Let's be real: Traditional holiday parties can feel repetitive. This year, shake things up and create memories that go beyond the standard dinner party or gift exchange. When people from different parts of your life are all in the same place at once, thinking of what they all might enjoy can be stressful. Whether it be friends , family, or both, here are some idea to get everyone in the same place and enjoying being together without the need for traditional holiday hosting.
Beyond the Traditional Party
Holiday Movie Marathons
Transform your living room into a cozy cinema! Have everyone come at once, or have movies throughout the day and share the screening times with your friends. Here are some pro tips:
- Choose a theme (classic holiday movies, cheesy rom-coms, international holiday films)
- Create a voting system for movie selection
- Prepare themed snacks and hot drinks. A punch bowl will make your life easier.
- Set up comfy blanket stations
- Consider a side-game or bingo for movie tropes
- Add wine or snack pairings for what appears in the films
Bonus tip: Picking the Die Hard series is a good way to ruin this idea.
Winter-Themed Game Nights
Turn your holiday gathering into a competitive yet fun experience:
- Board games with holiday twists. Get creative by adding holiday rules! You'll be surprised by how many ideas you'll come up with.
- Themed charades or Pictionary
- Holiday trivia contests. This also works with wine, cheese, and snack pairings.
- Escape room-style group challenges. Tougher to get the right size group for this but loads of fun when you do.
Bonus tips: Do you want to fight your friends this holiday season? Neither do we so don't play Monopoly. And if you decide to include UNO...print your house rules and leave them on the table.
Gift Wrapping Gatherings
Make a traditionally solo activity a group event. If you're going to do this anyway, why not do it together? You may even learn some tricks for fitting it all in your carry-on luggage.
- Host a wrapping party with holiday music
- Provide communal wrapping supplies
- Create an assembly line for efficiency
- Offer gift-wrapping tutorials
- Make it a potluck with snacks and drinks
Bonus Tip: Give a prize for the best wrapping job on an oddly shaped item.
Budget-Friendly Options
This time of year can get expensive quickly. But it doesn't have to cost a fortune to have a fun time with friends.
Sharing the Cost
- Potluck-style gatherings because why is this only on Thanksgiving?
- Secret Santa with price limits
- Collaborative meal preparation. Find a recipe and get everyone in the kitchen. Do something challenging!
- BYOB is your best friend this time of year. You can use our search tool to find BYOB places!
Free and Low-Cost Activities
- Free community holiday events
- Neighborhood light-seeing walks
- Collective volunteer experiences. Volunteer Match is a handy resource for finding these opportunities.
- Outdoor winter activities like sledding or ice skating
Tips for Success
- Set clear expectations upfront. Are significant others invited? Are kids welcome?
- Be flexible with timing. Accommodating for the friends that may only be able to make a brief appearance is worth it.
- Create a shared playlist for indoor events. This gets everyone thinking about the day before it happens.
- Focus on connection over perfection. Getting together at all is the goal here. Don't overthink it!
Your perfect celebration starts with a little creativity, intentional planning, and not playing Monopoly. Happy holidays!
Looking for help with scheduling your holiday hangouts? Try Maybe Brunch.