Sinterklaas quiz for pakjesavond

20 free Sinterklaas quiz questions with answers, and a quiz on the TV while everyone plays along on their phone: the perfect in-between during the surprises.

Start your Sinterklaas quiz for free Jump to the 20 questions

The host screen on the TV: a multiple-choice question from the Starter Quiz, with the timer and who has answered

A player's phone with the same question and four answer buttons

01Free questions

Sinterklaas quiz with answers: 20 questions, for adults too

Twenty questions in four categories of five, with the answers in italics. The last category is a little harder, for when you play with adults. Read them out as a mini Sinterklaas pub quiz between the surprises.

The Sint and his story

From which country does Sinterklaas arrive by steamboat, according to tradition? Spain.
What was the long-time name of Sinterklaas's horse, before Ozosnel? Amerigo.
Which historical figure is Sinterklaas based on? Nicholas of Myra, a bishop from the third and fourth century.
According to tradition, what does Sinterklaas ride his horse over at night? The rooftops.
Which piece of jewellery does Sinterklaas wear on his hand? A ring (a gold bishop's ring with a ruby).

Pakjesavond and traditions

On which date is pakjesavond, the Dutch gift evening? 5 December.
What do children traditionally put in their shoe for Sinterklaas's horse? A carrot or some hay.
On which date is the name day of Saint Nicholas? 6 December.
Where do children traditionally put their shoe? By the chimney (at the fireplace or stove).
Which letter of your name do you traditionally get as a chocolate letter? The first letter of your first name.

Treats and songs

What is the proper name for the small, hard, round spiced cookies scattered at Sinterklaas? Kruidnoten. Pepernoten are the soft, chewy chunks.
Which spice gives taaitaai, the chewy Sinterklaas biscuit, its distinctive flavour? Aniseed.
What is gevulde speculaas (filled speculaas) filled with? Almond paste (between two layers of speculaas dough).
What is the warm spiced wine traditionally drunk at Sinterklaas called? Bisschopswijn (bishop's wine).
In a well-known Sinterklaas song, children who are 'zoet' get treats. What does 'zoet' mean here? Well-behaved (literally 'sweet').

For adults: a little harder

Which 17th-century painter created 'The Feast of St Nicholas', now in the Rijksmuseum collection? Jan Steen (around 1665-1668).
On which Wadden island is 'Ouwe Sunderklaas' (Old Sinterklaas) traditionally celebrated on 12 December? Texel (islanders in disguise perform sketches).
What was the biscuit doll called that people used to give at Sinterklaas to someone they were in love with? A vrijer, meaning 'suitor' (the female version was a vrijster).
Which city in East Flanders, Belgium, is named after Saint Nicholas? Sint-Niklaas (he is the city's patron saint).
Which American holiday figure evolved from the Dutch Sinterklaas? Santa Claus.

Want more? Our 40 Sinterklaas quiz questions with answers has forty more, covering traditions, treats, songs and the history of the Sint.

02The evening

Ready-made: De Sinterklaaskwis

Rather not find questions yourself? From 1 November De Sinterklaaskwis is ready to play: four rounds with twenty checked questions, in Dutch. It is only listed in the Dutch catalogue: from 1 November its name below links to it, or switch the site to Dutch.

De SinterklaaskwisIn Dutch, for the whole family · from 1 Nov

The rounds cover the story of the Sint, songs and poems, sweets and traditions, and Sinterklaas on TV. A free account plays 8 of the 20 questions, Plus plays all twenty.

Sinterklaas with adults: a quiz alongside the surprises

Celebrating Sinterklaas with adults, with drawn names (lootjes), handmade surprises and poems? Then a quiz is the perfect palate cleanser: play a round between the gifts, and whoever is last in the standings reads the next poem. It keeps everyone engaged, even while someone else's surprise is being unwrapped.

How the quiz fits between the surprises

Pakjesavond has its own rhythm; the quiz works best in short blocks between the surprises and poems. For example:

Pepernoten and joining (5 min): quiz on the TV, everyone scans the QR code. Only start once everyone is there: after the start, nobody new can join.
First block (1 round, ~15 min): warm up with questions about Sinterklaas himself; fun to see who really knows the traditions.
Surprises and poems: the quiz simply waits, you set the pace per question, so nothing has to be rushed.
Second block (1-2 rounds, ~20 min): after the biggest pile of presents another round, for example music or word association.
Finale (~10 min): the last round and the final standings on the TV. Want the penalty wheel too? Switch it on before that last round: after every question, whoever did worst spins.

03Why it works

Why host your Sinterklaas quiz with Kwishetwel

01
Fills the evening just right: a short round between two surprises or a full quiz after the presents.
02
Points are counted automatically, so nobody has to keep score of who is winning.
03
The penalty wheel fits Sinterklaas surprisingly well: the loser reads the next poem or does the dishes.

Buy a Sinterklaas quiz or host it yourself?

	Kwishetwel	Sinterklaas quiz as a PDF
Cost	Free to start	A few euros
Reading out	Nobody: the questions are on the TV	You, all evening, with your hands full of presents

04How it works

Three steps. Zero prep.

- The Starter Quiz9 questions
- The General Knowledge Quiz
- Sun, Booze, Hospital Quiz!
1. Pick a quiz
Ready-made from the catalogue, or your own rounds.
Join withK7Q2PXkwishetwel.com/en/join
2. Put it on the TV
Laptop, Chromecast or HDMI. A code and a QR code appear.
3. Everyone joins
Scan, type a name, play. No app, no account.

05Pricing

Start free. More when you want.

A new account plays 5 rounds with everything in Plus, within 7 days and without payment details. Cancel any time: you keep playing until the end of the paid period.

Free

€0forever

Multiple choice, open question and word association

Basic

€3.99per month

+ estimation, music and which ones / not

Popular

Plus

€6.99per month

All nine round types

Ultimate

€11.99per month

+ your own rounds and quizzes, and presenter view

See all plans

Frequently asked questions

Can children join the Sinterklaas quiz?

De Sinterklaaskwis (in the catalogue from 1 November) is written for the whole family, with children from about eight. Younger children play along as a duo with an adult on one phone.

Does this work for the office Sinterklaas party too?

Yes, exactly the same: one screen or projector, colleagues join with their phones. Also fun as a warm-up before the gift exchange starts.

Is a Sinterklaas quiz fun with just adults?

Yes. The For adults category above is a little harder, and a quiz fits nicely between the surprises and poems. It works just as well with colleagues at the office drinks.