As an event planner, I get extra excited when it’s the time of the year that I get to host and attend parties. But I realize it’s not everyone’s forte, which is why I thought it would be helpful around this time of year to divulge my secret weapon formula for entertaining. I called it the 5,4,3,2,1 method. Yes, I know, very creative lol.

I use this method for pretty much every party I plan personally, but in today’s post I am focusing specifically on Christmas or holiday parties. Tis the season!

Christmas Party Ideas

Christmas Appetizers | 5 Foods

The first, and probably most important, part of the formula is 5 foods. This works with almost all types of parties, but my favorite way is serving appetizers or heavy hors d’oeuvres. For a Christmas party or gathering, this is my no-fuss Christmas Appetizer menu…

Holiday Drinks | 4 Drinks

The second, and maybe also most important, part of the formula is 4 drinks. In general, serving 2 non-alcoholic drinks, and 2 alcoholic drinks is a good rule of thumb. You can also always have a self-serve bar and/or stick sodas and waters in a cooler. For a Christmas party, the 4-drink menu can look something like…

Christmas Party Décor | 3 decorated spaces

The next part of the formula is 3 decorated spaces. It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean you need to go all out and decorate 3 rooms extravagantly. Simply, as a rule of thumb, make sure you have 3 spaces decorated thoughtfully and/or theme.

Typically for a Christmas party since the house is already decorated, I will concentrate on…

Things to Do | 2 activities

Eating, drinking, and mingling will take up most of your guest’s time. But it’s still always good to have 2 things to do a.k.a. activities for your not so social guests, little ones, or just as a distraction if you need more time to finish something up.

I usually have one easy activity, something that can be setup prior and left for guests to enjoy on their own, and then one intricate activity like a game, experience, or craft. I have listed out some ideas below for the Christmas season…

Heres a blog post from two years ago where I go in depth about creating a Christmas craft activity for little kids. And here is a blog post about setting up a seasonal beer tasting at home. This post is Fall themed but you can easily convert it over to a Winter palette.

Christmas Party Favor | 1 favor

Finally, 1 favor for your guests to take home with them. This can be as simple as having to-go boxes out at the dessert station for people to take home cookies and goodies. Or as intricate as putting together Christmas Goodie Bags. Either way, it’s nice to have something for guests to take with them. It’s thoughtful and gives a wow factor at the end of the party.

I hope you enjoyed this blog on Christmas Party Ideas and found the formula helpful. If you want even more help on how to create a menu specifically for the holidays, check out this blog post I wrote on entertaining a crowd over the holidays.

Cheers!