New Year's Eve quiz: count down to midnight together
New Year's Eve is long: between dinner and the fireworks there are hours to fill. A quiz on the TV fills them by itself, while everyone plays along on their own phone. No app or account needed, free to start.
Why a quiz on New Year's Eve
- Rounds take about ten minutes, so you play exactly as much as the evening needs until the countdown starts.
- Late arrivals simply join in: scan the QR code, pick a name and play.
- Points are counted automatically and the standings live on the TV, so nobody has to keep score.
- Ready-made rounds about music, general knowledge and more; with an Ultimate subscription you add your own questions about your own group.
- The penalty wheel is optional and fits New Year's Eve perfectly: the loser fetches the next round of snacks, for example.
Sample questions about New Year's Eve
Eight questions about the turn of the year itself, from Dutch traditions to how the rest of the world celebrates (answers in italics):
- Which country is the first in the world to enter the new year? Kiribati, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean.
- What descends over Times Square in New York at midnight? An illuminated ball, the famous "ball drop".
- Which fruit do Spaniards eat at midnight, one piece with every chime? Grapes, twelve in total.
- From which city is the famous New Year's Concert broadcast every January 1? Vienna, performed by the Vienna Philharmonic.
- What is the Dutch tradition of setting off blasts with milk churns, common in the north and east of the Netherlands, called? Carbidschieten (carbide shooting).
- Which fixed TV program do many Dutch people watch on New Year's Eve? The oudejaarsconference, a comedian's end-of-year show.
- What do Danes jump off at midnight to leap into the new year? A chair.
- What is the Scottish New Year celebration that lasts several days called? Hogmanay.
Rather not read out and mark answers yourself? On Kwishetwel you set up a complete quiz night on the TV in minutes, with automatic scoring and a live leaderboard.
Combine it with a quiz about the past year
The best line-up for New Year's Eve: a few rounds about everything first, then a block about the past year. For that last part, see the end-of-year quiz, with sample questions about the year's news, sports and music.
How it works
- You start the quiz on the TV or laptop and show the join code and QR code.
- Everyone joins on their own phone; sharing one phone as a duo works too.
- You play the rounds and finish with the final standings, and for the brave: the penalty wheel.
From dinner to the countdown: the quiz across the evening
On New Year's Eve the quiz doesn't have to be played in one go; spread the rounds across the evening and you have a thread that runs until midnight:
- Around nine (15 min): TV on, join code on screen, first round as a warm-up while the gourmet set is still steaming.
- Blocks of one round (~15 min each): play one round at a time and take breaks for oliebollen, games or catching up; you decide when it continues.
- Around eleven: the second-to-last round, with the standings big on the screen; now it gets serious.
- Just before midnight (~15 min): the last round and the final standings, and the penalty wheel for the losers, just in time for the fireworks.
- After midnight: whoever is still sharp simply plays another round; you can start new rounds all evening.
Buy a New Year's Eve quiz or host it yourself?
New Year's Eve quizzes as PDFs or booklets cost a few euros to a tenner, but then one person is the quizmaster with pen and paper all evening, and after midnight nobody keeps count anymore.
With Kwishetwel you host from the TV, everyone joins on their own phone and scoring runs automatically. Free to start; subscription prices are below.
What does it cost?
Starting for free is always possible: multiple choice and word association, penalty wheel included. Want more round types, like music rounds or map questions? Subscriptions start at €3.99 per month and can be cancelled monthly, so a single month around New Year's is fine.
Frequently asked questions
Do players need an app or account?
No. Players scan the QR code or type the join code at kwishetwel.com/join in their browser. They pick a name and a photo or animal avatar and play right away.
How long does a quiz on New Year's Eve take?
As long as you want. One round takes about ten minutes and you can always pause for snacks or fireworks. Many groups spread a few rounds across the evening until the countdown starts.
Can children play along?
Yes. The questions are shown big on the TV and everyone answers at their own pace on their phone. Younger children play along fine as a duo with an adult on one phone.
Can I add my own questions?
Yes, with the Ultimate subscription you create your own rounds and quizzes, for example about your family or group of friends. You simply combine them with the ready-made rounds.
Also fun: a Christmas quiz for the holidays, a family quiz for young and old, or our 100+ free pub quiz questions.