Christmas-Season Fun: Catholic Family Feud

Amanda Woodiel shares a fun Catholic Family Feud game to play at your next Christmas-season gathering.

Just in time to celebrate at least one of the twelve days of Christmas, I bring to you the results of my Catholic Family Feud survey! Many thanks to the Catholic Mom contributors who answered our survey. My husband also asked the many men involved in our diocesan men’s conference planning committee to answer it in order to balance out the genders. We didn’t quite get up to “100 Catholics surveyed,” but we made a good showing at 71.

Some of the answers were surprising, some were funny, and some made me feel normal after years of wondering if I’m the only one who thinks about lunch at Mass (I’m not).

Making your own Catholic Family Feud game

In writing about how we played the game, I’m assuming you know the basic rules (you can look it up online if not). We played men vs. women with about ten people on each team. We had six regular rounds in which one person came up from each team for the faceoff.

In the regular show (at least back in the Richard Dawson days, which is what I’m familiar with), the winning family gets to go for the big money at the end. I wanted the competition to last longer, so I had the men and women both participate in the lightning round and added their scores to what they had earned in the regular rounds.

For the regular rounds, I wrote the top answers on foam boards and covered them up by taping on strips of poster board. When someone answered correctly, I removed the corresponding strip of poster board.

Regular Round Questions and Top Answers:

Name something you think about Mass when you are not thinking about the Mass.

#1 Food/eating (19)

#2 Children/family (6)

#3 My schedule (5)

#4 Chores/Housework (4)

Name a Catholic writer.

#1 Scott Hahn (13)

#2 Matthew Kelly (8)

#3 C.S. Lewis (7) [Yes, I know he wasn’t Catholic!]

#4 J. R. R. Tolkien (6)

#5 G. K. Chesterton (5)

Name a saint you think is a popular Confirmation saint.

#1 St. Francis (8)

#2 St. Sebastian (7)

#3 St Therese/”Little Flower” (6)

#4 St. Pope John Paul II (5)

#4 St. Joseph (5)

#4 St. Teresa of Calcutta/Mother Teresa (5)

#4 St. Peter (5)

#4 St. Cecilia (5)

Other than Jesus or Mary, name someone from the Bible you would most like to meet.

#1 Joseph (16)

#2 Peter (7)

#3 Mary Magdalene (4)

#3 John the Apostle (4)

#5 Moses (3)

Name a parable Jesus told.

#1 Prodigal son (18)

#2 Good Samaritan (10)

#2 Mustard seed (10)

#4 Sower (6)

#5 Lost Sheep (5)

#6 Loaves/fishes (4) [Yes, I know that was a miracle, not a parable!]

Name something you might receive as a Confirmation gift.

#1 Rosary (10)

#2 Cross/Crucifix (6)

#2 Money (6)

#2 Bible (6)

#2 Miraculous medal/saint medal (6)

#6 Necklace (5)

Lightning Round questions and answers

After the regular rounds are finished, each team selects two people to play the lightning round. One person from the trailing team stays in the room and the other three people go into a “soundproof booth” (e.g., laundry room). The person has 45 seconds to answer all seven questions. Points are awarded according to how many people said those answers. When that person is finished, his teammate comes in to answer the same questions. If that person answers the same as his teammate did, you say, “try again.” For this reason, the second person has 60 seconds to answer all of the questions. Again, the points are tallied.

The first person from the other team comes in to play. That person can say any answer (it doesn’t have to be different from the first team’s). When finished, her teammate plays. As before, she cannot repeat any answer her teammate gave and therefore also has 60 seconds to answer all of the questions. The team with the most points at the end wins!

(Note: the total number of answers listed below do not always add up to the 71 I received because sometimes people answered “I don’t know” or something of that nature.)

Lightning Round question #1: Name a Solemnity other than Easter or Christmas.

Immaculate Conception (28)

Mary, Mother of God (12)

Assumption of the BVM (7)

All Saints Day (7)

Christ the King (4)

Pentecost (3)

Epiphany (2)

Birth of St. John the Baptist (2) [not a Solemnity]

Ascension of Our Lord (1)

St. Joseph, Spouse of Mary (1)

Queenship of Mary (1) [not a Solemnity]

Lightning Round question #2: Name an Apostle.

Peter (22)

John (9)

Thomas (9)

Andrew (8)

James (7)

Paul (6)

Matthew (3)

Jude (2)

Philip (1)

Bartholomew (1)

James the Lesser (1)

Mark (1)

Judas (1)

Lightning Round question #3: Name one of the seven deadly sins.

Pride (16)

Sloth (15)

Gluttony (14)

Lust (10)

Avarice/greed (9)

Envy (4)

Anger (2)

Acedia (1)

Lightning Round question #4: Name a Marian apparition.

Fatima (37)

Lourdes (20)

Guadalupe (7)

Medjugorje (3)

Our Lady of Knock (2)

Garabandal (1)

Lightning Round question #5: Name a pope other than Peter.

John Paul II (31)

Benedict (11)

Francis (8)

Pius X (7)

Gregory (3)

John (2)

Leo (2)

John XXIII (1)

Linus (1)

Paul (1)

Pius (1)

Calixtus III (1)

Clement (1)

Lightning Round question #6: Name something used at Mass.

Chalice (36)

Paten (6)

Incense (6)

Missal (4)

Altar (2)

Host (2)

Candles (2)

Hymnal (2)

Ambo (1)

Ciborum (1)

Cruets (1)

Crucible (1)

Chasuble (1)

Thurible (1)

Tabernacle (1)

Monstrance (1)

Wine (1)

Vestments (1)

Lightning Round question #7: Name a book of the Old Testament.

Genesis (29)

Job (8)

Exodus (6)

Psalms (5)

Isaiah (4)

Revelation (2) [not in the Old Testament]

Maccabees (2)

Hosea (2)

Sirach (2)

Tobit (2)

Baruch (1)

Daniel (1)

Esther (1)

Ezekiel (1)

Jonah (1)

Joshua (1)

Numbers (1)

Ruth (1)

Samuel (1)

Click to tweet:
Survey says: have fun with our Catholic Family Feud game this Christmas season! #catholicmom

At our party, the women won by 70 points. It was a very fun, well-received game. I’m happy to answer any questions in the comments! Survey says … have fun and Merry Christmas!

20211227 AWoodiel 2