Throwing Christmas parties is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the most magical time of the year–unless it’s your first time hosting one.
Your first Christmas celebration can feel daunting. There are so many small things that could go wrong, but you don’t have to feel like that. This guide is here to help you nail your first celebration, and lead you through many more.
Read on for 5 tips on hosting Christmas parties for beginners.
1. Have Something for Everyone
Keep your guests in mind with this one. If you know you’re inviting someone with a dietary restriction or food allergy, be sure to include something they can eat as well!
This will differ depending on the dietary restriction, but it’s also nice to get with your guest and ask about food and drinks first. If you’re hosting your party around breakfast or dinner, they might surprise you and bring their own food.
2. Don’t Be Afraid of Store-Bought
If this is your first time hosting a holiday party, it’s easy to want to impress people with homemade food. It’s OK (and expected) to mix and match between homemade and store-bought food, especially for snacks.
While you might make sandwiches or an entree, your guests are unlikely to protest potato chips from the grocery store.
3. Don’t Forget Music
Music is often the first thing that gets thrown to the wayside—especially when it comes to Christmas music. It can feel easy to throw on a random Christmas playlist or radio station at the last minute, but it can ruin any atmosphere you’ve worked to create.
If you’re hosting a “sophisticated” Christmas party, you could curate a jazzy Christmas playlist. But if the majority of your guests are going to children, they might not enjoy the same thing.
Consider this first and then build your Christmas party around it.
4. Keep It Clean
To minimize the cleanup you’re going to have after the fact, think about trash bins ahead of time.
Provide people with plenty of places to throw things so they’re more likely to not just leave them hanging around. Creating small opportunities for others to help you out is encouraged this holiday season.
5. Make It Your Own
Make your celebration your own by thinking outside of the box.
What can you do to spruce up a normal White Elephant gift exchange? Is there a secret family recipe that would keep your guests coming back year after year?
Making a party your own could be as simple as decorating differently each year. You could also start new traditions to be shared at each celebration.
Not All Christmas Parties Have to Be Extravagant
Whether you’re looking to host a Christmas party every year or just wanted to try it one time, don’t forget the point of them—celebrating with close friends and family.
It’s very easy to get caught up in making sure everything is perfect, but perfect parties rarely are. Take the effortless approach, and you’ll see that everyone still enjoys themselves.
You may feel like a beginner when it comes to hosting Christmas parties, but using these tips will have you feeling like a pro the entire time.
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