15 Conversation Starters for Holiday Parties

It’s that time of year again—holiday party season.

Whether it’s the office party or a more intimate gathering of friends and family, it’s best to be ready with a bevy of conversation icebreakers to avoid blank stares and awkward interactions.

Some of your coworkers, neighbors, or cousins may really open up if you just give them the chance. Try these 15 ideas for keeping the conversation flowing.

1. Start with compliments. Do you like a certain guest’s style? Be sure to make sure they know it; everyone loves a genuine compliment. And, bonus, you’ll get to find out where they got their cool boots or fabulous hat.
2. How do you know the host? An oldie, but goodie.
3. Where did you grow up? Find out more details about guests without asking overly personal questions.
4. Ask about upcoming holiday plans. Asking guests to share their holiday plans allows them to talk about their upcoming trip to Paris or how they feel about going back home after a 10-year absence. Either way, you’ll have plenty to talk about.
5. Talk about current events. If you’ve read an interesting article lately, bring it up in conversation.
6. How’s the weather? Asking about the weather may seem cliché. But with unusual weather happening all over the country this past year, talking about the weather is anything but boring.
7. Did you travel anywhere exciting this year? Get some extra mileage out of that trip to Spain you took this summer. Talking about where you visited and asking about guests’ vacations will give you plenty to chitchat about.
8. Ask guests to identify their favorite book or movie of all time. Who doesn’t like talking about their favorite media?
9. What’s the worst movie you’ve seen lately? Who doesn’t like talking about media they don’t like?
10. Share your opinion on the buffet. What’s the spread at the party like? Are you trying to figure out the ingredients in that tasty dip? Enlist a fellow partygoer to help you investigate.
11. What’s your sign? Do you believe in astrology? Millennials are bringing astrology back, so knowing your sign is an easy way to stimulate conversation around the topic. Bonus: Saturn returns are a great topic for guests in their late 20s and early 30s.
12. How was your year? This is particularly effective at end-of-year holiday and New Year’s parties. It gives guests a chance to get to know each other as well as offer personal details about themselves.
13. Ask about family. If you run into people you know, ask about how Aunt Tina is doing. It shows you care.
14. Recall shared memories. Remember that time Pete did drunken karaoke at the last office party? Reminiscing about memories in common can lighten up the mood and give guests the opportunity to laugh together.
15. Talk about politics. Most lists like this will tell you to avoid talking about politics like the plague. However, if you know the crowd a bit and the scene is more intimate, bringing up politics can definitely stimulate conversation. If you don’t know who you’re talking to or you’re at the office party though, it’s best to leave politics and religion out of it.