Table of contents

• Introduction
• Christmas Party Invitations
• Christmas Design
• Miniature Christmas Tree
• Bauble Invitation
• Christmas Party Dress Code
• Christmas Party Decorations
• Christmas Party Guest Arrival & Announcement
• Christmas Party Favors
• Christmas Party Activities
• Christmas Carols
• Christmas Treasure Hunt
• Rudolph Tag
• Wrapping Contest
• Food & Drink

Introduction

Time again for that time of year most people love - Christmas! And what better way to celebrate it (before the time) with a very cool Christmas party? Below you will find all the tips you need to organize the killer event. But before we get started, a couple of facts you might not have known about Christmas.

• Know the game "Hot Cockles"? We thought you wouldn't, but back in medieval times it was quite popular. One person was blindfolded and then struck by various people. The person being struck had to guess who it was that hit him or her. So much for human kindness!
  

• In old England, traditional Christmas dinner was the head of a pig prepared with mustard. Good thing times change.
  

• Americans buy about 37.1 million real trees to be used as Christmas trees each year. Unfortunately most of them get discarded.
  

• Staying with America, you'll be interested to know that Alabama was the first state to recognize this special day as an official holiday.

• America has an official Christmas tree, and it is located in King's Canyon National Park, California. And just so you know, it's over 300 feet high, which means that the person that has to put the star or angel on top has to be rather brave.
  

• In the Ukraine the official Christmas dinner - that consists of 12 courses - can only be started once the family's youngest spots the evening star.
  

• In 1643 the British Parliament cancelled Christmas.

And that being said, it's time to get out your notebooks because it's time to organize us a Christmas party!

Back to top

Christmas Party Invitations

Below you will find some useful ideas for Christmas Party invitations. Should you require any of the materials or items necessary, just ask your parents to help by purchasing them from a retail store in your area or from the Internet. And remember, including the following information in your invitation will ensure that your guests will have all the information they need.

• Party Name: Be sure to give your party a merry name. An example includes “Jessica’s Red Nose Bash”

• Salutation

• Date & Time

• Venue/Location

• Dress Code

• Contact Details

• Additional information…
  

Back to top

Christmas Design

For the Christmas Design invitation you will simply need a computer and a printer. If you don't have any of these, be sure to ask someone who has if you can borrow theirs. We would also recommend the use of a template to ensure that your invitation's layout doesn't prove too difficult (it can be a bit tricky if you don't have an aptitude for such things).

To start off, you will need a suitable design for the front of your invitation. This will typically consist of an image along with the name of your party. Luckily there are thousands upon thousands of Christmas designs available on the web so you'd be able to use any of those (though do take care to check if you have permission to download and use first).

Once you have your Christmas design for the cover of your invitation finished, it is simply a question of adding your party details to the flip side or the inside of the template. Again, here you might also need to add a couple of minor decorations to avoid leaving too much blank space.

And finally, when your whole invitation is done and your are satisfied with it, it is time to have it printed. We'd recommend using some special paper, like photo-gloss (though if you have a better idea, be sure to use it instead) for the best possible effect.

Back to top

Miniature Christmas Tree

Ho! Ho! Ho! Cheer someone up by giving them a miniature Christmas tree invitation! These are available from most Christmas merchandise stockists as well as the Internet (be sure to ask your mom and dad for help when buying).

Now, when you buy your miniature Christmas tree, be sure to get one for each guest you would like to invite that's only a couple of inches tall. This should typically be something that your friends will be able to put on their bedside table or on their window sill. Along with the Christmas tree, you will need to make a small card that will contain all the party details. For this you can use our instructions as described under the Christmas Design invitation.

When the whole invitation is done, simply attach the card to your miniature tree and get ready to deliver.

For those who want to go that extra mile, why not add a tiny gift to your Christmas tree for that added festive season effect?

Back to top

Bauble Invitation

Don't feel like making a Christmas Design or a Christmas tree invitation? Well no problem! This idea will simply require you (with the help of your parents) to get your hands on a Christmas bauble for each of your friends which you will be able to use as a Christmas party invitation!

Now, you can either buy blank baubles (ones with minimal decorations on it) for each of your friends and decorate it yourself or you can get baubles that have already been decorated.

If you are planning on choosing the first option, then you will probably need some paint and a very fine brush to decorate the bauble with. Now remember that you will need to leave some space for your party invitation details on the bauble, so be sure to take that into account when you are busy decorating it.

For those planning on following the second route, be sure to make a small invitation card similar to that described under the Christmas Design to attach to your bauble.

Once you have the finished product, simply put on your Santa hat and get ready to deliver!

Back to top

Christmas Party Dress Code

Well, there’s no formal Christmas dress code, but then again you could instruct your friends to come as Santa’s little helpers, Reindeer or even Santa Clauses. Whatever you decide, just be sure to stipulate it under the “Dress Code” section of your invitations.

Christmas Party Decorations

Below you will find a couple of options for decorations you can use for your party. If you need any of the items mentioned, just pop down to the appropriate local retailer or be sure to have a look on the internet.

• Baubles (hung from everywhere and everything)

• Christmas trees

• Tinsel

• Banners

• Reindeer horns (fake ones)

• Red & Green streamers

Back to top

Christmas Party Guest Arrival & Announcement

As there are no formal Christmas announcements, it would suffice simply shaking your friends by the hand and welcoming them to your party. Otherwise, ask your dad or another male relative to dress up like Santa and supply each person with a drink as they enter the premises followed with a “Ho! Ho! Ho!”.

Christmas Party Favors

It’s Christmas and that means… time for presents! To ensure that your guests remember your party, put some thought into it before you make up your mind. Here are a couple of ideas, all of which can be bought from stores in your area or from the internet:

• Key chains

• Books

• Candles

• Mugs

• T-shirts

• Calendars

• CDs

• DVDs
  

Back to top

Christmas Party Activities

Party activities are often the life of the party and are usually the things people remember best – sometimes even years after the day of the party. As such, you will need to put your thinking cap on and come up with a number of suitable activities for you and your friends to enjoy. Below you will find a list of some of those activities that we've found to be worth while. Remember, you can change these to suit your party needs..

Christmas Carols

'Tis the season to be jolly and to spread the joy! And if you and your friends fancy yourselves a couple of good singers, then now is the time to put your voices to good use.

This activity will simply need you to come together and practice a couple of Christmas carols on the day of your party. Once you think you have what it takes and that people will enjoy listening to you, go around to the houses of various people you may know and bring a little joy into their lives by singing to them.

Just be sure to take at least one parent along to watch over you and your friends.

Back to top

Christmas Treasure Hunt

We often associate Easter more with treasure hunts as the Easter bunny has a habit of hiding the eggs in the garden! But why not with Christmas too? Ask your parents to hide a treasure that they bought before your party somewhere in the party venue. Also ask them to leave a couple of real clues along with some fake ones to make it just that little bit more interesting to find the treasure.

Now depending on the treasure, you and your friends can divide into different teams to see who gets to the treasure first!

Back to top

Rudolph Tag

What's that one very special thing that set Rudolph apart from all the other reindeer? He had a red, shiny nose! For this activity you will need to get your hands on a red nose, very much like Rudolph's. This can either be bought from the appropriate store in your area or from the Internet (though be sure to ask your parents for some help when buying one)(. If you can't find a Rudolph nose, then simply make use of a clown nose.

Now, one person will have to be selected as Rudolph and should then wear the nose accordingly. What makes this game different is that all the other players then have to close their eyes and stand facing a wall, at least for a count of 50 while Rudolph hides.

Once the other players reach 50 (though by all counting normally), the game is on! The first person to find and tag Rudolph gets the nose and has to go into hiding while the old Rudolph counts to 50 before joining the others in finding Rudolph.

Back to top

Wrapping Contest

Who's the fastest wrapper among your and your friends? Well, now is the time to find out! For this activity you will need a couple of equal size boxes, lots of wrapping paper (though do make sure they are environmentally friendly), sticky tape, scissors (be careful with these) and, of course, a first prize!

When everything is ready and everyone is in their places, ask a parent to be the judge who will start all the participants and keep track of everyone's progress. If you want to prolong the activity, make it the best out of three for each contestant.

The one who wraps the fastest and the neatest, wins the first prize!

Back to top

Food & Drink

As most countries have their own traditional Christmas dinners, you’ll have to look on the internet for the appropriate recipes. Otherwise, for a new experience, do some research to see what the traditional Christmas dishes of the various countries are and choose one that you’ve never tried before. Other than that, here is a list of a couple of snacks and normal foods that you and your friends will enjoy:

• Hamburgers

• Pizzas

• Pies

• Roast Beef

• Pasta

• Spanish Rice

• Cheesy nacho platter

• BBQ Burgers

• Sausage Rolls

And as for drinks…

• Hot chocolate

• Milkshakes

• Lemonade

• Fruit Juices

• Sports Drinks

• Gluhwein (non-alcoholic)

Back to top