Coming up with good Christmas party ideas can be tough. If
you're arranging a Christmas party, whether it's for family,
friends or work, you want everybody to have a good time.
Nobody likes to be the host of a party that folks, even if it is
just some of the guests, will remember as boring, much less a
flop. But don't worry, read on, take what you can use, use it,
and only good things are likely to happen.
In order to make sure your party is a good one, you need to
understand the key elements of successful Christmas parties. You
need to consider how to tailor food, drinks, games, decorations
and gift exchanges to suit your guests. You've come to the right
place, because all that and more is covered in this article.
The Christmas Party Invitation
– The Tricks of Sending Them out
First rule of a good party: send invitations out early and
make sure everyone knows what day it is.
People are busy at this time of year, so sending out invitations
at late notice is a good way to ensure few people turn up. You
have to let people know well in advance.
However, if you send out invitations too early, some people may
forget and end up making other commitments. Which is why you'll
want to send out several rounds of invitations. At least two,
and perhaps three:
The first one, way too early (which why it is the one you may
decide to skip if you want), maybe six to eight weeks before the
'shindig'. That one is just an early 'warning', a note to
reserve the date. (You can easily do this by email or Facebook –
provided ALL of those you invite use that … remember, a few
folks don't).
The next round of Christmas invitations you send out might be
about three weeks before the actual party – this one is the
actual invitation.
And the final one is another casual reminder to everyone a week
before – just to say how excited you are about the party.
(Again, email or Facebook are prime choices).
When it comes to choosing the actual invitations themselves,
think about your guests. If you're sending them to a casual
group of friends, there's no point splashing out on fancy formal
invitations. On the other hand, if it's a professional Christmas
dinner for work colleagues you'll want to put some money into
getting high quality Christmas party invitations made up.
Christmas Dinner Party Ideas
– How to Make It Easy so You Actually Survive It
The
Christmas dinner party is the pinnacle of party organization for
some people. It's more formal than an after-work Christmas
drinks and if you're organizing it, you probably feel like it
needs to be 'perfect.'
For starters, while putting that kind of pressure on yourself
can be motivating it often leaves you feeling stressed out
– remember, you should be able to enjoy your party as
well!
Our first suggestion would be:
- Don't try to do it alone. Enlist the
help of family members or friends who you trust in the
kitchen.
If you're cooking for a large group you're going to have to
coordinate a lot of food, so even little things like having
someone help you set the table and carry food out to the dining
room can make a big difference.
If you've somehow drawn the short straw and have to host a
Christmas party for your friends but you're not very
enthusiastic about it, you might consider catering, but there's
also an easier and cheaper solution:
- Get everyone to bring their own food.
You can either ask everyone to bring their own dinner dish
(try to coordinate this beforehand so you know what
everyone's bringing – you don't want five different
potato salads turning up) – or you can handle the
main course yourself and just ask everyone to bring their
own appetizers or bake some interesting Christmas cookies to
share around.
A Varied Bunch of Fun Christmas Party Activities
With a younger crowd, especially kids, you'll want to make
sure you have some games arranged so nobody gets bored. You know
what your guests like – if they're pretty casual, go with
some fun games.
If you know they won't be into that sort of thing, steer clear
of games and focus on providing other activities.
As usual, the key to being a good host is anticipating what will
appeal to your guests and planning for it in advance with
Christmas party ideas that'll appeal to your crowd.
This is where many people go wrong with finding party ideas for
Christmas – they worry too much about what will make them
look like a good host, rather than focusing on arranging things
their guests will really enjoy. Just put yourself in their shoes
…
And remember, you're actually doing this for your guests, not
for yourself – that always makes for the best party!
The
Simple Christmas Movie Night
If you'd like a fairly relaxed night, there's no need to try
to come up with Christmas party ideas that will make your party
any more active than it needs to be.
If you're stressed from work and all you want to do is kick back
and relax, here's an easy Christ party idea: turn the party into
a mix of quick dinner and movie night – rent some of your
favorite Christmas classics from throughout the year and play
them back to back.
This works best for a small group of up to 8 or 10 people. Any
group bigger than that is likely to have at least some members
who get restless, so you'll have to have some other Christmas
party activities planned.
Pulling Crackers
Of course, pulling Christmas crackers is an old favorite.
Usually you lay out the Christmas crackers along with your
dinner table layout so everyone can pull them while they're
waiting for food to be served.
You may want to spend a bit of money to get high quality, as
cheap ones tend to contain barely-readable jokes and 'toys'
which are essentially just flimsy pieces of plastic.
That said, don't expect anything too fancy from expensive
Christmas crackers – but at least they look nice.
Of course some people have been known to slip their own messages
and jokes (printed or hand written on little slips of paper)
into the Christmas crackers they've bought.
This isn't hard to do, and you can use this as a basis for fun
and Christmas games.
This is actually a nice way to start another round of Christmas
party activities, such as e.g.:
- Guess the Christmas Carol (where
players must mime out known Christmas carols and the others
guess it) - Find the Christmas Ornament (the name
says it all, this is one of those Christmas party activities
that exist in countless variations) - Marshmallow Snowball Toss (where
contestants in teams must throw marshmallows a certain
distance to other team members who must catch them in their
mouth)
Hilarious Christmas Party Themes
It might seem obvious that the theme for your party should be
Christmas, but does it really have to be?
It's your choice!
But if you so desire, there are plenty of Christmas 'sub-themes'
to choose from that can spark new Christmas party games and make
your night more memorable.
Old
Style Theme … From 2000 Years Ago
For example, do you want to go with traditional decorations
and food that tastes like it might have been the sort of thing
the Virgin Mary would have eaten in Bethlehem 2000 years ago?
Or do you want to go for a modern look, using the images of
Santa, the reindeer and the North Pole?
Santa Workshop Theme
You could decorate your whole house like Santa's workshop at
the North Pole, with random toys lying around, cotton wool as
fake snow and an elf costume for yourself.
Or you could deck out your living room with a life-size nativity
scene, and get everyone to come in costume as wise men wearing
sandals and robes.
The possibilities are limitless when it comes to choosing a
'theme within a theme.'
You don't have to stick with something 'traditional' at all. For
instance, it's a pretty widespread joke that everyone gets ugly
knitted sweaters from their grandparents at Christmas –
almost everyone can remember a year when they got a really ugly
item of clothing from a family member, or a really bad gift.
Come-And-Bring-Your-Lamest-Gift Theme
You can make lame gifts the theme for your whole party
– get everyone to bring along the worst gift they've ever
received (if they threw it away, just get them to buy something
equally lame or wear some kind of unfashionable Christmas
clothing).
SSpandex Fun – the 80s Party Theme
The
80s party theme is another fun option – everyone dresses
up in Christmas clothes, with plenty of red and green, but it
has to be 80s style clothing. The more spandex the better.
It's worth remembering, as well, that many of your friends may
not actually be of the Christian faith. br />
This is especially true if you live in a big city like New York.
If you have Muslims, Jews and Buddhists attending your party, it
might not be such a good idea to go with a nativity theme.
Instead, if you have a cross section of different cultures and
religions, you should reflect this in the theme of your party.
Most countries influenced by Christianity celebrate Christmas,
albeit in very different ways – so if you have foreign
friends, ask them to wear something or bring an item that
relates to Christmas in their home country.
This idea makes for many great conversation starters.
Christmas Party Appetizers
Every good party host knows the 'nibble' food is super
important. You need appetizers that are tasty, unique and fit
the occasion. They can't be too small, but at the same time you
don't want them to be so filling they'll ruin everyone's
appetite if you're putting a meal on later.
When it comes to Christmas time, you generally don't have to
worry too much about calorie counts – most people through
caution to the wind when it comes to diets around Christmas, so
you can go crazy with as much sugar, salt and fatty food as you
like.
It's usually a good idea to have a balance between sweet and
savory. If you're going to have any vegetarians at your party,
you should also make an attempt to cater for them.
Fruit Christmas pies are a common appetizer in
many countries, and little mince pies and savories can also go
down a treat. Cookies and pastries are pretty
essential snack food for any good Christmas party.
If you're hosting an upmarket party for work friends and
clients, you might want something a little more fancy.
Fruit appetizers with cream can be a good choice on
such an occasion – strawberries with whipped cream go
down a treat.
Most people are expecting plenty of savory appetizers from a
Christmas party, so throwing in a few unusual fruity foods can
be a good way to set yourself apart.
If your guests are adults, feel free to add a bit of sherry to
the mix – this gives your appetizers a pleasant tang that
most people will associate with Christmas.
Christmas Party Jokes & Games
Having a few good jokes to tell is always a good plan for
when there's a lull in conversation – even if they're
totally ridiculous.
The jokes that come in some Christmas crackers are usually
pretty groan-worthy, so you'll want to look to some higher
quality comedians for lines that will get a few laughs.
Here are a couple of jokes to get you going:
 Funny Christmas Jokes Game |
'What do you call a polar bear with ear muffs on? It
doesn't matter, he can't hear you.'
'What do you call a lion at the North Pole? Lost.'
'What happened when the snowman made his girlfriend mad? She
gave him the cold shoulder.'
'What's a snowman's hat called? An ice cap.'
'What do you call someone who is scared of Santa Claus?
Claustrophobic.'
If you're going to have a lot of little ones running around, you
should prepare a few Christmas jokes for kids just in case any
of them start to get bored or 'act up.'
Here are some kid-appropriate jokes (they might seem a little
ridiculous but most of them will get a giggle out of a young
one):
'How does a Yeti get around? By-icicle.'
'What happened to the man who stole a calendar at Christmas? He
got 12 months.'
'If Santa was a detective, what would his name be? Santa Clues.'
What is the best Christmas present in the world? – A broken drum
– you cant beat it!
What did one snowman say to the other snowman? Can you smell
carrot?
What do snowmen eat for breakfast? Snowflakes.
When it comes to games, the possibilities are only limited by
your creativity – but if you need some ideas to get you
started, check out our page about Christmas party games.
Christmas Party Gift Exchange Ideas
For starters, don't put pressure on your guests to buy each
other gifts. If they want to they'll mention it and you can
suggest the idea to everyone, but don't push it – many
people are feeling the financial strain at this time of year and
don't want to buy more presents than absolutely necessary!
Of course, 'the Secret Santa' is an old Christmas party idea
always goes down a treat – where everybody buys a gift to
give to someone else at the party, but the person receiving the
gift doesn't know who their 'Santa' is.
This can be done with real gifts, but a more fun variation is to
turn it into a 're-gifting' ceremony. This is where everyone
takes a gift they have been given over the years, wraps it up,
and gives it to someone else anonymously.
No one is likely to be happy with their gift, but it's a good
recipe for a few laughs.
That gives you some ideas for gift exchanges at your party
itself – but how do you come up with ideas for gifts to
give your friends and family? Choosing the right present can be
a challenge – a challenge which is often made even more
difficult by people saying things like, 'I don't want anything
from you this Christmas' – but you know they'll be
getting you a gift, so you have to get something! On top of
that, we all know people who seem to 'already have everything.'
Well, for starters, remember that the thought behind a gift is
more important than how much you spend – that may be a
cliché, but it's true.
The key is to think about what the person values most in life
and give them something that will resonate with those values
– when you do that, it doesn't matter whether you spent
$1000 on the gift or you made it by hand in half an hour on
Christmas morning. People appreciate being understood.
Throwing a Christmas in July Party
The mid-year Christmas party idea (Christmas in July) has
become popular at some offices and amongst friends with busy
lifestyles.
After all, why should you have to wait until the end of the year
to catch up and exchange gifts with those closest to you? And if
you live in the southern hemisphere, you don't get to experience
the 'white Christmas' that has so often been depicted in movies
and sung about in classic songs, because of course December 25
is in the middle of summer!
On the other hand, some people in the northern prefer to enjoy
having Christmas-style celebrations in the middle of summer
during July, with outdoor barbeques rather than sitting inside
at the dinner table while the snow falls outside.
It's believed that this is how the July Christmas tradition
actually began, with families in Europe wanting to have
Christmas parties while the sun is shining.
So what are the 'rules' when it comes to Christmas party ideas
for 'Christmas in July'? Well, there are no rules –
that's the beauty of a Christmas party! All the ideas above can
apply to a summer Christmas party just as easily as a winter
one, but let's get into some season-specific party ideas for
Christmas.
If you're in the northern hemisphere then your mid-year
Christmas party will be in the summer, which gives you plenty of
options for outdoor activities that wouldn't usually be
available to you.
Barbeques, as mentioned above, are ideal for these types of
parties. You can also get some more exciting games and going on
if you have a big backyard, especially for the kids – so
look into some game ideas that will have the kids running around
and having a good time in the sun.
You can even break out the Frisbee, or other throwing games like
Coits and Petanque.
As for those in the southern hemisphere – this mid-year
Christmas party may be your first real 'white Christmas,' so
it's time to make the most of it.
Even if it isn't actually snowing outside, you can create your
own effects with ice-frosting spray on your windows and cotton
wool on the ground inside your house. Try to come up with your
own creative ideas for the winter season.
Have fun! 🙂
External links to cool websites with pages relevant to this
page
–
Christmas Traditions as described on infoplease.com – info
on Christmas customs, including trees, holly, mistletoe, Santa
Claus, and more.
–
Christmas Party as described on the popular, sometimes funny
Urban Dictionary – if you're not satisfied with their
definitions, you can add your own to the mix. Or, you can choose
to visit their many, many (often funny) definitions of
Christmas.
– At Uncyclopedia, the so-called content-free Encyclopedia
(enter at your own risk!) you can read about Santa:
Santa Claus as well as their weird ideas about
Christmas.
– At Wisegeek.com they have an article where they try to answer
the question:
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