The holiday season is upon us and if you are planning to host a special event to spread holiday cheer and bring people together, this great selection of Christmas party themes for adults will get everyone excited to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.
Ugly Christmas Sweater
Guests are expected to dress in their ugly Christmas sweaters to enter the party and qualify for the contest. Whoever wins for sporting the ugliest sweater of all will be crowned the tackiest person at the holiday party and win a special holiday gift.
Grinch-Mas Party
Plan a Grinch inspired Christmas party and invite friends to sip on green cocktails while enjoying "roast beast" sandwiches with a side of heart-shaped strawberries. Encourage your guests to wear something festive in green with pops of red to kick off the holiday season Grinch style. For those guests who would like to make a big statement, they can give Cindy Lou Who's hairdo a try.
Ornament Making
Set out clear plastic ball ornaments, brushes, acrylic paint in assorted colors, permanent markers, ribbons and other fun craft supplies to build a festive ornament making station. Guests can get their craft on and create their own custom Christmas ornaments to share with loved ones.
Cookie Swap Party
Have guests bake and decorate holiday cookies to exchange with family and friends for a cookie swap party fun. Remind them to bring a large tin to store the variety of cookies they are going to receive and have recipe cards ready to share with other guests.
Breakfast With Santa
Kick off the holiday season with a breakfast with Santa celebration. Assign someone to prepare a special breakfast and wear a Santa hat while flipping gingerbread pancakes and whipping up delightful peppermint hot cocoa.
Christmas Character
Invite friends to come dressed in their absolute favorite Christmas classic movie, cartoon, or storybook characters. It will be interesting to watch the guests' reactions when they see The Grinch, Scrooge, or Snowman enter the party room.
Gingerbread House Decorating Contest
Host a contest among whom can decorate the most festive gingerbread house. The guests can bring their creations already decorated to be evaluated by an awesome panel of assigned judges. Have a prize ready for the big winner.
Holiday Onesie Party
Dress to impress for a holiday party where the dress code is one of those giant festive holiday onesies you have been meaning to wear for so long. There's nothing like having extra room after indulging in holiday treats and drinks the entire party.
The 12 Days of Wine
Invite 12 friends to bring 12 different bottles of wine. Each guest can bring their favorite wine to enjoy with friends over hors d'oeuvres and holiday sweets. A festive grazing board is all the rage when it comes to entertaining guests these days.
Christmas Carol-ke
Whether you own a karaoke machine or are thinking of renting one, plan a classic Christmas playlist and have friends over for a holly jolly Christmas Carol-ke. Serve specialty drinks and easy finger appetizers to allow guests to jingle and mingle.
White Elephant Get-Together
Have your guests bring a tasteless wrapped gift at a price limit. If you invite 10 guests, number 10 pieces of paper, so each guest can draw their numbers randomly. Whoever gets number 1 goes first, unwraps a random gift and opens it. The guest who gets number 2 can either steal the opened gift or pick another gift. Reminder: A gift can only be stolen twice. A white elephant party can be hosted at a house, restaurant, or any other venue of your preference that can accommodate the number of participants.
Christmas Luau
Bring out the grass skirts, coconuts, pineapples and rum and host a Christmas luau for a fun spin on a holiday party. If the weather is cold outside, bring the tropical indoors and encourage guests to dress comfortably in their aloha attire, wear fresh or silk leis and Santa hats.
Christmas Movie Marathon
Invite friends to curl up on the couch for a Christmas movie Marathon. Have them come in comfortable clothes or holiday pajamas and keep the food menu simple by ordering pizza and appetizers the guests can enjoy before the movie marathon starts. Popcorn, drinks, and holiday candies are classic movie snacks the guests can enjoy while watching the movies.
Holiday Wreath Making
Host a holiday wreath making party to gather your close friends who enjoy crafting and decorating their houses for the holidays. Encourage them to bring their own wreath (artificial or fresh cut) and supply other craft supplies, such as faux berries, ornaments, pinecones, ribbons, hot glue guns and sticks, wire cutters and scissors. Guests will leave the party with a piece to decorate their homes.
My Favorite Things
Invite friends for a My Favorite Things Party. Each guest brings their favorite things to be exchanged and will go home with new favorite things from fellow guests. The number of presents is determined by the number of people who are participating. If you decide on three presents from each guest, upon arrival, each guest has to write their names on three slips of paper and place slips in three different bowls. The price limit is agreed upon by all participants, and gifts should be all the same. If your favorite thing is holiday candles, opt for three different scents, for example. The first guest will gather their gifts, explain why they are their favorite things and draw three names who are going to be the recipients.
A Very Vegas Christmas
Bring Vegas to your home for an exciting night filled with poker games, bingo, dominoes, and live entertainment. Guests can dress in their suits and glitzy dresses for a glamorous Christmas evening with friends.
Make Spirits Bright
If you are planning on keeping celebrations simple this holiday season, a cocktail party is a wonderful way to celebrate the season with friends. To take the stress away from planning a holiday menu, ask each guest to bring an appetizer to share.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
If you and friends are into spooky parties, a Nightmare Before Christmas is the perfect theme to host a not-so-traditional this holiday season. Replace the traditional Christmas sweets for Jack Skellington treats and serve spooky appetizers and drinks. Spray-paint a wreath or small Christmas tree in black and decorate it with stretchy spider webs, as well as bat and spider ornaments.
Winter Wonderland
No holiday season is complete without a winter wonderland party. Set the stage by transforming your space into a bright and wintery venue. Whether you are serving a full course meal or holiday finger foods and sweets only, a hot cocoa bar is a must-have at any winter party. Guests can mingle while enjoying appetizers, sweets, and hot chocolate.
Trim the Tree
If decorating the Christmas tree is a special thing to do at your household every holiday season, make it an event and invite close friends to join in on the fun. Set out bins filled with Christmas ornaments, string lights, garlands, and other Christmas decorations the guests can choose from.
Reindeer Games
Get family and friends into the holiday spirit with a reindeer games holiday party filled with fun competitive games, delicious reindeer inspired treats, and festive decorations. Reindeer jingle bell toss game, reindeer poop eating contest, reindeer relay race a and reindeer food hunt are among people's favorite reindeer games.
Christmas Around the World
If you have friends from different countries, a Christmas around the world party is a fantastic and educational idea to bring people together and learn about other culture's Christmas traditions. Encourage friends to bring a traditional dish, dessert, or drink from their countries to share. If time permits, guests can share how they typically celebrate Christmas with family and friends.
Christmas Gift Wrapping Get-Together
Despite the madness of the holiday season, you and friends somehow managed to do all your Christmas shopping and have all the gifts on hand, so make it an occasion and plan a Christmas wrap party. Ask friends to bring their own wrapping paper rolls and have a wide variety of ribbons, tassels, pompoms, tiny ornaments, tape, and scissors available. Plan a spiked hot cocoa or mocktails to start a fun time of wrapping presents with a bang!
Fondue Night
A party centered around fondue is a fun way to gather around on a cold winter night. Arrange a festive table with individual place settings that can accommodate all your guests. Set out pots of chocolate and cheese (such as Swiss or Gruyère) fondue and hdisplay holiday inspired dippers, such as gingerbread cookies, peppermint sticks, dried figs, and snickerdoodle cookies.
Holiday Toy Drive
Spread holiday cheer this holiday season by organizing a holiday toy drive party. Invite friends and family for a casual holiday get-together and kindly ask them to bring one or two wrapped gifts to donate to a local shelter or any other non-profit organization.
A Doggone Christmas
Your furry friends deserve to celebrate the joys of Christmas as well. Consider inviting friends and their pets over for a doggone Christmas time. Have all pups come dressed in their best holiday attire.
Christmas Brunch
Gather for a holiday inspired brunch. Think eggnog waffles, fresh seasonal fruit, candied bacon, quiches, cranberry orange muffins, and many other brunch items that are perfect for a festive gathering.
Holiday Crafternoon
Calling all craftholics! Plan an afternoon filled with craft fun to kick off the holiday season with a bang. Decide on 2-3 doable holiday crafts and make a list of supplies before hitting the craft stores. From ornament making to mug decorating, the possibilities are endless when it comes to craft ideas for the holiday season.
Taco 'Bout a Christmas Party
Has anyone said tacos? 'Tis the season for adding a twist to your annual holiday party with Christmassy cactus and a food menu consisting of tacos and festive margaritas. A fiesta themed holiday party is "nacho" an average party, so be prepared to impress your guests with this creative spin.
'Twas the Bite Before Christmas
'Tis the season to keep it fun and casual. Invite family and close friends to celebrate the season over delicious finger foods, holiday-inspired treats, and festive drinks. Whether you are picking a specific theme or sticking to a generic Christmas theme, make it stress-free with make-ahead appetizers and drinks that can be prepared in no time right before the guests start to arrive.
Mad for Plaid
If you are a big fan of buffalo plaid, consider incorporating it into your holiday party decor this year. Or better yet, make the oh-so-popular fabric pattern your focal point. From buffalo check decor pieces to custom printables, you can incorporate as many plaid as you wish, just make sure you mix it with a few solid color details for a tastefully done mad for plaid Christmas party decor.
Hot Cocoa Bar
Typically, a hot cocoa bar is an addition to a holiday party, so why not make the beloved drink the star of the show? Plan the best holiday hot cocoa bar experience the guests will ever have with labeled hot cocoa mugs for every guest, a wide variety of toppings, holiday flavored hot chocolate (or even spiked), and custom printed marshmallows to match your party decor. If budget permits, send guests home with a personalized hot cocoa kits they can enjoy throughout the holiday season.
Polar Express
All aboard! If you have a vintage train sitting around, it's time to put it into great use for a magical Polar Express holiday party. Welcome your guests by handing out conductor hats they can wear throughout the party and plan a north pole inspired décor with snowflake decorations, "believe" party banner, vintage train, and craft snow. Whether you are planning to serve lunch or dinner, make sure there are a few hot dishes to keep passengers warm.
Holiday Cookie Decorating
Much like a cookie swap party, a cookie decorating party is a great way to get a group of friends together to kick off the holiday season. Set up a large table with undecorated cookies in all sorts of holiday shapes, icing bags and tubes, sprinkles, and a variety of mini sugar decorations. Have boxes available, the guests can take their creations home with them.
Pancakes and Pajamas
Have family and close friends come dressed in their holiday pajamas for a delicious pancake breakfast. If you are planning to invite a large group, opt for holiday inspired recipes that freeze well. You can make pancakes ahead and quickly pop them in the microwave before the guests arrive.
Ice Skating
Plan an ice skating outing with friends and invite them to meet at your house for a holiday lunch complete with hot chocolate. Book your ice skating reserved group session in advance as ice rinks tend to fill up quickly during the holiday season.
Holiday Book Club
Calling all bookworms! If you have a group of friends who invest a ridiculous amount of time on Goodreads, it's time to invite them for a get-together centered around, well, a book. Make it fun and festive by selecting a Christmas book with a compelling story that can provide thought-provoking questions to keep the discussion flowing. Have guests come dressed in their ugly Christmas sweaters or wear festive accessories. Plan festive food and drinks to keep book discussion and party going.
Christmas Pizza Contest
Plan a holiday party with a fun twist by hosting a Christmas pizza contest. Guests are expected to create a holiday pizza masterpiece, such as a wreath pizza or a Christmas tree pizza, for instance. Set up a large table with ample room for guests to work their magic. Whoever creates the best holiday pizza wins a prize.
Holiday Mug Making
If you have a cutting machine, you have been meaning to use more often to create fun DIY projects, the holiday season is a great excuse to put those plans into action. Invite friends for a holiday mug making party in which friends can have an amazing time getting crafty together in preparation for Christmas. Ask guests to bring a porcelain mug while you can supply vinyl in different colors and contact paper. Create a folder in your computer to keep doable SVG files the guests can choose from to create beautiful holiday mug designs.
Holiday Card Decorating Party
Calling all crafters! Set up a large table with craft supplies needed for creating festive holiday greeting cards. Make sure you remind your friends to have a list of addresses ready and stamps to mail them out. Assign someone to walk to the nearest mailbox to deposit the handmade cards.
Secret Santa
A secret Santa gift exchange is one of the most popular ways to celebrate the season and bring people together. People seem to still enjoy the mystery of this gift-giving process. Gather a group of friends and ask them to place their names on a slip of paper. Place names in a bowl and ask participants to choose a slip. Set a price for the gifts. Guests are expected to bring their gifts wrapped in a festive way with a tag indicating who it's for, but not who it's from. When each gift is opened, have the recipient guess who the giver was.
Hanukkah Dinner
Invite friends and family for a Hanukkah dinner. Make a list of traditional Hanukkah kosher dishes, which can include brisket and potato latkes. Ask friends to pick a main dish, a side dish, or dessert from the list to bring to the party. If you are Jewish and have your own family traditions, invite a family member to do the honors of lighting the Menorah.
Holiday Glamping
Book a cabin in the woods to kick off the holiday festivities with friends. Think roasting marshmallows for s'mores under the stars while enjoying mocha peppermint hot chocolate. Bring Christmas string lights and a small tree with ornaments to deck the cabin and get everyone into the holiday spirit.
Celebrate the Season
Celebrating the holidays with people you love spending time with is what this season is all about. Whether you are hosting a Christmas party or just attending one, keep the holiday spirit alive by spreading joy and positivity among family and friends.
