Are you looking for a way to liven up your holiday celebration? Christmas party themes can add new flair to your annual holiday bash, or mark the start of a memorable tradition.
Ideas for Creative Christmas Party Themes
There are many creative party themes to consider for your annual Christmas gathering. Some themes focus on decorations while others make an activity the center of the theme. When planning your Christmas celebration, take into consideration where it will take place as well as who will be attending. The theme you choose can be carried throughout the party with decorations, food and games.
Design Themes
Some themes are all about the design and details. If you love the idea of setting a scene, consider the following themes:
- Childhood Christmas: While you can always plan a kids' Christmas party, this is actually an adult party theme. You want to bring up nostalgic feelings for Christmases past with classic toys and games and guilty-pleasure foods and candy.
- Christmas Around the World: Plan an evening of cultural exploration, great food, and fun. If you would like to involve your guests, ask them to bring a dish for an international potluck. They can also share a cultural craft or Christmas custom with the group.
- Formal Party: Enjoy a candlelight dinner with fine china and table linens. Use luxurious accents in red and green to add to the festive mood. Your guests can even contribute to the theme when they show up in formalwear. Begin the party with a champagne toast and serve an elegant Christmas dinner to your guests this season.
- Victorian Christmas: The Victorian era was full of elegant details like velvet and lace. Instead of a full dinner, an afternoon tea would be a great complement to this theme.
- White Christmas: If you're looking for a classy yet simple idea, this theme is all about color and atmosphere. Make your house sparkle with fake snow, hang silver ornaments, and let clear Christmas lights glow.
Activity Themes
If you're less concerned with how the house will look than what you will actually do at the party, one of these activity-based Christmas party themes may be the right choice for your celebration:
- Caroling: Gather around the piano or karaoke machine for an evening of singing, or provide a treat for the neighborhood by going on a traditional caroling journey. If you decide to venture outdoors, have some hot tea or cocoa for your guests when they return.
- Cookie Baking: Baking cookies is a common pre-holiday activity, so why not make it a social event? Bring your favorite recipes, and make the time in the kitchen fly by sharing the work. Younger guests can get in on the fun by decorating sugar cookies with colored frosting and sprinkles.
- Cookie Exchange: A cookie exchange is great if you like the idea of a cookie baking party, but you don't want to deal with the mess. Let everyone make the cookies at home and then bring enough to share. Enjoy each other's company as you sample the treats and divide the cookies into plates or tins to take home.
- Craft Party: Crafting is more fun when you can do it with friends. Whether you knit scarves or paint ornaments, let the age, experience level, and interests of the group guide your craft choice. The finished product can be a holiday decoration everyone can enjoy, or a potential gift.
- Gingerbread House: Making gingerbread houses is another food-centered party option. If gingerbread is beyond your baking skills, or you're planning a party for kids, you can make simplified gingerbread houses out of graham crackers.
- Jesus' Birthday: Families wishing to emphasize the religious origin of the holiday can host a birthday party for the baby Jesus. Make the celebration complete with a birthday cake and gifts for charity instead of the guest of honor.
- Movie Party: Plan an evening of classic Christmas movies like How the Grinch Stole Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life. Serve popcorn, candy and snacks that will make it feel as if you are at the movie theater.
- Outdoor Fun: If you live in a cold climate, head to a local park or ski slope to make the most of the snow. If you have an ice skating rink available, you don't even have to rely on the weather to cooperate with your party plans. When you return home, greet your guests with hot chocolate or a warming meal like soup.
- White Elephant Exchange: A white elephant exchange is a gift exchange where the guests bring undesirable, but often humorous, gifts. The fun is in the guessing, trading, and swapping involved in getting the "best" gift possible.
Make It A Tradition
If you host an annual Christmas gathering each season, liven it up by incorporating a fun theme to the mix. Each year you can choose a different theme to entertain your guests. Make it a tradition to come up with a fun theme that will add a special element to your Christmas celebration.
