55 Best Christmas Party Ideas to Make This Holiday Even Merrier
Cocktails, carols, and more.
The holiday season calls for extreme celebration. So much goes into making Christmastime memorable: The perfectly flocked tree, stunning outdoor Christmas lights, decorating your home in general, and (of course) spending quality time with friends and family. Whether you're leaning toward a gift exchange or a classic option, hosting a holiday-themed soiree is a wonderful way to make the season even merrier. If you're in the mood to plan a party, we'd suggest starting sooner rather than later and looking to our list of Christmas party ideas for inspiration.
Before you tap into your holiday spirit, it's helpful to start planning with a general idea of how you want your party to go. Do you want a theme or possibly a dress code? Are pets and/or kids allowed? Do you want a shindig as large and festive as a wedding party? Having answers to these questions going in, as well as being familiar with general hosting tips, will make the process all that much easier and less stressful. Plus, if you picture the party you desire now, you'll have more time to enlist the help of your friends and family in creating the whole holly, jolly experience.
The best Christmas parties are filled with amazing food and even better company, so plan your refreshments and guest list accordingly, no matter what theme you're going for. Go down in history for hosting the best Christmas party ever with our list of 55 Santa-approved ideas your guests will never forget.
Bring Out the Sparklers
Twinkling string lights are one thing, but you can do better than just that. Give each of your guests sparklers to light when it comes to photo time or the end of the night. They'll add an extra, festive layer to the party and always make pictures turn out better.
Provide a Sparkly Photo Backdrop
A place to gather among friends is always the perfect opportunity to snap some pics to update your Instagram feed. Give your guests the ultimate photo opportunity, and hang up rows upon rows of tinsel (or another festive backdrop) for them to pose in front of.
Require Cocktail Attire
If ugly sweaters aren't your thing and black tie is a bit too formal for your guest list, set the dress code as cocktail attire. It's fun to dress up every once in a while, and the holidays are the perfect opportunity to do so. Besides, carrying a glass of champagne looks so much better when you're wearing something classy.
Give Everyone Santa Hats
No matter what your guests show up in, give everyone a greater sense of the holiday spirit (and coordinating group photos) with matching Santa hats. These are basically an essential if you're doing a gift exchange.
Hire a Caterer
Love a dinner party but not a fan of the actual cooking? Make your holiday feast one your guests will never forget by hiring a caterer to take care of all the meal prep for you. You'll be able to solely focus on being a stellar hostess without the added anxiety of cooking.
Rent Out a Venue
Hosting in your own home can bring on a lot of stress—so ditch the anxiety and rent out a venue in which to entertain your guests. Some venues even offer to decorate for you (for an added fee, of course), but that way you won't have to mess with decorating your home just to have to clean it all up by yourself over the next couple of days. It's easier and can be a good change of scenery if yours is always the designated party house.
Invite Paw-dorable Plus Ones
Let's be honest: Puppies make everything better. If you've got a lot of dog lovers in your life, make it a Christmas puppy party and encourage everyone to bring their furry friends in holiday-themed attire to make the event so much cuter.
Explore a Social Media Trend
First there was the charcuterie board craze. Now TikTok is obsessed with tinned fish. Use the holidays as an excuse to finally hop on the salty bandwagon and explore the mouth-watering brininess of cans of fish with your adventurous party guests. End the night with gift bags filled with some tins. (And maybe an on-theme ornament.)
Hire a DJ
Make sure your guests hear only the best holiday music and hire a DJ (preferably clad in Santa attire) for everyone to jam out to. Sure, you could simply make a Spotify playlist like everyone else, but why would you want to be like everyone else?
Bring in a Special Guest
Even if your party is adults-only, make your guests feel like kids again by bringing in Kris Kringle himself to divvy up party favors.
Invite a Master Mixologist
Give the gift of immaculate cocktails this holiday season by hiring a bartender for your event. Over are the days of adding BYOB to the end of your invites—work with a professional to create signature cocktails for your event that everyone will enjoy.
Host a Potluck
Like the idea of a caterer but don't have the budget for one? Make your holiday party a potluck and have every guest bring their favorite dish from their normal festive feast.
Go Christmas Caroling
Buddy the Elf said it best: "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear." Take your guests on a musical journey and go caroling around the neighborhood. Make it a heartwarming endeavor and see what nursing homes and hospitals in your area welcome carolers during the holiday season.
Host a Christmas Brunch
When most people think of a Christmas party, they usually imagine the event happening at night. For all you early birds, host a holiday brunch instead that's over way before the sun sets.
Make It a Murder Mystery Party
Love a good thriller? Set your party up to be a bit darker than most with a riveting murder mystery game—holiday edition. You can find a Christmas-themed game or switch some things up in a nonfestive option to make it align with the holidays.
Take Your Party on the Road
Fill up the RV with your closest pals and host your Christmas party out in nature. Seclude yourselves from civilization as you share holiday tales and exchange gifts huddled around the campfire.
Head to the Beach
It doesn't have to be a white Christmas for you to host an exciting holiday party. Take your guest list to the sandy shore and celebrate the season next to the water.
Double the Celebration
We'd only suggest doing this if you know for a fact that your partner would love to be proposed to during another (public!) celebration. If that's something they'd want, use the holiday party as an excuse to get everyone they love all in one place and pop the question, then bring out the bubbles.
Set Up a Party Hashtag
A personalized hashtag is a perfect way for all of your guests to view what everyone has posted for the celebration. Brainstorm what you want it to be and include it in your invitations so everyone knows what to include in their Instagram stories and posts.
Make It a Charitable Endeavor
Give back to the community and spend your would-be party budget on a local charity. Instead of having a get-together, gather all your friends and volunteer at a soup kitchen to do something kind for others less fortunate than yourselves.
Hadley Mendelsohn is the co-host and executive producer of the podcast Dark House. When she's not busy writing about interiors, you can find her scouring vintage stores, reading, researching ghost stories, or stumbling about because she probably lost her glasses again. Along with interior design, she writes about everything from travel to entertainment, beauty, social issues, relationships, fashion, food, and on very special occasions, witches, ghosts, and other Halloween haunts. Her work has also been published in MyDomaine, Who What Wear, Man Repeller, Matches Fashion, Byrdie, and more.
Kate McGregor is House Beautiful's SEO Editor, writing in-depth home renovation cost guides, design inspiration stories while overseeing gardening content through routine plant care guides. With over five years in the shelter industry creating content for brands like Domino, Real Simple, and Architectural Digest’s Clever, Kate has developed a passion for uncovering the personal stories that often lie behind the inspiration for people’s spaces. She previously worked as the assistant market editor at ELLE Decor, where she identified top products and brands in the industry as well as interviewed emerging designers about their thoughts on the latest interior design trends. Kate holds a bachelor’s degree from Belmont University. When not researching the specificities of begonia plant care, you can find Kate scouring vintage markets for the ideal wrought-iron chair, knitting yet another cardigan, or reading historical nonfiction.
Meghan is the assistant editor at House Beautiful where she writes about interior design, pop culture, and furniture.
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