15 Holiday Party Ideas for Friends
15 Holiday Party Ideas for Friends
Holiday season seems to be the time for busyness, baking, and running around trying to get the perfect gift. In other words, people are stressed out and as a result their friendships may suffer. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
One way to keep in touch with friends over the holiday season is to throw a party of some sort. Parties can be big or small, themed or not, and can cost a lot or hardly anything at all.
In other words, it's up to you! These holiday party ideas are great for any gathering you might want to have, from Christmas to New Year's.
More Party Ideas:
Cocktail Party
Cocktail parties have a festive feel since many people dress up a bit more than they would if attending another type of party or dinner. There is usually music playing softly in the background, some great conversation, and a selection of cocktails and soft drinks along with light food like small plates or appetizers.
More:
White Elephant
A party centered on white elephant gifts is sure to be fun and silly. For the right group of friends, it can help introduce people to one another or bring up funny memories from past events. White elephant parties can contain other elements on this list, too. For example, you might hold a cocktail party but ask everyone to bring a white elephant gift.
White elephant gifts are often things that are re-gifted or unwanted (or just plain really lame gifts), and usually cost very little.
One option for a white elephant exchange is to have everyone bring a gift that is wrapped, and people can chose a gift from that pile or from another one that someone else has unwrapped. If there is one gift that is "good," it usually gets passed around from person to person.
More:
Potluck Dinner
Potluck dinners are a great way for friends to show off their culinary skills, share memories of their favorite childhood dishes, and save money, all at the same time. They naturally invite conversation because of the variety of items served, and they’re a good way to distribute the cost of the party.
More:
Christmas Around the World Party
If you and your friends each have different cultural history, why not celebrate that with a "Christmas Around the World Party." You can each make dishes that your grandparents made at the holidays, bring crafts you used to do as a kid, and talk about the particular family traditions you celebrated each year.
The individual experiences we have a child shape us as friends, and this is a good way to get to know your pal just a little bit better.
This is also a fun idea if you're just interested in a different part of the world. Look up traditions that are celebrated in different parts of the world and include them in your holiday party or consider making them part of a regular holiday tradition.
More:
Cookie Baking Party
In this type of party, everyone brings their favorite recipe and you help each other prepare and bake cookies for the holiday season. You also trade a few cookies with each other before you go, so everyone has about a dozen or so different varieties to eat or share with others. This type of party works especially well for decorating sugar cookies, where you can catch up while you spread icing and frosting on the baked treats.
More:
Crafting Party
A crafting party can help put the spirit back into the Christmas season. It's a good time to make a few homemade gifts, create scrapbook pages, or make ornaments to give to loved ones. You don't have to complete a craft project in order for this to be successful.
Sometimes just bringing out a few of your supplies and sitting around a large table while everyone gets creative helps you feel less stressed and allows you to bond with your friend that much more.
You can even throw a craft party when each friend does something different (crocheting, scrapbooking, card making, etc.)
As a bonus, this type of party is also great for including kids. They can have their own table or sit with you.
More:
Holiday Party for Coworkers
If your company doesn't throw a holiday party, consider having a few coworkers over for drinks or dinner. Be careful about who you invite or exclude, however. This type of party works best for small departments or companies where it's easier to extend an invitation to everyone. Excluding a coworker can make for awkward times later on, and besides, it's just rude.
If your company does have a holiday party for people, skip this idea.
More:
Sit Down Holiday Dinner
A formal dinner where everyone is seated and served can be done for a large or small group, at your house or a restaurant. You could make this type of party a tradition with your friends, where everyone pays for their own bill, or just treat them yourself. It's up to you and what's right for your friends and your budget.
More:
Holiday Brunch
You can draw names or buy or make ornaments for all your friends with this type of party. You could also make this a white elephant type of party, where everyone has to bring the most outrageous type of ornament, or a cocktail party, where you have light appetizers and drinks. There's a lot of flexibly with this type of gathering, and it can create a nice tradition for a group of friends when you get a collection of ornaments that remind you of your pals each year when you hang them on the tree.
More:
Christmas Tea Party
Brunch is a nice way to incorporate a festive feel to your party without going long into the night, serving a big dinner meal, or worrying about people drinking and driving. You can limit the alcoholic beverages to champagne if you like, or keep it entirely alcohol free.
More:
Caroling Party
A tea party is a fun way to relax and enjoy the season. It's usually low-key, with coffee or tea and small sandwiches served, and can also include an appropriate dessert, like these tea party cup cakes. This type of gathering works best for a small group.
More:
Christmas Movie Night
Caroling parties were once a big thing and then seemed to disappear, but they have recently made a comeback. Hosting one means that your guests will go out and sing carols at some point in the night, either around your neighborhood or at places like hospitals and nursing homes. This type of party can be combined with another idea (like dressing in costume or having a few cocktails before you go) and is a good way to have fun while you entertain (and give back) to others.
More:
Holiday Dessert Party
Movie marathon nights are a good way to bring friends and their families all together for one big gathering. Choose family friendly movies that convey a thoughtful, holiday message, or go completely wacky with a funny holiday movie or two.
More:
Holiday Costume Party
Some say dessert is the best part of the meal, so why not make it the center of a whole party? This type of party is good to pair with a tea party, ornament exchange, or even potluck. It's meant to be a simple gathering that brings friends together to just relax and enjoy each other's company.
More:
While costume parties are usually held on Halloween, they can also be fun when you do them at the holidays. Many people hold these on New Year's Eve and use a specific theme like: 50s, celebrity costumes, couples costumes, comic book heroes, people in the news, or more. Another idea is to vote on the best costume, or have people guess what each costume represents.
More Party Ideas:
Holiday season seems to be the time for busyness, baking, and running around trying to get the perfect gift. In other words, people are stressed out and as a result their friendships may suffer. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
One way to keep in touch with friends over the holiday season is to throw a party of some sort. Parties can be big or small, themed or not, and can cost a lot or hardly anything at all.
In other words, it's up to you! These holiday party ideas are great for any gathering you might want to have, from Christmas to New Year's.
More Party Ideas:
- Cocktail Party
- White Elephant Party
- Potluck Dinner
- Christmas Around the World Party
- Cookie Baking Party
- Crafting Party
- Holiday Party for Coworkers
- Sit Down Holiday Dinner
- Ornament Exchange
- Holiday Brunch
- Christmas Tea Party
- Holiday Costume Party
- Caroling Party
- Christmas Movie Night
- Holiday Dessert Party
Cocktail Party
Cocktail parties have a festive feel since many people dress up a bit more than they would if attending another type of party or dinner. There is usually music playing softly in the background, some great conversation, and a selection of cocktails and soft drinks along with light food like small plates or appetizers.
More:
White Elephant
A party centered on white elephant gifts is sure to be fun and silly. For the right group of friends, it can help introduce people to one another or bring up funny memories from past events. White elephant parties can contain other elements on this list, too. For example, you might hold a cocktail party but ask everyone to bring a white elephant gift.
White elephant gifts are often things that are re-gifted or unwanted (or just plain really lame gifts), and usually cost very little.
One option for a white elephant exchange is to have everyone bring a gift that is wrapped, and people can chose a gift from that pile or from another one that someone else has unwrapped. If there is one gift that is "good," it usually gets passed around from person to person.
More:
- Worst Gifts to Give a Friend
- Readers Share the Worst Presents They Ever Got From a Friend
- When You're Stumped on What to Get a Friend
Potluck Dinner
Potluck dinners are a great way for friends to show off their culinary skills, share memories of their favorite childhood dishes, and save money, all at the same time. They naturally invite conversation because of the variety of items served, and they’re a good way to distribute the cost of the party.
More:
Christmas Around the World Party
If you and your friends each have different cultural history, why not celebrate that with a "Christmas Around the World Party." You can each make dishes that your grandparents made at the holidays, bring crafts you used to do as a kid, and talk about the particular family traditions you celebrated each year.
The individual experiences we have a child shape us as friends, and this is a good way to get to know your pal just a little bit better.
This is also a fun idea if you're just interested in a different part of the world. Look up traditions that are celebrated in different parts of the world and include them in your holiday party or consider making them part of a regular holiday tradition.
More:
- Origins of Popular Christmas Traditions Around the World
- Christmas in France
- Christmas in Italy
- Christmas in Korea
- Christmas in Scandinavia
- Russia Christmas Traditions
- A German Christmas Guide
- Christmas in Canada
Cookie Baking Party
In this type of party, everyone brings their favorite recipe and you help each other prepare and bake cookies for the holiday season. You also trade a few cookies with each other before you go, so everyone has about a dozen or so different varieties to eat or share with others. This type of party works especially well for decorating sugar cookies, where you can catch up while you spread icing and frosting on the baked treats.
More:
Crafting Party
A crafting party can help put the spirit back into the Christmas season. It's a good time to make a few homemade gifts, create scrapbook pages, or make ornaments to give to loved ones. You don't have to complete a craft project in order for this to be successful.
Sometimes just bringing out a few of your supplies and sitting around a large table while everyone gets creative helps you feel less stressed and allows you to bond with your friend that much more.
You can even throw a craft party when each friend does something different (crocheting, scrapbooking, card making, etc.)
As a bonus, this type of party is also great for including kids. They can have their own table or sit with you.
More:
Holiday Party for Coworkers
If your company doesn't throw a holiday party, consider having a few coworkers over for drinks or dinner. Be careful about who you invite or exclude, however. This type of party works best for small departments or companies where it's easier to extend an invitation to everyone. Excluding a coworker can make for awkward times later on, and besides, it's just rude.
If your company does have a holiday party for people, skip this idea.
More:
Sit Down Holiday Dinner
A formal dinner where everyone is seated and served can be done for a large or small group, at your house or a restaurant. You could make this type of party a tradition with your friends, where everyone pays for their own bill, or just treat them yourself. It's up to you and what's right for your friends and your budget.
More:
Holiday Brunch
You can draw names or buy or make ornaments for all your friends with this type of party. You could also make this a white elephant type of party, where everyone has to bring the most outrageous type of ornament, or a cocktail party, where you have light appetizers and drinks. There's a lot of flexibly with this type of gathering, and it can create a nice tradition for a group of friends when you get a collection of ornaments that remind you of your pals each year when you hang them on the tree.
More:
- How to Make Christmas Ornaments
- Easy Handmade Christmas Ornament Ideas
- DIY Ornament Ideas
- Cute Cheap or Free Christmas Ornaments You Can Make Yourself
Christmas Tea Party
Brunch is a nice way to incorporate a festive feel to your party without going long into the night, serving a big dinner meal, or worrying about people drinking and driving. You can limit the alcoholic beverages to champagne if you like, or keep it entirely alcohol free.
More:
Caroling Party
A tea party is a fun way to relax and enjoy the season. It's usually low-key, with coffee or tea and small sandwiches served, and can also include an appropriate dessert, like these tea party cup cakes. This type of gathering works best for a small group.
More:
Christmas Movie Night
Caroling parties were once a big thing and then seemed to disappear, but they have recently made a comeback. Hosting one means that your guests will go out and sing carols at some point in the night, either around your neighborhood or at places like hospitals and nursing homes. This type of party can be combined with another idea (like dressing in costume or having a few cocktails before you go) and is a good way to have fun while you entertain (and give back) to others.
More:
Holiday Dessert Party
Movie marathon nights are a good way to bring friends and their families all together for one big gathering. Choose family friendly movies that convey a thoughtful, holiday message, or go completely wacky with a funny holiday movie or two.
More:
- Top Christmas Movies
- Christmas Horror Movies
- 101 Free Christmas Movies, Specials, and Videos on the Web
- Classic Christmas Movies
Holiday Costume Party
Some say dessert is the best part of the meal, so why not make it the center of a whole party? This type of party is good to pair with a tea party, ornament exchange, or even potluck. It's meant to be a simple gathering that brings friends together to just relax and enjoy each other's company.
More:
While costume parties are usually held on Halloween, they can also be fun when you do them at the holidays. Many people hold these on New Year's Eve and use a specific theme like: 50s, celebrity costumes, couples costumes, comic book heroes, people in the news, or more. Another idea is to vote on the best costume, or have people guess what each costume represents.
More Party Ideas:
- Potluck Dinner
- Christmas Around the World Party
- Cookie Baking Party
- Crafting Party
- Holiday Party for Coworkers
- Sit Down Holiday Dinner
- Ornament Exchange
- Holiday Brunch
- Christmas Tea Party
- Caroling Party
- Christmas Movie Night
- Holiday Dessert Party