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.
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.
Meghan Shouse is House Beautiful's Assistant Editor, a role she has held since September 2023. On top of being the magazine's go-to Waco expert, Meghan also touches on quite a few other verticals in the digital space, like hot news content featuring your favorite HGTV stars, home design inspiration, and the latest interior TikTok trends. However, her favorite pieces are the ones that start conversations, such as stories about resale value and whether or not the Solo cup is chic. Before becoming a home writer, Meghan worked in the fashion industry for two years, writing for Harper's Bazaar after graduating from Iowa State University with a bachelor's degree in apparel merchandising. When she's not interviewing interior designers about home trends, you can find Meghan reading a fictional thriller with her cat in her lap, planning themed parties, or strolling through flea markets searching for chunky candle holders and vintage bookends.
Kate McGregor is House Beautiful's Digital Editor, writing in-depth , design inspiration stories, and . With over five years of experience writing commerce and search-optimized 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 and interviewed emerging designers about their thoughts on the latest . 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.
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