the ball drops.
Question: How many light bulbs covered the first Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball?
Answer: 100

"New Year's Trivia" title in black and gold letters with trivia question and alarm clock on white background with thin black border

Question: When did LED lights first appear on the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball?
Answer: 2007
Question: How many colors can the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball display?
Answer: 16 million
Question: Does the current Times Square Ball weigh more or less than 10,000 pounds?
Answer: More. It weighs 11,875 pounds!
Question: True or False. There are more than 30,000 LED lights in the Times Square ball?
Answer: True! There are 32,256!
Question: When was the second Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball introduced?
Answer: 1920
Question: What famous group failed to pass an audition for Decca Records on January 1?
Answer: The Beatles!
Question: What metal replaced iron in the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball?
Answer: Aluminum
Question: When were computer controls introduced to the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball?
Answer: 1995
Question: In one country people wear red underwear on New Years to bring themselves good luck all year. Name that country.
Answer: Italy
Question: When did the Waterford Crystal Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball debut?
Answer: 1999

"New Year's Trivia" title in black and gold letters with trivia question and alarm clock on white background with thin black border

Question: One of the largest New Year celebrations is held in what Australian city
Answer: Sydney, Australia
Question: Who hosted the New York City New Year’s Eve festivities until the early 1970s?
Answer: Guy Lombardo
Question: Where is the Times Square New Year’s Eve ball located?
Answer: One Times Square
Question: What famous person took over the New York City festivities in the 1970s?
Answer: Dick Clark took over for host Guy Lombardo in 1972.
Question: How tall are the numbers on the Waterford Crystal Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball?
Answer: 7 feet
Question: The highest box office sales for a movie shown on a New Year’s Day were for which movie?
Answer: James Cameron’s Avatar 
Question: How much does Waterford Crystal Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball weigh?
Answer: About six tons (12,000 pounds)
Question: What was the first year there were fireworks at the New York New Year’s Eve celebration?
Answer: 1904
Question: When was the first “time ball” drop on record?
Answer: 1833
Question: Who decided January 1st would be the first day of the new year?
Answer: Julius Caeser

"New Year's Trivia" title in black and gold letters with trivia question and alarm clock on white background with thin black border

Question: What newspaper sponsored the first-ever Times Square New Year’s Eve party?
Answer: The New York Times
Question: What calendar determines the date of the Chinese New Year?
Answer: Lunar
Question: What two years did the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball not drop?
Answer: 1942 and 1943
Question: How much confetti is dropped in Times Square on New Year’s Eve?
Answer: About one ton
Question: How many people tune watch the Waterford Crystal Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball drop each year?
Answer: About one billion
Question: Who is credited with writing the poem “Auld Lang Syne?”
Answer: Robert Burns
Question: What was the most popular reported 2020 New Year’s resolution?
Answer: To exercise more
Question: In Scottish traditions, who do you kiss at midnight on New Year’s Eve?
Answer: Everyone in the room
Question: In what year was January 1 officially declared the first day of the new year?
Answer: 46 B.C.
Question: When was the Gregorian calendar first officially used in Western countries?
Answer: 1582

"New Year's Trivia" title in black and gold letters with trivia question and alarm clock on white background with thin black border

Question: The Dutch believe eating what on New Year’s Day will bring good luck?
Answer: Donuts
Question: Which place was the last to celebrate the new millennium on Jan. 1, 2000?
Answer: Hawaii
Question: In Spain, 12 of what type of food is eaten at midnight on New Year’s Eve for good luck?
Answer: Grapes
Question: “January” gets its name from what Roman god?
Answer: Janus, the god of doors and gates
Question: What do people in the Southern United States eat for good luck on New Year’s Eve?
Answer: Black-eyed peas
Question: According to the Lunar Calendar, when is the New Year?
Answer: The exact date is not fixed, it can fall between January 21 to February 21
Question: About how many glasses of bubbly are consumed on New Year’s Eve?
Answer: 360 million
Question: Smashing a peppermint version of what animal is considered good luck in New York?
Answer: Pig
Question: Which country celebrates New Year’s first each year?
Answer: Tonga

"New Year's Trivia" title in black and gold letters with trivia question and alarm clock on white background with thin black border

I hope you and your family enjoyed these New Year’s Trivia questions! Who knew the most in your group? Let us know in the comments.

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