The Christmas season is upon us and we are ready to reunite and celebrate! Are you hosting a holiday party this year? We want to help you throw a fabulous party with these Christmas party ideas that stand out!
Christmas Murder Mystery Party
No doubt you are at least familiar with a murder mystery party. Guests are given characters to play and details to share with others. During the middle of the party, the lights go out and suddenly one of the guests is murdered (of course it is all an act!) The rest of the evening is spent chatting, investigating, and gathering clues to determine who the murderer was at the end of the evening.
If you’re searching for the perfect Christmas party idea, why not invite your guests over for a Christmas version of this game? There are several scripts available online like this one from Masters of Mystery. They can be played with as little as 4 people and up to 100!
The one caveat of hosting a murder mystery party is that you must be fairly organized to coordinate the characters with their guests. Your guests could receive their character details the night of the party but it is more fun for them to receive the details early to prepare themselves and get in character. This could pose an issue if a guest was suddenly unable to attend.
Christmas murder mystery parties are sure to create conversations between guests and there will be lots of laughs. Pro-Tip: If you are hosting the party and want to play yourself without actually knowing who the murderer is during the game, have someone who is not attending print the file and seal it in an envelope! Be sure to take lots of photos and stage an elaborate crime scene! It all adds to the fun!
Santa’s Grab Bag
Chances are good that you have attended at least one “Dirty Santa” or “White Elephant” gift exchange party in your life. This is a game where you bring a gift anonymously and guests take turns opening a gift or “stealing” an already opened gift from another guest. Sometimes the gifts are great and sometimes they are definitely not! This game is fun but can take up a lot of time if you have many guests at your party. Why not try a new game much like Dirty Santa but with a simpler twist called Santa’s Grab Bag.
This Christmas party idea was inspired by Giada’s Holiday Handbook series on the Food Network. Instead of including gag gifts and letting others steal them, she had each person bring a thoughtful gift that would be appreciated and placed them all in a large red bag (like Santa’s toy bag!) Then she had each guest reach down into the bag and grab a gift at random. The only rule was that you could not take home the gift you brought.
Of course, if someone received something and wanted to trade with another this was allowed but was not part of the game. Santa’s Grab Bag is appealing because it does not take up as much time and everyone leaves with a worthwhile gift. It is customary to put a spending limit on the gifts so your friends don’t spend too much and all gifts are of about the same value.
Christmas Escape Room
Much like the Christmas Murder Mystery party, hosting a holiday-themed escape room party is another Christmas party idea to stand out! The popularity of escape rooms has grown increasingly in the last few years and many have created at-home kits to allow you to have fun in your own home. The kits include a series of clues that must be solved in order to “escape the room.”
While you don’t technically have to lock your guests in a room, simply the idea of a looming deadline combined with a challenge is fun and exciting! Plus, it’s a great Christmas party idea because Christmas Escape Rooms can be played by any number of people. Here is a great start to your Christmas escape room kit research: Escape Room Era
Decade Themed
Rather than hosting another Tacky Christmas sweater party, why not throw a decades-inspired event? A “Roaring 20s” Christmas party could be filled with wonderful music from that time, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and a beautiful backdrop for your guests to take stunning pictures in their 20’s fashion attire! (Be sure to grab your vintage jewelry for the event!) Do a little research and choose a decade that seems the most fun to you! It is always exciting to dress up and hosting a decade-themed Christmas party is a fun new way to celebrate the holidays!
Christmas Pajama Party
With all the hustle and bustle and holiday stress, why not host a low-key pajama party? Encourage your guests to wear their comfiest pj’s, sweatpants, or slippers. You could serve breakfast for dinner or an array of game-day-style snacks for fun. Keep the entire evening simple and stress-free by using disposable plates and cups. Have plenty of cozy pillows and blankets out for your guests to genuinely relax and enjoy themselves!
Simpler Christmas Party Ideas that Stand Out
Any Christmas party idea that includes some type of activity seems to be a hit. (Even if the activity does not exactly go as planned.) Building gingerbread houses or competing to build the best one as teams, creating holiday ornaments for the tree, or even putting Christmas-themed puzzles together, all remind us of our childhood and make us talk! The most important thing about hosting a holiday party is simply getting people together!
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