1. Holiday this-or-that
Read two options (“mulled wine or hot chocolate?”, “real tree or fake tree?”); people move to a side of the room or vote with emoji in the chat. A perfect 5-minute warm-up.
Christmas icebreaker questions for work that nobody finds awkward
Updated: 2026-10-19
A good icebreaker question at work has three properties: anyone can answer it in a sentence, it does not ask about family, money, religion or looks, and it is fine to pass. The 20 questions below come from the conversation cards in our party kit and follow those rules.
They also work for teams where not everyone celebrates Christmas, because most of them are about winter, food, music and the year at work.
20 icebreaker questions
- What's a small thing that made you happy this year?
- Which song instantly puts you in a good mood?
- What's your go-to comfort food on a cold day?
- What's a skill you'd love to learn next year?
- What was your favourite game or toy as a child?
- Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, or something else?
- What's the best gift you ever received that cost little or nothing?
- What's your ideal slow Sunday?
- If our team were a movie, what genre would it be?
- Which fictional character would you invite to this party?
- What's the most useful thing you learned at work this year?
- Morning person or night owl?
- What's your favourite winter memory?
- Which dish could you eat every week for a year?
- Which superpower would make your workday easier?
- Which book, film or series do you recommend to everyone?
- What's your favourite seasonal smell?
- Which word or phrase do you use far too often?
- Which new tradition would you like to start?
- What would you name a new winter holiday, and how would we celebrate it?
4 ways to use them
- Table cards: print the questions, cut them out and put three on each table.
- Arrival round: everyone draws one card and asks it to the next person they meet.
- Meeting opener: one question per person at the start of the last team call of the year.
- Question jar: a jar on the buffet. Whoever takes a card asks it to someone in the queue.
The games
2. Two truths and a holiday lie
Each person shares three short holiday facts about themselves; the others guess which one is invented. Keep it to holiday topics (worst gift, family tradition) so nobody overshares.
3. Party bingo
A bingo card with things that will happen at the party (“someone mentions the snow”, “find a colleague who has never seen Home Alone”). First full line wins. Gives quiet people a reason to start conversations.
4. Thank-you card swap
Everyone draws a colleague’s name and writes two specific sentences of thanks for something that happened this year. Cards are handed out (or read anonymously). Quiet, warm and memorable.
Host tips
- Always allow a pass. Say it out loud once at the start: ‘You can skip any card.’
- Put two or three cards on each table instead of asking questions in front of the whole room.
- Answer the first question yourself as the host. Short and a little funny sets the tone.
- Skip questions about holiday plans for people who might be alone over the holidays. The list below avoids them.
FAQ
What is a good Christmas icebreaker question for work?
One that everyone can answer without revealing anything private, such as ‘Which song instantly puts you in a good mood?’ or ‘What was the most useful thing you learned at work this year?’.
How many icebreaker questions do I need for a party?
For table cards, two or three per table are enough. For a 10-minute round in a meeting, five or six questions work well.
Are icebreakers OK for remote teams?
Yes. Post one question in the chat at the start of the call, or let each person draw a number and answer that question.