Christmas is a wonderful time of year with many organising fantastic events for their families and friends to enjoy. With the festive season now nearing, planning a Christmas party may seem like a big ask with so many other events to arrange already on your plate. However, organising a Christmas party is a great opportunity to kick back and relax as well as to have a chat with friends that you might not see too often.
Hosting is a great way to bring people together during the holiday season; after so long in lockdown there are many who want to make sure that this Christmas season is one to remember. There are many reasons to organise a Christmas party – here are a few:
- Work – Many businesses will organise a Christmas party for their employees. These events act as a fantastic way to boost morale and help team members get to know one another now that they are leaving lockdown.
- Family – During the pandemic many families were left split, especially if some of the family lived abroad. Holding a large Christmas party can be a great way to reconnect with family, especially those who may not be able to visit on Christmas Day.
- Secret Santa – A Secret Santa is a great way to bring a group of friends together to enjoy Christmas. Exchanging gifts over a fantastic Christmas lunch is a wonderful way to enjoy the run up to Christmas Day.
- Clubs & Sports Teams – Local clubs and sports teams will often plan a Christmas party to introduce new club members and give team members a chance to chat and bond. Whether it is a local knitting club or a badminton team, there is plenty to celebrate at Christmas!
Meet With Friends
With work and the pandemic, many have found that visits with friends and family have petered out over the course of the past two years, with opportunities for fun few and far between. This December is the first Christmas season without significant lockdown measures taken, and offers a fantastic chance for those who haven’t seen each other in a while to organise parties to catch up.
Friends are a constant source of support and companionship in our lives, and it is vital that we maintain those connections over time. With adulthood comes the possibility of moving, with many of us having friends spread out across the country. Parties can give you a chance to get everyone together for a weekend or longer, especially if you are offering choices of accommodation for those that don’t live locally.
Food
Creating an incredible Christmas menu for your event can be a great way to ensure your family and friends enjoy their evening. There is little that is as satisfying as a wonderful spread of food and a glass of wine to be enjoyed with friends. If you are catering yourself, it is often a good idea to pre-prepare dishes and freeze them to be served on the day. After all, you can’t enjoy the party if you are trapped watching your crudités cook!
Many venues that cater for Christmas parties will have a delicious Christmas menu already in place for you to sample, as well as wines and cocktails. Discussing what will work within your budget will help you settle on a format for your event. A sit down meal during a party is costlier for your budget, and serving nibbles instead can be just as satisfying and fun – as long as you mention it in your invite so that guests can eat prior to attending.
Party Games
Hosting a Christmas party is all about having fun with your friends and making sure they have a good time. Party games can be a great way to keep the mood light and enjoy each other’s company. If children are invited to the party then it makes sense to set aside a few games for them to enjoy, or a film if there is a television available. Here are a few fab games to have on hand at your party:
- Charades – Charades is a game where you act out an object, a character or even a film name for your team to interpret. This game is great fun for all the family and requires only a tub with strips of paper indicating what the next player must act out. This is a great game, as players of all ages can get involved.
- Quiz – Organising a Christmas quiz is a great way to get everyone involved. Splitting everyone up into teams is a good way to heighten the mood as your guests compete with one another. Using trivia from Christmas films or Christmas songs can help you ensure that the quiz is fun for everyone.
- UNO – A quick-fire game that is easy enough for those of all ages to play, UNO can be a fantastic family game. The coloured cards and simple rules make UNO easy to play and arrange, as the fact that there are many interchangeable cards means that the game is best played with quite a few people.
- Sports – Arranging a game of ping pong or a pool match can be a great way to entertain, and organising a league table and setting up a competition can be a fantastic way to include everyone in the game. Selecting a prize for the lucky winner (such as a bottle of wine) can motivate everyone to try and win.
- Cards – There is a wide variety of family favourite games which can be played with nothing but a deck of cards. Taking the opportunity to enjoy a few rounds of Spoons or Trumps while with your friends can be a great way to finish the event.
Here at Salomons Estate we have a range of function rooms for a Christmas party that will knock your socks off. To find out more about our function rooms, please contact us here. To take a look at the Christmas events we have planned then please follow this link to our Christmas page.