As the holidays approach, you may find yourself hosting a work holiday party or attending classy soirees at your local community center. If you're not a festive person but have to attend one of these things, here's my simple advice: just come prepared. These events are supposed to be fun, so make it easy for the host to introduce you to people. Even in the most formal settings, people still love getting into a few pre-party jitters with some good old-fashioned icebreaker questions.
So, we’ve compiled a list of icebreaker questions fit for the holidays:
What are your holiday plans?
This is generally a good opener as most people have plans over the holidays.
What was the best gift you ever gave?
Asking this, especially senior executives can bring out good stories.
What is your favorite holiday tradition?
This is question brings out the nostalgia in people and great for old and young folks alike.
What is your least favorite holiday side dish?
You want to prefer asking questions that bring out or have people think about the negative sides of anything.
More Holiday Icebreaker Questions
Share a memorable gift-opening moment from your childhood.
If you were served a three-course meal, what would you want for each of those?
What is a holiday song that makes you cringe?
What is the coolest gift you ever gave someone?
What is a phrase or quote that comes to mind that helps you when you are stressed?
What part of your work environment is your favorite?
If you could listen in on any room in the world, which room would it be?
What is one thing you own that you wish you didn't?
What is one place you shop that might surprise people?
You’re walking down the street, feeling great — what holiday song would be playing in the background?
What kind of holiday shopper are you: Black Friday? Christmas Eve? Yearlong hoarder?
If there were a moment in your life that you could do over, what would it be?
What is the ugliest holiday ornament you have ever seen?
If you could be a character in a holiday movie, who would you be and why?
What characteristic is most important to you in co-workers?
When you close your eyes and think of your "happy place," where is it?
If you could have any job in the world for one day, what would it be?
What is a cherished family tradition from your childhood?
What is your most embarrassing experience where you forgot an important piece of information?
What was the best holiday present you ever received?
What was the strangest or worst holiday present you ever received?
Does your family have any unique or bizarre traditions?
What are you most looking forward to this season? What least looking forward to?
Which of your coworkers do you think would make the best holiday cookies?
Which of your coworkers would pick out the perfect present?
Which of your coworkers is most likely to be the life of the holiday party?
What is your favorite holiday memory from childhood?
What is your favorite holiday treat?
What kind of holiday events are your favorite?
What is the best $5 gift to give someone?
What holiday gift do you treasure the most?
Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Have you ever completed one?
What is your best tip to stay calm and unstressed during the holidays?
Do you have a holiday playlist? Name one song from it.
Do you buy presents for lots of people or only the people who are closest to you?
What is the coolest present you have ever received during a Secret Santa?
Have you ever experienced a blizzard? What is your craziest snowstorm story?
What was your favorite thing to do on a snow day home from school as a kid?
Do you reuse bows and wrapping paper?
What is your favorite holiday dish?
What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Which holiday feast is your favorite, Thanksgiving or holiday?
Are you a cook-all-day-for-holiday dinner type of person, or an order-in type of person?
What dish can you do without on holiday?
Who cooks the holiday dinner at your house?
If you could only eat one holiday dish on this table for the rest of your life, which one would you pick?
If you couldn’t have holiday dinner this year, which fast food would you be eating right now?
Does your family have a special holiday ornament?
What is your favorite holiday memory?
What holiday task do you hate the most?
Have you ever opened a holiday gift before you were supposed to as a child?
Where is your favorite place to shop for holiday gifts?
If you could relive any holiday moment, what would it be?
Does your family use real or synthetic holiday trees?
If you had to be trapped in a holiday movie, which would it be and why?
Name three words that perfectly describe the holiday for you.
What is the ugliest holiday ornament/tree you’ve ever seen?
Which holiday movie do you think is overrated?
What’s the craziest thing that has ever happened while you were holiday sales shopping?
If you had to design your own “ugly holiday sweater”, what would it look like?
Which holiday carol gets stuck in your head the most?
Which holiday karaoke song would you slay?
What is your favorite holiday carol?
Do you have a favorite winter beverage?
Do you like gingerbread cookies?
Do you have a favorite holiday cookie?
Suppose you could make a new breakfast cereal for holiday. What ingredients would you include?
How would you describe the holidays in one word?
Have you ever been stuck at an airport over the holiday holidays?
If you could spend the holidays anywhere, where would you choose to go?
If you could spend the holidays with any celebrity, who would it be?
What is your earliest holiday memory?
Does your holiday tree stay up for months, or do you take it down soon after the holiday?
What tree topper do you have?
Who decorates the holiday tree in your home?
When do you put up your tree?
Did you shop for gifts primarily online or at stores?
What is your favorite kind of gift?
What is the silliest holiday present you have ever received?
Did you sneak and find your holiday presents as a kid?
What gift would you love to unwrap?
Do you buy holiday gifts for your pets?
What would be the worst surprise in your holiday stocking?
Have you ever regifted a gift?
