Conversation Starters for Thanksgiving and Every Other Holiday

Posted on by Sara Springer

Thanksgiving Conversation StuffTomorrow is Thanksgiving, and as with any big family celebration, you never know what will happen. Of course, everyone is entitled to differing views and political leanings, but when it comes to the dinner table, these should all be politely left at the door. So what do you talk about when many of these popular topics could cause conflict when you’re trying to keep the peace? And let’s be honest, the weather is not an option.

Well, you’ve come to the right place. Thankfully, we prepared a few conversation starters to steer table talk in a safe direction—especially if there’s a seating chart, you never know who you’ll end up sitting next to at dinner. To avoid awkward silence and ensure that the holiday goes off without a hitch, think of a few positive subjects to discuss that go beyond commenting on the weather. Need ideas? Here are 32 party conversation starters to get you through the holiday season and beyond.

Interests

  • What’s your favorite sport and which team? Why is it your favorite?
  • Do you enjoy board games? Which ones are your favorites?
  • What’s your favorite hobby?
  • Are you involved in any charity work? How did you get started in that?

Travel

  • Where and what did you do for summer vacation?
  • What are your vacation plans for the holidays?
  • What’s on your bucket list in 2018? Why do you want to go there?
  • Have you done any short weekend getaways recently? I’d love some recommendations.
  • Do you prefer a summer or winter vacation?
  • What’s the most amazing hotel you’ve stayed at?
  • What’s the best travel experience you’ve ever had?
  • What’s the most beautiful beach you’ve ever visited in the world?

Relationship

  • Ask the longest-married couple at the table to tell the story of their wedding day.
  • Do you think that telling the truth is always right—even when someone gets hurt?
  • Tell a fun and hysterical story about the person to your right.
  • Ask the parents at the table to describe what happened on the days their children were born.
  • What’s the best surprise that you’ve ever received?

Food

  • What’s your favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal?
  • What was your most memorable meal of the year?
  • What’s the best restaurant you’ve ever been to?
  • What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?
  • What is your favorite kind of cheese?
  • What’s your signature dish?
  • What’s your favorite recipe/cook book and why?

Career

  • If you could have any job in the world, what would you do?
  • Ask older family members to describe their first jobs.
  • Did someone at the table experience a career milestone this year, such as starting a new job, graduating, or receiving a promotion? Ask them to share how it’s going.
  • What’s your passion? Would you ever want to turn it into a business?
  • Do you agree with the quote “find something you love and turn it into your job”?

Culture

  • Black Friday: yea or nay?
  • The finale of Stranger Things (or a cult show you watch). Discuss.
  • What show are you most excited about right now?
  • Where were you when [insert topical event] happened?
  • How did you celebrate last Thanksgiving?
  • What holiday movie are you looking forward to seeing?
  • What are you most thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving from everyone here at Springer Pumps!

This article originally appeared on “MYDOMAIN” and was written by Katie Sweeney, it has been modified slightly by Springer Pumps to fit our format.