We’ve all been there sitting around at a holiday celebration with friends and family, and no one can think of anything to say. Avoid the uncomfortable silence with some inventive conversation topics.

Thankfulness

During the holiday season, we spend time with friends and family, and we often reflect back on our year. It’s pretty much a given that the topic of thankfulness will come up at any holiday celebration.

• What are you thankful for this holiday season?

• Who are you thankful for?

• What’s your favorite way to give back and help others?

Stories

Everyone has a story to tell. Getting people to tell their stories may take a little bit of time, but it’s often well worth the effort. If a conversation starts to run dry, ask one of these questions, get comfortable and put your listening ears on. (Warning- Don’t get too comfortable in case the Thanksgiving turkey puts you to sleep.)

• What’s the most memorable lesson you learned as a teen?

• What was the funniest moment in your childhood?

• What moment in your life do you wish you could redo?

Goals

Although setting goals may seem more fitting to discuss at New Year’s celebrations, it’s never too late in the year to set some goals. Chances are you will walk away from this conversation with some new advice or insight into the person you talked with.

• What do you want to change before the new year?

• What are your goals for this holiday season?

• What do you want to change between now and next year?

Challenges in life

Tread lightly when discussing hardships and know the crowd. If you’re looking to bond with someone, ask them deeper questions than your average “how are you?”.

• What fear do you want to overcome?

• What are you struggling with right now?

• Do you have any advice for dealing with challenges?

Thought-provoking Topics

Deep questions often lead to long conversations. The key to these topics is to keep an open mind and listen to what others have to say.

• What makes a person beautiful?

• Why do you think there are so many religions?

• Do you think people are inherently good or evil?

Debates

If conversations start going south, offering up a simple debate is an easy way to divert the tension into some light-hearted discussion. Similar to deeper questions, it’s important to agree to disagree sometimes. Unless they think water isn’t wet, then no holds are barred.

• Marvel or DC?

• When should people start putting up Christmas decorations?

• Is water wet?