Many people look forward to Christmas parties. Filipinos especially, consider these events as occasions to catch up with their loved ones and create meaningful memories. Some people also take the opportunity to gather all members of their extended clan and make the event their annual reunion.
Every Christmas party requires preparations to make it fun and special. And if you are planning to host one, you need to ensure you don’t miss out on any important details. Whether you are inviting all your relatives or just a few select friends, here are some ideas to create a memorable and festive experience for everyone.
Select a Theme
The first thing you want to decide on is the party’s theme. Choosing a theme will help you plan the decors and menu for the party. It will also give your party that special touch. You can select a color scheme or pick out hues associated with Christmas like red and green. To get everyone to join the fun, you can ask guests to dress according to the theme.
In case you want to set your party apart, you can veer away from traditional holiday themes and opt for something different, like a luau. Ask guests to wear Hawaiian-print shirts and prepare grass skirts for the ladies. Welcome guests with colorful leis as well. Complete the theme by serving mojitos and other tropical beverages.
Serve Your Signature Dishes
A party is only complete with scrumptious foods. In a typical Filipino holiday feast, lechon or Christmas ham is presented as the main dish, but you can also serve other delicacies. When preparing your menu for the party, don’t be limited by holiday recipes. Go ahead and cook your signature recipes. Because these dishes are your known specialties, your guests will probably look forward to having them at your party.
If you’re preparing food for a lot of people, make sure all your kitchen appliances are working well. Inspect them a few days before the party and if you need a replacement, check out kitchen appliances on sale from your local appliance store. A lot of shops offer sales during the holidays, so remember to take advantage of the season’s amazing deals to buy gifts or items for your home.
Prepare a Christmas Playlist Everyone Will Enjoy
One way to get everyone into the festive mood is by playing some holiday tunes at your party. Create a holiday playlist and include classic Christmas songs from local and foreign artists. You can also add holiday hits by your favorite pop singers if you want something current. It’s also a good idea to mix and match different songs for a selection of upbeat and mellow sounds.
Also, you can curate your guests’ favorite Christmas songs into a single playlist. Some apps have a feature wherein multiple users can make a collaborative playlist. You just need to share the playlist with other users and they can easily add their choices. This way, everyone will be able to listen to something they like during the party. Also, ensure that everyone will enjoy the holiday beats by using high quality speakers or soundbars.
Set Up a Selfie Wall
You and your guests will surely want to remember the event by taking photos. To make sure the pictures come out extra special, you can set up a selfie wall. Decorate a wall section according to your theme and dedicate it as the official photo wall. For a festive feel, hang streamers in the party’s color scheme or place a blank white cloth with some fairy lights for an elegant effect. Aside from your smartphones, you can also prepare instant print cameras for guests to take photos with. Apart from having photos to remember the event, the printed pictures can also serve as souvenirs for your guests.
Play Different Games
While exchanging gifts is a staple activity at any Christmas party, you can also turn it into a fun game for everyone. Make it more exciting by playing Monito Monita or the Filipino version of Secret Santa. The mechanics of the game are easy. Participants simply draw a name and prepare a gift for that particular person. Take note that you need to keep the name of the person you draw a secret until the day of revelation. The frequency of gift exchange and minimum price for each gift will vary depending on the participants’ agreement. You can also agree on a theme for the gifts, like something with a handle, something soft, or something useful.
Another fun game to play together with your loved ones is Pinoy Henyo. This is a guessing game, so you need to prepare several words or phrases written on pieces of paper. You can play this with just one team or split participants into two groups. The rules of the game are simple. Every team plays with two members sitting across from each other. One member will have a slip of paper taped on their forehead with the word or topic they need to guess. Within two minutes, they need to guess the word on their forehead by asking their teammates questions that are answerable with yes, no, or maybe. Each team will then take turns guessing and the team with the most correct guesses wins.
Hosting a Christmas party is a great way to celebrate with your loved ones. While every party needs certain preparations, planning ahead can make the process less stressful. Consider the tips mentioned above next time you throw a yuletide party so you and your guests can enjoy the festivities.
