Year after year, families happily gather together to celebrate Christmas with their annual Christmas traditions.
If one of your traditions is hosting a Christmas party, whether it’s a small gathering of friends or a big Christmas dinner with all the family, a theme can make your event all the more fun and festive!
Themes for Your Christmas Party
Christmas party themes can really add some spark to a party and make it more lively amongst family members! This year, be sure to choose a theme and use it to coordinate the party–from the invitations and announcements to the decor and food. Themes are definitely a good way to make a party one to remember.
If you are looking for ideas, we have some Christmas party themes that you may want to consider:
Left-Right Christmas
If you’re planning on hosting a gift exchange this Christmas, definitely consider this theme and party game! Everyone starts in a circle, holding a wrapped gift. A story is read by the host, and the gifts are passed around the circle; pass it left when you hear the word “left” and pass it right when you hear the word “right”. Theme the rest of the party around the story.
Christmas Game Night
Party games are a highlight at any party, so what better time to plan some fun games than at Christmas! Here are just a few ways to incorporate games for your Christmas party: Christmas Scattegories, Christmas Family Feud, and Christmas Bible Trivia.
A Candy Cane Christmas
This is literally an eye candy! White and red stripes, with these two colors decorating the place–from tableware to decor. This calls for a few candy cane crafts, such as candy cane reindeers (googly eyes, pipe cleaners, and red pompom noses) and candy cane treats!
Gingerbread House
Gingerbread is delightful, so be sure to have the cookies at this themed party! Leave them blank for a cookie decorating contest or constructing gingerbread houses. Don’t forget to decorate the room to look just like a gingerbread house!
Cookie Swap Soiree
Everyone loves to eat Christmas cookies! What’s better is that all you have to do to gain entry to this themed party is bake a batch of cookies, and you’ll end up taking home a bunch of pastries other family members baked! Feel free to mix it up and bake other pastries and treats.
Silver and Gold
Remember the song from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? Deck your halls with glistening silver and gold decorations, dress the table in sparkling linens and candles, and fill the glasses with everyone’s favorite golden bubbly, champagne (or sparkling cider for the kids). Make sure you’ve got Christmas’ golden boy, Bing Crosby, on your party playlist!
Dessert Buffet
Have a table filled with Christmas chocolates, cookies, and treats people at the party can enjoy. You could also ask your guests to bring their favorite desserts so it won’t have to be all on you.
12 Tastes of Christmas
To avoid the stress of cooking for everybody, ask your guests to bring a dish–may it be an appetizer, soup, entree, drinks or dessert–that would complete the list of 12 different dishes from around the world. Coordinate with everybody who would bring a dish so there are no duplicates.
Christmas Cocktail Party
Everybody loves a good drink, and your party would be a hoot if you incorporate making cocktail drinks with it. Host a cocktail-mixing contest during your party for the grown-ups. And, don’t worry, you could do this with the kids, too, minus the alcohol.
Cookie Decorating Contest
We love some good Christmas competition, and cookie decorating is certainly one of the most delicious ones! Something the kids would love is being part of decorating cookies and other treats. Prepare cookies to be decorated by each family, and maybe even engage in some friendly contest. The kids would surely enjoy and cherish the memory!
A Christmas Wonderland
Hit your local craft and fabric store for materials you could use to create fake snow, and buy quite a few yards of it because this stuff will go everywhere to help make your home look like a winter wonderland. Make snowflakes you could hang on the walls and ceiling, and save some for the kids to craft with. Any Christmas decor would look quite good for this theme, so it’s rather easy to pull off.
Santa Hat Show
This is another red-and-white party, and everyone is supposed to wear a Santa hat! Don’t forget one for the family dog! Also, you could decorate your sweet treats with Santa hats made from strawberries and frosting, and have a silly Santa hat decorating contest. You could also give a winning prize to the person wearing the best Santa hat.
Ugly Christmas Sweater Shindig
Oh come on, who doesn’t want to attend one of these family gatherings at least once in their lifetime? I know it’s on my bucket list! The theme is easy, you are the theme! Well, the sweaters. Make your own or shop around in a secondhand store; you’re bound to find a good (er, ugly?) one!
Christmas Costume Party
Who says Santa and elf costumes are the only costumes appropriate to wear on Christmas? Have your guests to dress up as their favorite characters either from classic Christmas stories or Hallmark Christmas movies!
Pajama Party
This year, take a break from the formality of Christmas events. Instead of a Christmas party where everybody’s dressed to impress, invite your guests to wear cute and comfy Christmas pajamas, and enjoy casual drinks and snacks before or after dinner. This theme would especially be enjoyed by your little ones!
Christmas Socks Party
If you don’t want to celebrate with ugly Christmas sweaters, why not party with cute pairs of socks? Everybody has to wear Christmas socks, and bring another pair to exchange with someone at the party. This way, each and everyone would bring home a new pair of cozy socks for the winter!
Christmas Carol Karaoke
Theme of the night: Christmas songs. Sounds easy, right? Until Auntie Susie finds out that there’s a karaoke machine. It’s on!
Dirty Santa Exchange
Buying gifts for each and every family member can be really expensive, and not everyone has the money to do so. Many people would see no problem with purchasing a universal gift for someone to end up with by the end of the Dirty Santa gift exchange! Set a limit for the gift cost, then leave the rest up to the game. Someone should dress up as Santa for fun. After all, he shouldn’t miss a party where his name is being used!
Handmade White Elephant
Encourage your guests to show off their skills and creativity by hosting a handmade White Elephant gift exchange! Christmas crafts, handmade scarves, and homemade goodies are just a few of the thoughtful gifts that could get passed around!
Bring Your Own Tradition
Every family has their own set of traditions. This is a good way for you to share Christmas traditions with your extended families during the holidays. Every family in the party has to pitch in a tradition–may it be food, games, or gift-giving process.
R&R Christmas Party
Preparing for Christmas is usually tiring and stressful. So, to embrace the rest and relaxation that Christmas is ought to give, a peaceful spa-themed Christmas might be the perfect way to go. Don’t forget the chamomile tea!
Ski Party
Just because you’re not living in the wintery mountain slopes doesn’t mean you can’t pretend you are. Accessorize your home with wood-finished and rustic decor, furry rugs, and any furnishings and tools you find in a chalet. Make your guests wear sweaters and skiing clothes, and to top it off, prepare hot chocolate and smores for the kids.
Merry Petmas
Why should your little fur babies be exempted from the party fun? This Christmas, why not center the party around them? Invite family members to bring their pets and dress them up in their cutest Christmas outfits!
Santa and The Chocolate Factory
One thing we love about Christmas is getting chocolates and candies in our stockings! Whether you’re an adult or a kid, nobody can resist the rich taste of chocolates. So, how exciting would it be if your decor and table is filled with sweets? Give out small stockings filled with chocolates, and accessorize your house as if you’re in Willie Wonka’s chocolate factory–but make it more like Christmas.
Christmas Mystery Party (The Grinch Edition)
Ever heard of Murder Mystery parties? Well, this one’s just like that, only more family- and kid-friendly. Everyone’s given a character at the start of the party, and they must find out who among them is the Grinch. You can decorate a corner of your house as the Grinch’s lair, and everyone can come in costumes according to their character (minus the Grinch). This is a fun, interactive way for everyone to use their imagination, and kids would especially enjoy it!
A Christmas Brunch
Instead of opting for the usual evening parties, make yours into a Christmas brunch celebration. This is an especially nice celebration to host prior to Christmas or after your guests have already enjoyed a formal Christmas dinner. Fresh fruit salads, savory quiches, delicate pastries, coffee and tea, and light-colored Christmas decors are always an appealing party to go to!
Dear Santa
For a family Christmas party with a lot of kids, they would surely enjoy writing letters to Santa. Set up a station where everyone can write their Christmas wishes on a card. Don’t forget to stock enough cards, stationery, envelopes, and writing and coloring tools.
Frozen Party
Your kids would surely love a Frozen-themed Christmas party just as much as they enjoyed the animated movie! Decorate with all things icy Christmas. We’re talking snowcones, snowballs made out of marshmallows or cotton candy, an ice castle made out of cardboard, and a fake snowman that looks just like Olaf!
Country Christmas
Put on your favorite country outfit and encourage your guests to do the same, as your house is decked with country-themed decor. You could even set up a tree out of bales of hay, and engage everyone in a hoedown!
Rudolph’s Home
Make your party cozier and decorate your home with simple, rustic holiday decor, plaid patterns, and woodland accents. If it’s not too chilly to have your party in your backyard, make use of the space to emulate a cozy, forest-like vibe.
Wreath Making Party
Wreaths symbolize welcoming Jesus into your home. A wreath-making party is not only symbolical but also fun to do while catching up with your family members. Make sure you’ve prepared all the materials needed in making wreaths.
Christmas Paint&Sip
Have your guests awaken their artistic side by hosting your own paint and sip gathering. Just prepare a tray or two of cheese, cold cuts, nuts, fruits, and a bottle of wine for the evening, and have your guests bring their own inexpensive painting tools and canvases. Kids can also join with painting, as they sip their own juice or cold beverage.
Santa’s Sleigh
Christmas is a time of giving. Hosting a party with a purpose is a splendid event to share with family. Have your guests bring at least one gift they could each donate and put into a sleigh you’ve customized. You could also make it grander by having you or one of your guests to dress up as Santa and collect the gifts.
Have a Holly Jolly Christmas!
All of these are very appealing Christmas party themes and should be considered. Make your own theme by mixing up a few, like doing a dirty Santa cookie exchange! If you decide to make your own theme, you better ho-ho-hope you come up with a good one!
