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50+ Small Talk Conversation Starters: Halloween

1. 1. 1. Do we celebrate Halloween at work? 
      2. What are popular costumes this year? 
      3. What was your favorite Halloween costume? 
      4. Where can I buy a good Halloween costume?
      5. What is your favorite thing about Halloween? 
      6. Can we wear our Halloween costumes to work?
      7. Is it ok if I don’t wear a costume to work? 
      8. What is a Halloween party at work like?
      9. Are we doing anything for Halloween? (We is used in reference to the team or the company, hopefully!) 
      10. Do you like Halloween? / What do you like about Halloween? / What’s your favorite thing about Halloween? 

1. 1. 1. Do you celebrate Halloween at home? 
      2. Are you doing anything interesting for Halloween? 
      3. How do you normally celebrate Halloween? 
      4. I heard that people say ‘trick or treat.’ Do people really play tricks? What kind of tricks? 
      5. Do you like scary movies? / Do you like ghost stories? 

1. 1. 1. You do celebrate Halloween at home! How do you celebrate it? 
      2. What is a costume party? Have you ever been to one? 
      3. What are some fun activities I can do to celebrate Halloween or fall? 
      4. I heard kids may come to my house/apartment to trick or treat. What does trick or treat mean? 
      5. Do I have to give out candy? How do I do that? 
      6. Do you decorate your house? How do people normally decorate their house for Halloween? 
      7. I was invited to a few Halloween parties on the same night. How can I decline an invitation? 
      8. Have you ever experienced anything weird on Halloween? 
      9. I have heard some people claim to see ghosts on Halloween, have you? 
      10. Do you carve a pumpkin? Tell me more!! 
      11. When do you usually carve your pumpkin? 
      12. Where can we get a good pumpkin? How do you pick one out? 

If they do not celebrate Halloween, possibly try this: 

1. 1. 1. I have a kid going to school here. I heard they are supposed to dress up and have a costume party at school. What is this all about? We did not have this where I am from….
      2. Where do I get good costumes? 
      3. What are the popular kids costumes this year? 
      4. Where can my kids go trick or treating? Where are the best places to go trick or treating?
         
      5. If I go trick or treating with my kids, do I have to dress up too? 
      6. Can we go trick or treating in any neighborhood we want? 
      7. What time do we go trick or treating? 
      8. When do we go trick or treating?
      9. What are some other activities we can do to celebrate the holiday besides (or in addition to) trick or treating? 
      10. I heard people go to haunted houses for Halloween. What’s a haunted house? 
      11. What are some foods or treats that people eat this time of the year? 
      12. I heard some people dress up their dogs for Halloween. Is that true? 

Asking about their children:

1. 1. 1. What will your kids dress up as for Halloween? 
      2. What do your kids like about Halloween? 
      3. Do your kids like to go trick or treating? 
      4. Do your kids go trick or treating alone? 
      5. What have your children dressed up as for Halloween in the past? 
      6. What is your kid’s favorite candy? 
      7. How much candy do your kids usually get when they go trick or treating? 

If you are new to the US and there will be Halloween parties at your children’s school and you do not want to ask your colleagues for advice, feel free to talk to your child’s teacher. The teacher is actually the best person to ask these questions to, even if you do ask your colleagues as well, because the teacher knows what the exact event will be like at the school and if there are any special rules about the kinds of costumes or other related information.

Halloween Greetings 

Wishing someone a Happy Halloween is as easy as saying ‘Happy Halloween.’ Other ways to wish someone on Halloween, especially if it is Halloween day or the weekend of and you know they are going to a party or trick or treating with their kids:

1. 1. 1. Have fun at the party this weekend! / Have fun trick or treating with your kids! 
      2. Stay safe and have fun! 
      3. Have a good time! 
      4. Don’t eat too much candy! 
      5. Suggest another greeting in the comments section below! 

What is trick or treating?

Throughout this post, I have mentioned the phrase, “trick or treat” or “trick or treating.” Many may wonder what this phrase means.

In addition to wearing their costumes to school, many children may participate in trick or treating. In this activity, children in groups along with a parent go from door to door to collect candy. To trick or treat, a child would approach the door of a neighbor, knock on the door, and when the neighbor opens the door, the child would say, “Trick or treat.” In most cases, the adult says’ treat’ and hands treats like candy to the child. If the adult says “trick,” the child should play a prank. To understand trick or treating better, take a look at this interesting video made by people in Britain who want to start the trick or treating tradition in the U.K. 

A Halloween basket used for trick or treating

If you are confused about how your children can safely trick or treat, talk with other parents, your child’s teachers or other people who work at the school.  

Another hot topic many parents, teachers and colleagues may discuss in regards to trick or treating is safety for children as trick or treating is during the dusk and early evening hours, as in this clip.

In adddition to dressing up in costumes and trick or treating, children may also get a chance to go to corn mazes, take hay rides, carve pumpkins and visit haunted houses, like the one in this video.

Dressing up at Work for Halloween 

Dressing up for Halloween at work can consist of different things depending on your company or team’s culture. Here are a few ideas:

1. 1. 1. Wearing a costume to work during office hours. 
      2. Decorating the office in a Halloween theme or color pattern (orange and black). 
      3. A Halloween party during working hours, probably over lunchtime. 
      4. A meeting at a pub, bar or restaurant after work. 
      5. Others as defined by your company culture. Feel free to share interesting experiences or ideas in the comments section below! 

Don’t be surprised that if you go out in public during Halloween, employees in restaurants, stores, and other businesses may come to work dressed up.

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Our Small Talk course, Building Trust and Good Relations With US Americans, teaches individuals how to engage in casual conversations with others. It covers topics like initiating conversations, asking open-ended questions, active listening, and body language. The course helps participants build rapport and establish connections with people they encounter in social settings. Overall, a Small Talk course is a valuable investment for anyone who wants to improve their social skills and feel more comfortable in various social situations.
tags: English as a Second Language, ESL. ESOL, Phrases in American English 
Photo credits from flickr creative commons: all photos by Jennifer Kumar. Blog banner, starline at freepik (we adapted it with some more text)