150 Christmas Icebreaker Questions & Games for the Holidays

You found our list of the best Christmas icebreaker questions and games.

Christmas icebreakers are short and simple prompts and activities that get folks chatting and interacting during holiday parties, meetings, and at work. Example questions include “what was the best holiday present you ever received?” and “what is your family’s funniest holiday story?” and example games include Jingle Mingle Bingo and Blackout Holiday Truth or Dare. The purpose of these activities is to make connections and spread holiday cheer.  These activities are also called “holiday icebreakers.”

These games are seasonal versions of icebreaker questions and icebreaker activities. You can use these exercises as holiday team building activities, Christmas games to play on Zoom, or at virtual holiday parties.

This list includes:

• funny holiday icebreaker questions
• holiday themed icebreaker questions
• holiday icebreaker questions for work
• Christmas icebreaker questions
• Christmas party icebreaker questions
• Holiday this or that questions
• Holiday would you rather questions
• virtual Christmas icebreaker games
• holiday party icebreaker games

Here we go!

Christmas icebreaker question generator

Here is a Christmas icebreaker question generator you can try.

Funny holiday icebreaker questions

1. Have you ever regifted a present?
2. Have you ever returned a present you did not like for store credit?
3. What would your elf name be?
4. Which of your coworkers is most likely to be an elf in disguise?
5. Which of your coworkers is likeliest to wait until the last minute to finish Christmas shopping?
6. Which of your coworkers would be the best department store Santa?
7. Have you ever lied and told someone their present was “still in the mail” when really, you had not yet bought it?
8. What Christmas carol gets stuck in your head the most?
9. What Christmas-themed food do you think is the grossest?
10. Describe what your ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future would look like.
11. What song would you kill during Christmas karaoke?
12. What would be the strangest thing to see inside a snow globe?
13. What would be the worst thing to find in your Christmas stocking?
14. What is your favorite holiday joke?
15. What is your favorite bad holiday movie?
16. What is your holiday guilty pleasure?
17. Share one holiday “scrooge” moment you had.
18. What is your “never again” holiday story?
19. What is the strangest thing you have ever used/seen used for wrapping paper?
20. What would you be most offended to receive as a Christmas gift?
21. Be honest: is it really the thought that counts?
22. What is the most controversial Christmas opinion you have?

Holiday themed icebreaker questions

1. If you had to live in a holiday movie, which one would you choose?
2. What was your biggest holiday cooking or baking fail?
3. What celebrity would be the most fun to spend the holidays with?
4. If you could spend the holidays in a foreign country, which one would you choose and why?
5. What is the most interesting holiday decoration you own?
6. What is your best holiday hack?
7. What makes the best last minute present?
8. What holiday thing do you wish would last year long?
9. What is your favourite outdoor activity to do in the winter?
10. What is your favourite winter beverage?
11. What is the coolest holiday decoration display you have ever seen?
12. What is one unique way your hometown celebrates the holidays?
13. What one word best describes the holidays for you?
14. What is your favourite holiday commercial of all time?
15. What is your favourite holiday flavor?
16. In your opinion, what is the most underrated holiday film?
17. If you had to make all of your Xmas gifts by yourself, what would you make?
18. How do you get cozy during the holidays?

Holiday icebreaker questions for work

1. What was the best holiday present you ever received?
2. What was the strangest or worst holiday present you ever received?
3. What was the best gift you ever gave?
4. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
5. Does your family have any unique or bizarre traditions?
6. What are you most looking forward to this season? Least looking forward to?
7. What are your holiday plans?
8. Which of your coworkers do you think would make the best Christmas cookies?
9. Which of your coworkers would pick out the perfect present?
10. Which of your coworkers is most likely to be the life of the Christmas party?
11. What is your favorite holiday memory from childhood?
12. What is your favorite holiday treat?
13. What kind of holiday events are your favorite?
14. What is the best $5 gift to give someone?
15. What Christmas gift do you treasure the most?
16. Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Have you ever completed one?
17. What is your best tip to stay calm and unstressed during the holidays?
18. Do you have a holiday playlist? Name one song off of it.
19. Do you buy presents for lots of people, or only the people who are closest to you?
20. What is the coolest present you have ever received during a Secret Santa?
21. Have you ever experienced a blizzard? What is your craziest snow storm story?
22. What was your favorite thing to do on a snow day home from school as a kid?
23. Do you reuse bows and wrapping paper?

Christmas icebreaker questions

1. Which holiday decoration goes up first?
2. Do you put up your tree before or after Thanksgiving?
3. What is your favorite holiday movie? Least favorite?
4. What gift would you love to unwrap?
5. How old were you when you stopped believing in Santa?
6. How do you celebrate Christmas with your pets?
7. Do you send Christmas cards?
8. If money were no object, what kind of Christmas presents would you buy?
9. Do you have a favorite Christmas ornament?
10. How early do you start Christmas shopping?
11. Describe your ideal Christmas.
12. Finish the sentence: “It’s not Christmas without….”
13. What is your favorite Christmas story?
14. What is your favorite Christmas recipe?
15. If you could spend Christmas with any one person, who would it be?
16. Did you ever try to stay up and wait for Santa?
17. What is the most expensive present you have ever bought or received for Christmas?
18. What Christmas miracle would you most like to see happen?
19. Have you ever celebrated Christmas in July?

Christmas party icebreaker questions

1. What is your least favorite thing about Christmas?
2. What is your favorite thing about Christmas?
3. What is your favorite holiday food? Least favorite?
4. What is good on the buffet table?
5. What is your favorite Christmas carol?
6. What is your family’s funniest holiday story?
7. Do you prefer to go out for New Years or stay in?
8. What is the best Christmas party you have ever been to? The worst?
9. What is your favourite Christmas cocktail?
10. What would you be most excited to see at a Christmas party?
11. What is the best Christmas party you have ever been to?
12. What was the worst Christmas party you have ever been to?
13. What is your favourite part of a Christmas party?
14. Describe your perfect Christmas party?
15. What do you hope will be in your Christmas party swag bag?
16. Do you know everybody at this party? (Bonus- if no, go talk to somebody new!)
17. Have you finished your holiday shopping yet?
18. Did you find any good holiday sales this season?

Holiday this or that questions

1. Tree up before Thanksgiving or after Thanksgiving?
2. Real tree or fake tree?
3. Star or angel?
4. Snowmen or snow angels?
5. Mittens or gloves?
6. Socks or sweaters?
7. Unwrapping gifts on Xmas Eve or Xmas morning?
8. Christmas or New Years?
9. Snoop for presents or be surprised?
10. Gift wrap or gift bags?
11. Homemade gifts or store-bought gifts?
12. Finish shopping early or finish shopping last minute?
13. Indoor Xmas lights or outdoor Xmas lights?
14. Eggnog or hot chocolate?
15. Cozy sweaters or pajamas?
16. Rudolph or Frosty?
17. Wreaths or stockings?
18. Santa hats or reindeer antler headbands?
19. Ugly sweater party or Christmas cocktail party?
20. Gift cards or cash?
21. Gingerbread houses or gingerbread men?
22. Peppermint or gingerbread?
23. Candy canes or chocolates?
24. Ice skating or snowball fights?
25. Secret Santa or White Elephant Exchange?
26. Shop in store or shop online?

Check out more this or that questions.

Holiday would you rather questions

1. Would you rather get no presents or bad presents?
2. Would you rather spend Christmas in Alaska or Hawaii?
3. Would you rather dress up like an elf or dress up like Santa?
4. Would you rather accidentally tell a child Santa was not real or have to watch an Xmas marriage proposal get rejected?
5. Would you rather lie and tell someone you loved their present to be polite or admit that the present is bad in front of everyone?
6. Would you rather get lots of little presents or one big present?
7. Would you rather have a big Christmas gathering with lots of people or a small, quiet Christmas with your most dear loved ones?
8. Would you rather spend Christmas in NYC or LA?
9. Would you rather go to an awkward office Xmas party or an awkward family Xmas dinner?
10. Would you rather spend Christmas in an airport or in the hospital (for something non-serious)?
11. Would you rather get pranked on Christmas or get delayed on Christmas?
12. Would you rather receive a nice-but-regifted present or a badly-made yet heartfelt homemade present?
13. Would you rather win the lottery on Christmas or get surprised by a relative you thought you wouldn’t be able to spend the holiday with?
14. Would you rather get food poisoning on Christmas or have to drink eggnog until you puke?

Check out more would you rather questions.

Virtual Christmas icebreaker games

Here is a list of holiday icebreaker games to play on Zoom and other video calling platforms.

1. Seasonal Settings

One of the simplest virtual holiday icebreaker activities is to have attendees switch their virtual backgrounds to a personal holiday photo. For example, a childhood photo, a favorite present, their best-ever Christmas decorations, or their favorite holiday movie.

Pro tip: To avoid awkward silences while people search for photos, have come ready with the photo and then take time to talk about it.

2. Christmas Confessions

Christmas Confessions is a holiday guessing game where players must figure out which statement belongs to which player. At the start of the game, each player writes down one holiday-themed confession. These statements could be misdeeds that would land them on the naughty list, good deeds worthy of the nice list, admissions of strange holiday tastes, or wild or bizarre Christmas stories.

Players can submit these tidbits to the host before the party, or privately message them to the host at the start of the activity. Then, the host picks confessions at random to read aloud, and the other party guests must guess which participant the answer belongs to.

Pro tip: To save time, you can tell attendees to come to the party with a response prepared to share.

3. Blackout Holiday Truth or Dare

Blackout holiday truth or dare puts a seasonal twist on a classic icebreaker game. The game is best played online during a video call, however, you could adapt the game for play in person as well.

All players start off the game with webcams off. Then, a leader reads out a series of questions or dares, and players who are unwilling to participate turn their video off. The leader then chooses one willing participant to respond to the prompt.

Here are a few example truths and dares:

• What is your most embarrassing Christmas story?
• What is the worst gift you have ever received?
• What is the worst gift you have ever given?
• If you could spend Christmas with any celebrity, who would it be?
• If you could get away with giving someone a petty present, what would it be and why?
• If money was no object, what would you ask for for Christmas?
• I dare you to make a Santa beard from cotton balls.
• I dare you to sing a Christmas song at the top of your lungs.
• I dare you to text one of your contacts, “what date is Christmas again?”
• I dare you to fit a whole cookie in your mouth.
• I dare you to dance to a Christmas song.
• I dare you to not to say “Christmas” for the rest of the meeting.

You can also have players take turns giving out prompts, or simply play a standard, holiday version of truth or dare.

Here is a Truth or Dare generator to use for inspiration.

Holiday party icebreaker games

Here is a list of holiday party games to get guests socializing.

1. Spontaneous Secret Santa

Spontaneous Secret Santa is an improvised version of the beloved Christmas gift exchange. Instead of preparing a present in advance, participants only have 5-10 minutes to get a gift together. Simply explain the activity, draw names, give participants time to rummage for presents, and then swap gifts. Examples of last-minute-presents might include candy from a snack stash, a parody song written on the spot, a drawing, or a “survival kit” made out of unopened items found in a backpack. Part of the fun is seeing what kinds of presents people can put together on the fly.

Here is our guide on how to do Secret Santa online.

2. Community Tree

The community tree is a group decorating activity. Each participant arrives at the event with a unique ornament to hang on the tree. You can turn the exercise into a guessing game by challenging guests to figure out who contributed each ornament, or you can invite participants to say a couple of words about the significance of the ornament when putting it on the tree.

Here are more community building activities for work.

3. Jingle Mingle Bingo

Jingle Mingle Bingo is a game that encourages guests to mix and learn facts about each other. Each participant gets a unique Bingo card. To mark squares, players must make conversation with fellow attendees, and mark the box with the name of a fellow partygoer who matches the description. The first few players to get five squares in a row win a prize.

Here is a generator to create cards for the game.

For similar activities, check out icebreaker Bingo.

4. Carols and Carolers

Carols and Carolers is a simple matching game. One one slip of paper, put the name of a famous Christmas song, and on the other slip, write the artist who originally sang or is most known for singing the song. Then, put the slips into a bowl and have each guest draw a slip. The folks with the songs must pair up with the folks with the correct singer, and will chat for a couple of minutes.

Pro tip: If you have an outgoing group, then you can have the duos sing the song together for the group, or choreograph a short dance to the music.

5. Christmas Telephone Charades

Telephone Charades is a fun holiday icebreaker game for large groups. To set up the game, participants stand in a line facing one direction. The first player in line gets a Christmas-themed clue and acts it out for the next person in line. That second person then taps the person in front of them on the shoulder and acts out the silent prompt for that third player. The game continues until the last person in line must guess the original clue.

Here is a charades word generator for your game.

6. Special Snowflakes

Special snowflakes is a game that breaks the ice by pairing participants up. To prepare this activity, create identical sets of snowflakes. You can make matching snowflakes by folding multiple pieces of paper together before cutting out shapes. Next, give the snowflakes out as folks arrive, and tell guests to find the snowflake shape that matches their own.

You can also give participants talking points to encourage conversations with their snowflake twin.

Pro tip: To ensure that each guest gets a match, you may want to make more than two possible matches per pattern, or keep track of which snowflakes you give out to ensure that everybody gets a buddy.

Check out more office Christmas party ideas.

Final Thoughts

Holidays are about togetherness, yet folks sometimes have a hard time starting conversations at seasonal events. Icebreakers are a good way to help folks get more comfortable with each other around the holidays, and can serve as a destresser. You can use these Christmas icebreaker games and questions to kick off holiday meetings, parties, or as team building exercises throughout the month of December.

For more holiday fun, check out this list of Christmas trivia questions, and these guides to holiday scavenger hunts or virtual white elephant exchanges.

We also have a guide to hosting office parties at work and a list of the best virtual holiday party ideas in the UK.