How to plan a Christmas Party

Johana Brower, Staff Writer

  1. The first job to do when planning a Christmas party is to set a date. This can be very tricky especially around the holiday times, so the best time you can plan it is the first few weeks of December. Try for an evening time on a Saturday or Friday when people are more likely to go out.
  2. The next step is to pick a party theme. The most favorable is an ugly sweater party, which is the most fun for everyone involved. If you like to buy Christmas decorations in the one dollar section at Target then try some DIY decorations. If a funny party is not what you are going for, and a more formal tone is for you, then I would recommend simple decorations and a nice traditional dinner.
  3. Make sure your food is all Christmas themed and decorated according to your party’s theme. The perfect party activity is to set up a sugar cookie decorating area and let people decorate their own cookies and eat them. The perfect Christmas snack mix is popcorn, pretzels coated in white chocolate and crushed peppermint mixed in. Pinterest is also a great place to find cute ideas on how to make or bake holiday decorations.
  4. Music is a huge deal for a Christmas party. There is the obvious choice: Christmas music, but you can always go with some old classic tunes as background noise. You can just hook up your phone to some speakers and play your Christmas Spotify playlist or even Pandora has playlists to choose from.
  5. A few extra decorations can really spice up your party’s atmosphere. Buy some fresh flowers for a beautiful centerpiece on a table. Small party bags are a real crowd pleaser, add some Christmas candy, cheap socks and a scented candle can be a real hit with everyone. Maybe light some Christmas scented candles to really set the Christmas atmosphere.
  6. Setting the party’s atmosphere is the most important part of planning any party. Christmas lights are a must either on the outside of your house or on the inside. Another decoration to make sure your house has is a Christmas tree; it should be the focal point of your main room. Many aspects make up an atmosphere like the smell of baking cookies, the sounds of light Christmas music and colorful Christmas lights adorning the wall.

Planning a Christmas party can be hard and stressful, but I assure you it will be worth all of the fun you will have on that special Christmas night. If you do not celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah is another holiday celebrated in December. To find some great Hanukkah decorations, you can visit Martha Stewart’s DIY website.