Trying to identify the right small talk conversation starters for Halloween is made easy with the wide range of ideas in this post. The small talk conversation starters in this post can be used at the water cooler, in the break room or over lunch to make small talk about Halloween, which falls on October 31 every single year!
If they do not celebrate Halloween, possibly try this:
Cute kid dressed up for Halloween
Dog dressed up as a lumberjack
Asking about their children:
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.
Dog wearing Halloween Costume
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:
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 for Halloween at work can consist of different things depending on your company or team’s culture. Here are a few ideas:
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.
If you’re looking to improve your rapport with your American colleagues, take a look at our programs to build conversational mastery and business acumen.
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)
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