Can you believe it’s already Christmas time? The roast, the pies, the cookies, and the fireplace, Christmas dinner is going to be amazing! However, in our digital age and divided world, Christmas dinner can sometimes feel more chaotic than Christmassy.
Christmas dinner is one of the few times each year when everyone in your family actually sits down together. Phones are usually put away, plates are full, and the conversations are flowing. Whether you’re gathering with immediate family, extended relatives, or a mix of friends and loved ones, having a few great dinner table questions ready can turn an ordinary meal into a memorable evening. And these 20 questions for your Christmas dinner are built to help your dinner table feel more cozy and cohesive and less like a battlefield. Remember, a little preparation goes a long way!
Our list of 20 Christmas dinner table questions is designed to spark laughter, reflection, and meaningful connection—without getting too heavy or uncomfortable. They’re fun, thoughtful, and perfect for all ages. Bring a question up while you're eating, write them on index cards, or let everyone at the table take turns picking a question.
Why Dinner Table Questions Matter at Christmas
Christmas is about more than just gifts and traditions—it’s about connection. Even when we look at the Christmas story, we find that Jesus' birth helped the entire world become more connected to God.
Thoughtful questions at the Christmas dinner table help everyone feel seen, honored, included, and engaged in conversation, especially the quieter guests or relatives that you don’t see quite as often. Christmas conversation starters also encourage you to tell stories about your life, experience nostalgia, and, of course, experience laughter together. The Bible even says that laughter is like medicine to the bones!
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. - Proverbs 17:22
As you use these intentional Christmas dinner questions, you can:
- Reduce awkward silences at the dinner table
- Break the ice and get past simple questions like, “How are you?”
- Create a conversation that is memorable and fun
- Get to know your friends and family better
- See your family members that are difficult to love in a new light
So, let’s dive into our 20 questions for your Christmas dinner to help encourage you, equip you, and help you feel more prepared this Christmas:
Icebreaker Questions:
1. You’re trapped on a desert island with only one Christmas food to sustain you until you’re rescued. Which Christmas food would you choose and why?
There's nothing like a classic, desert-island food question to get people thinking. This Christmas dinner question will also let you know which dish you should get seconds of. You know, considering that the Christmas food with the most answers will be the first to disappear from the dinner table!
Related Post: What Does the Bible Say About Food & Eating?
2. What’s one Christmas tradition you did as a kid that you’d like to start doing again?
Life is busy, and the years fly by so fast. This Christmas dinner table question helps everyone at the table to pause, think, and remember something that brings them joy during the Christmas season.
3. What is the best Christmas gift you’ve ever received?
While this question for Christmas dinner could get a little controversial…(especially if your family is competitive around gift giving!), it helps you see what matters to your friends and family. This question may also help you to tailor future Christmas gifts to each person at the table.
4. Do you prefer real Christmas trees or fake Christmas trees?
If there’s going to be arguing at the dinner table, at least let it be fun and playful. You’ll be surprised to hear the opinions of your friends and family on this Christmas tradition!
Friendly warning for this Christmas conversation starter: you may have an aunt or uncle who holds a strong opinion about Christmas trees and might argue that they’re a pagan symbol rather than a traditional Christmas decoration. Don’t worry: we’ve got you covered.
Learn more about common objections to Christmas trees and other Christmas traditions in our blog: Is Christmas a Pagan Holiday?
5. Say you can only watch one Christmas movie every year. Which Christmas movie would you watch and why?
Home Alone. Elf. A Charlie Brown Christmas. The options are endless. However, this question will help you discover more about your friends and family. If you want to watch a movie after asking this Christmas question, try watching The Shepherd by The Chosen for free on YouTube! It’s a short film that tells the story of Christmas and the birth of baby Jesus.
Story-Based Questions:
6. Is there a Christmas that you’ll never forget? If so, why was it the best Christmas? If not, how can we try to make this Christmas one you’ll never forget?
This question for the Christmas dinner table can give curious answers, heavy answers, or even nostalgic answers. No matter if we’re young or old, we can all agree that life is short and we want to make the most of it. We only have so many Christmases. If someone in your family doesn’t have a memorable Christmas story, start brainstorming at the dinner table about how you and your family can make this Christmas the best Christmas they’ve ever had.
7. When you were younger, what did Christmas morning look like in your house as a kid?
This conversation starter for the dinner table may lead to some teary eyes and funny stories.
8. Say you could re-design the story of Santa Claus. What would you add or take away from the story and why?
This Christmas conversation starter will ignite the creatives at the table. While the Christmas story about Santa Claus is fictional, it’s fun to play with stories and think about what you’d change if you were the author.
For example, some answers to this Christmas question could be: what if Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer had a cotton-candy nose instead of a red button nose? What if Santa had no beard and drove a Tesla sled without reindeer?! What if Mrs. Claus took over delivering toys for a year? What if all of the mice got the millions of cookies left out for Santa rather than Santa getting to eat them? These are just some fun ideas to keep the Christmas conversation flowing at your dinner table.
9. What is your favorite Christmas song? (Optional challenge: sing your answer!)
This Christmas conversation starter just became a Christmas sing-along starter. This Christmas question is guaranteed to bring some laughs and smiles to the dinner table.
Related Post: The Power of Conversation
10. Let’s say you’ve just become the mayor of your city. What is one Christmas tradition you’ll be adding to next year's Christmas celebration?
Will you as mayor call for a city-wide chocolate chip cookie contest? Maybe you'd like to designate an award each year for the most generous person in the city? How about the city-wide canceling of debts? What would be a Christmas tradition you'd add?
Thoughtful & Curious Questions
11. What’s one thing you’re really grateful for this year?
Gratitude is a command that's found all throughout the Bible and when you choose to be grateful it proves to be powerful! Science is starting to catch up with the wonders of gratitude, thanksgiving, and the power of thanking God for what you already have. Learn more about this topic in our blog: The Benefits of Gratitude
12. Any life-lessons or words of wisdom you'd like to share with the whole table?
No matter the ages of people at the Christmas dinner table, this conversation starter will encourage the thinker in all of us to provide a wise saying for family and friends.
A timeless word of wisdom that stands through every generation is the importance of forgiveness. Learn more about forgiveness and how to love, even when it’s hard, in our blog: How to Love Someone You Disagree With
13. What’s one mistake from last year that you wish you could go back and fix?
Is it wishing you had asked your crush out before it was too late? Perhaps you dropped the ball at work and never got a chance to apologize? This Christmas conversation starter is a bit deeper than the rest of our questions, so read the room before you ask it.
14. What’s one thing that made you extra happy this year?
Was it a surprise birthday party? A Christmas bonus from your employer? A night-in with friends? Whatever made you extra happy this year, be sure to share it!
15. If you had to describe this last year with one word, what would it be?
Some conversation starters and questions for Christmas can be hard to answer right away. This is one of them! However, to make things more exciting, try giving a time limit for this question before everyone answers. Say something like, “You have 30 seconds to think of one word to describe last year. Ready? Set? Think! Timer is on.”
Fun & Future - Focused Questions:
16. What’s something on your bucket list that you'd like to complete this next year?
Maybe this is the year you finally go skydiving, or perhaps this is the year you take a pottery class. Maybe someone in your family is saving up to travel the world. Can you give a few dollars to help their New Year's wish come true? This Christmas question is going to get people dreaming about their New Year with hope and joy.
17. What’s one prayer you’d love for God to answer this next year?
This Christmas conversation starter invites God to the dinner table in a fresh way. Maybe someone in your family is dreaming about a promotion. Maybe someone else is praying for healing in their body. Maybe there is financial hardship or family tension at the table.
When someone at the dinner table answers, try offering to pray for them as a whole table. Next year, be sure to ask your family, “How many prayers were answered from last year at Christmas?”
Want to grow in the place of prayer? Download our free e-book today: Let’s Talk About Prayer: Simple Steps to Connect with God
18. What’s one hobby you’d like to learn this next year?
Now is the time to get creative and think about things you’d like to change (or add!) in the New Year. While New Year’s resolutions are awesome, this Christmas conversation starter keeps things light and playful instead of feeling like a homework assignment.
19. What’s one word you hope will describe your next year?
This Christmas dinner question has the potential to create a "word for the year" for every person at the dinner table.
Related post: How to Share God’s Hope with Others
20. If you could skip one Christmas task forever (i.e., cooking, cleaning, shopping, dishes, baking, returning items to the store, etc), what would it be and why?
The best way to follow-up this Christmas conversation starter is to serve someone in your family who hates dishes or cleaning. After the meal, go above and beyond and help them clean up, so their Christmas wish comes true!
How to Make the Most of Dinner Table Questions
To get the most out of these Christmas conversation starters, it’s important to read the room and use your discernment. Though we’ve created these Christmas dinner table questions to be thoughtful, playful, and broad, sometimes it’s the right question, but the wrong crowd. So, pray about which question to ask before you ask it (unless you’ve written these questions down and are choosing at random)!
Learn more about reading the room and how to grow in discernment: What is Discernment in the Bible?
Conclusion
Cheers to You for Making Christmas Dinner Memorable
At the end of the day, Christmas dinner isn’t about the food, the set-up, or the decorations: it’s about connection and choosing to love one another. These 20 questions for the Christmas dinner table are sure to spark fun conversations and add joy and hope to your Christmas celebrations. Remember: you don’t need to go through every question on the list. The most wonderful thing about asking a question is slowing down enough to listen to the response. You might be surprised by what you hear, what you learn, and the fun new memories you’ll make. Our team at the Everyday Faith Podcast wishes you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Not sure what you think about Jesus? There’s no better time than now to discover just why Jesus, His birth, His life, and His resurrection are so important. Today is your day to take your next step towards Jesus. Learn how in our blog: This is For You!
