The Cookie Exchange
For this party, each person bakes a pile of Christmas cookies before hand. If there are seven couples or people coming, then each person bakes seven dozen cookies. This way, everyone can go home with a dozen of everyone’s cookies. This cuts down on the baking for everyone and always makes for a fun time.
A Themed Party
Sure, it’s the holidays. But why not have a themed party anyway? This is the time that everyone has to get a little break from work, so make your holiday party memorable by having a themed party. This could be as simple as having a Star Trek party and learning to say Happy Hannukah in Vulcan, or it could be as elaborate as having a Tarts’n’Vicars party. You might even want to have a football party one day and have everyone over to watch your favourite sport.
A Costume Party
A costume party is an extension of the theme party idea. You could allow people to choose their own costumes. You could have a fancy dress masquerade ball, where everyone wears fancy dress but has to have the small masquerade mask too. (These ones are always a lot of fun!) Of course, if you can also have themed costume parties, such as a superhero costume party. For more information on costumes, visit the website below, The Guide to Costumes.
Do some Charity
Why not collect canned goods from your party goers for admission? Or you could have a party where each person brings a small toy to be donated to needy children. You could consider theming your party around such organizations as Operation: Shoebox, where you could each bring in a shoe box with gifts.
A Tasting Party
While we are all familiar with certain holiday tastes, can you and your friends stump each other with food? Bring in your most exotic recipes. Each person has to guess five ingredients from the recipes. The person with the most accurate tastebuds wins a door-prize (often, a recipe book is a good door prize).
You can also have a wine tasting (or beer tasting, or even pop tasting) party. See if your friends have discerning palates by testing out their tastebuds. Often, a beer tasting party is a good time because people think they can tell a lot about different kinds of beer!
In the end, the main rule for throwing holiday parties is that there are no rules for holiday parties! Choose your venue, choose your theme, and choose your entertainment. Why not celebrate a Christmas in July like the Australians do, when they celebrate Christmas six months late (or early, depending on how you look at it), because their seasons are backwards. You can have people over for a tropically themed party. Shrimps on the bar-b, anyone?
