Christmas Entertaining Tips to Make the Season Special

Entertaining at Christmas means family and friends sharing good food and creating great memories. There are many ways you can entertain loved ones, friends, your community and co-workers during the holiday season.

Christmas Entertaining Basics

When looking to celebrate the holiday season, pay particular attention to the season's highlights. Brush up on gift-giving tips, holiday meals that will leave bellies full, parties, and activities to bring all the cheer and so much more. When it comes to Christmas traditions, the sky is the limit. Fill your December calendar full of Christmas fun.

Christmas Cooking, Baking & Spirits

If you plan to have people over during the Christmas season, you better start stocking your kitchen! The winter months leading up to December 25th are often packed with tons of cooking and baking. It seems that during Christmastime, every household dinner table is overflowing with delicious seasonal dishes. Prepare holiday appetizers that are sure to please guests. Cook up Christmas dinner ideas that are unique and inspiring. Top any holiday meal off with a winter-themed cocktail or a festive holiday beverage. Delight guests with tasty caramel vodka drinks, yummy butterscotch schnapps boozy creations, and of course, peppermint martinis for the holiday traditionalist.

Baking is a favorite entertaining activity for many Christmas party throwers. Host a cookie decorating party, design adorable gingerbread houses, and gingerbread men, or create arrays of Christmas cookies. Have guests try their hand at baking sugar cookies, peppermint cookies, or Italian cookies. If you are making a holiday feast for friends, end the evening with a beautifully baked holiday cake.

Tis the Season for Gift Giving

Entertaining over the holidays often includes giving the absolute perfect gift to loved ones. When friends and family gather at your home to celebrate the season, be the hostess with the mostest in the gift department. Gift-giving can be well-thought-out and over the top, or you can give sweet and simple gifts at your gathering. You can create homemade gifts and pass those out at your party, or give attendees of your gathering food-based gifts assembled in jars. Spreading joy during the Christmas season via gift-giving is a common tradition. Choose gifts that are personal and meaningful to their recipients. Even small gifts can be packed with plenty of sentiment.

Choose a Different Holiday Event for Each Day in December

There are so many fun and creative ideas to work into your holiday entertaining schedule. Invite friends over and have a holiday trivia night or test your knowledge of Christmas movie trivia. Host a holiday gathering that involves fun Christmas party games for adults or a hilarious regift party game. If you are entertaining a younger crowd, try playing a few rounds of winter trivia for kids. Even those choosing to hang at home can spend the days leading up to Christmas participating in various holiday-based online games.

Aside from games, there are tons of activities to utilize during the Christmas season to entertain visitors, family, and friends. Sewing groups can stretch themselves by making cute stockings. Crafty Christmas lovers can gather and make a wide variety of holiday crafts, and parents entertaining little ones can get the kids in on the crafting experience too.

Spread Holiday Cheer at School & Work

Holiday happiness and entertainment doesn't only apply to the home. Celebrate the holiday season in schools and the workplace. Work some fun Christmas games into students' December school days. Pack the classroom Christmas party with activities that will last in children's memories for a lifetime.

Bring the season's spirit into the workplace as well. Consider including a fun gift exchange, or host a company Christmas party for everyone to gather and relax. Take a break from the business world and celebrate the season with co-workers and colleagues. Be sure to send holiday well-wishes to those who make your business successful.

Include senior citizens in the holiday fun. Work fun crafts into a senior's day and consider getting residents in on some caroling festivities.

Send Season's Greetings to Loved Ones

The holidays are the perfect time to reach out to loved ones to wish them a season of joy. Engage in the timeless holiday tradition of sending out Christmas cards during December. If you have kids, print out Christmas cards to color. Send out dog-inspired Christmas cards for the pet lovers in your life, or send well wishes with fun, interactive Christmas cards. Once Christmas is over, don't toss your Christmas cards. You can donate them for good causes or turn them into fun crafts.

Set the Scene for the Season

No holiday gathering is complete without the perfect holiday decor. Create a holiday wreath or a front door holiday theme to jazz up your home's entry. Ensure your home's fireplace is festive, warm, and as cozy as possible, and trim the most perfect tree in all the land. Consider pulling out all the craft glue, wood, string, and other materials and hosting a Christmas DIY craft session where guests make holiday adornments and then take them home at the night's end. Everything from wine bottles to felt can serve as your inspiration for a holiday crafting party.

When entertaining, pay special attention to every nook and cranny of your house. Make sure that all is merry and bright for your guests.

Christmas Entertaining Fun

Whatever festivities you choose to work into your holiday season, make sure that they include meaningful ways to spend time with loved ones. Being around family and friends during Christmas is the single most important aspect of the holiday season.