The Christmas party is an integral part of the celebration of Christmas. Christmas parties may include family, friends, coworkers, or combinations of those. Also, Christmas parties may be primarily for children, primarily for adults, or for both adults and children. Clearly, one key to a successful Christmas party is knowing the mix of those who will be attending the party.
Start planning your Christmas party early to guarantee success. Christmas parties differ depending on planned attendees. Decide for whom you are having the party--even to the point of putting together a tentative guest list. This will help you as you move on to other choices, such as themes, venues, and decorations.
After you’ve made your initial Christmas party plans, the detailed planning can start in earnest.
Christmas Party 2009
This year’s Christmas party, like all such parties, will require detailed thought for success. However, this doesn’t mean you must choose a complex or expensive party format. Plan whom you wish to attend and how much money you wish to budget for your Christmas party. Then decide if you want a theme, send out invitations, plan the menu, plan games (if children are involved), and plan decorations.
Christmas Party IdeasSome of the best Christmas party ideas are those that are least conventional and most participative. For example, one person we know has a Christmas party each year with her book club where each person makes a gingerbread house and decorates it. The gingerbread is pre-cut and pre-baked, but, other than that, the guests are fully responsible for construction and decoration (with candy) of the gingerbread houses. The cost is low and the party –goers all have a great time.
Of course, Christmas party ideas can become one with the theme and venue. Also, the purpose of a Christmas party can influence ideas for the party. For example, a party for a work group may work better at a restaurant or other facility where the planning and execution can be handled professionally.
Christmas parties for children may likely involve games, a visit from Santa or other kid-themed ideas.
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Christmas Party Venues
It’s easy to be creative with Christmas party venues, and creative venues can lead to fun and memorable Christmas parties.
Some examples of creative Christmas party venues include:
Hold a Christmas party supporting a charity at the place of that Charity. For example, we saw a recent Christmas party held at the offices of the local Humane Society—complete with pet adoptions.
Choose a uniquely scenic Christmas party venue. For example, a dinner cruise, if you live near water, or a historic building.
Hold a Christmas party at your local children’s museum; this will be great fun for the kids and will help support the museum.
Consider a photo or art gallery for adult Christmas parties.
Christmas Party Invitations
Technology has brought us many more options for Christmas party invitations than used to be available. Of course, there is the old standby of buying pre-printed Christmas party invitations and handwriting in the specific information about the party.
Computers offer new options for Christmas party invitations. For example, party invitation templates are available on the web that can be used to produce beautiful, individually printed Christmas party invitations for your guests.
Of course, you can always use one of the several available electronic invitation services to create, send, and track your Christmas party invitations. These also offer the advantage of optionally allowing your guests to see who else has been invited and who has accepted.
Last, but not least, some folks simply use email for their Christmas party invitations.
Christmas Party Decorations
Christmas party decorations can vary widely, depending on taste and budget. Depending on your guests, you may also choose to make your decorations secular, thus making it a Holiday Party. Often we have accumulated a set of Christmas decorations that we get out year after year. Of course, these can be used to entirely or partially complete your Christmas party decorations.
Party and craft stores, as well as many general merchandise stores, stock a variety of Christmas party decorations that are both inexpensive and readily available.
Christmas Gift Ideas
Some Christmas parties involve the exchange of gifts. In work or group parties, it is common to have gift exchange games where each person purchases only one gift, which is wrapped and put under the Christmas tree. Most of these games involve some mechanism for a “gift grab” wherein later gift pickers can either take a wrapped gift of “grab” a gift already selected by an earlier participant. In these kinds of gift exchanges, a maximum value is set for each gift purchase, and, of course, each gift needs to be gender neutral (if both males and females will be choosing).
Typically, this type of gift exchange will not work with children, as emotions can flare when a later participant attempts to “grab” somebody’s Christmas gift.
Christmas Party Games
Christmas party games are often provided for children’s Christmas parties. Of course, gift exchanges with “gift grabs” are a form of Christmas party game for adults.
Games and activities form an integral part of a children’s Christmas party. A lot of innovative ideas are required to make these games and activities exciting:
Christmas Party Games
Gift Wrap Game:
The children are divided into teams. A wrapped gift box is given to each of the teams, along with wrapping paper for each of the team members, tape and ribbon. These items are placed on a table or on the floor for a gift wrap station. During the game, each player runs to the gift wrap station, unwraps the gift, rewraps it in their own paper, and runs back to tag another team member. The winning team is the one which has all members complete the gift wrapping first.
Pass the Parcel:
This traditional English game places Christmas treats like candy, chocolate, and small toys into a small box which is wrapped. Then that box is packed within a bigger box. This is repeated until several layers of boxes and wrapping have been created. Then everybody sits in a circle and while Christmas music is played, the parcel is passed from one player to the next. As soon as the music stops, the player holding the parcel unwraps a layer. Then the music starts again. As the last layer is unwrapped, the treats are distributed.
Find the Christmas Star:
Each child is taught to fold a Christmas star. The children are then taken to another room while the stars are hidden at various places of the former room. The children then return to find the hidden stars.
Snowball Race:
Styrofoam balls or balls of white yearn, spoons and mittens are used in this game. The children are divided into teams. In a relay race, each player puts on mittens and races to the other side of the room while balancing a “snowball” on a spoon. The player drops the snowball into a bucket and returns to the team. The mitten is then passed on to the next player. The first team that completes the race wins. Of course, this works with real snowballs, weather permitting.
Christmas Party Dresses
Depending on the Christmas party theme and venue, fancy Christmas party dresses (or formal wear for men) may be required. Christmas party dresses tend to favor shades of red, and they are sometimes decorated with Christmas themes.
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