Entertaining Ideas for the Christmas Holiday

Invite friends over for a gift exchange.

Entertaining at Christmas shouldn't be limited to Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Instead, plan a party for earlier in the season to spread out the Christmas cheer. Open houses are ideal ways to get a lot of people into your home, while cookie-decorating parties are fun for both adults and children. If nothing else, just invite family and friends over for a night of hot chocolate, spiced cider and board games.

Gift Exchange

Invite a group of friends over to your house for a gift exchange before Christmas. Make sure you have exchanged names before the party. If you have several different friend groups with whom you exchange gifts, host several different parties; your extended family probably doesn't want to exchange gifts with your co-workers.

Open House

Show off your house by inviting all of your friends and family to share an evening with you with an open house. Set a window of about three or four hours one evening, and invite guests to come and go at any point during that time period. Offer finger food or hors d'oeuvres along with punch or alcoholic beverages; if you wish, give each guest an ornament or favor at the end of the night.

Christmas Cookie Swap

Invite your friends over to your home for a cookie bake and swap. This is a great time to exchange family recipes, chat and bake; it is also an ideal time to involve children. Plan the swap for the afternoon so that children can come after school. Make sure you have enough of the basic ingredients like flour, sugar and oil. If your guests are making specialty cookies, ask them to bring any special ingredients they may need.

Decorating Party

Invite family and friends over to help decorate your house. Provide food and drinks for your guests. Decide if they are going to be doing just the tree, the inside of the house or the outside. Set a fire in the fireplace, if possible, to lend a warm ambiance and pull out the decorations before anyone shows up. Pop some popcorn and have cranberries on hand to string.

Game Night

Although game night doesn't directly involve Christmas, it's still fun to host during the holidays. With the tree and house all decorated, game night becomes a cozy affair. Have a fire in the fireplace, hot cider or chocolate to drink, and marshmallows to toast. If your friends have children, set up a table for them to play Go Fish or Candy Land at. Another table will hold the adults' games.