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35 Fun Christmas Party Ideas & Themes



If you're looking to throw a unique and fun Christmas party for your friends, family gathering, or company, there are many options out there when it comes to themes, activities, and more.

So, what's it gonna be?





Fun and Unique Christmas Parties:

  1. Gingerbread House Decorating Contest
    • All guests bring their own GB house kit
    • Host provides extra decorating candies, icing, etc.
    • Everyone votes for their Top 3 favorite GB houses
    • Winner with most votes wins a small prize
  2. White Elephant / Chinese Christmas Gift Exchange
    • Everyone brings a gift of X amount
    • Gifts can be funny, gag, or nice -- unless the host says otherwise.
    • You can also do themes -- all alcohol gifts, all gift cards, all gift baskets, all homemade gifts with it's recipe/instructions, etc.
    • For rules on how to play, go here.
    • For White Elephant exchange themes, go here.
    • Establish the rules before the game begins.
  3. Scavenger Hunt
    • For ideas, go to: https://www.pinterest.com/explore/christmas-scavenger-hunt/
    • Scavenger hunts can:
      • Involve everyone as one group, or can be divided into small groups as a competition. 
      • Involve going out into the town, or staying at home (indoor / outdoor).
      • Be themed (12 days of Christmas), consist of good deeds, or activities (get a cup of hot cocoa from a local shop, etc).
    • If competing in small groups, the group that completes a checklist of activities / things to get / things to do (and taking pictures with phone for proof) wins. 
    • If the whole group works together, clues can be strategically placed (one clue leads to another) to lead to the final clue/destination/prize. Clues are typically riddles that lead to the location of the next clue.
  4. Ornament Decorating Party
    • Host provides ornaments, paint and supplies. 
  5. Christmas Cookie Decorating Party
    • Host provides pre-baked cookies and decorating supplies
  6. Christmas Gift Wrapping Party
    • Guests bring gifts for family and their own gift wrapping supplies. This is just an opportunity to get together and get all gifts wrapped. 
  7. Angel Tree Shopathon
    • Everyone meets at a designated location that has an Angel Tree available. 
    • Everyone picks one girl and one boy angel to buy gifts for.
    • Everyone goes to the store and buys gifts for their angel. 
    • Drop off gifts at designated location and go out for a drink or dinner!
  8. Christmas Movie Marathon
    • Everyone come over in their comfy clothes or pjs (slumber party optional).
    • Host provides movies, or guests can bring all the Christmas movies they have and group votes on which 2-3 movies to watch. 
    • Host provides snacks and drinks.
  9. Christmas Carol Karaoke 
    • You can do this with or without an actual karaoke machine. You can also choose to do this at the house, or go out to a karaoke bar. You could make it a pub crawl, too. 
  10. Masquerade
    • Have a cocktail attire masquerade. Guests bring some form of a mask to the party.
  11. Christmas Costume Party
    • Everyone dresses up as some character from a Christmas movie, or as a Christmas icon (Santa, Rudolf, etc).
  12. Christmas Hope Package Party
    • Everyone brings items for a neighbor, friend, coworker, or stranger in need. This can be Christmas gifts for their children. You can drop off the package at their home anonymously with a note, or give it to them directly. 
    • This can also be a needs package for homeless individuals to give out. You can leave it in your car for when you see a homeless person at a stop light, or sitting along the sidewalk in town. Click here for ideas of a homeless package: http://lifesavinggarden.blogspot.com/2012/10/homeless-bag-why-should-you-give-one.html
  13. White Christmas Party
    • Guests dress in white. This can be formal, cocktail, or semi-casual. 
    • Host decorates their home in white decor, snowflakes, snowmen, etc. and serves food/beverages related. 
  14. International Christmas 
    • This party will show how countries across the world celebrate Christmas. 
    • The host can assign each guest/couple with a country to bring stuff related to how they celebrate Christmas. The guest can bring food, beverages, candies, dress up in a costume, and/or bring facts about how that country celebrates the holiday. 
    • Or the host can simply provide all the foods/beverages and facts about a handful of countries for guests to see and taste.
  15. Christmas Trivia
    • The host will provide trivia questions (simple and difficult) about the holiday. 
    • Guests can be divided up into small groups or individuals. 
    • Guests can either write down their answers to the questions on paper and then submit for grading, or it can be themed like "Family Feud" or "Double Jeopardy." 
  16. Christmas Movie Trivia
    • The host will provide trivia questions (simple and difficult) about Christmas movies. 
    • Guests can be divided up into small groups or individuals. 
    • Guests can either write down their answers to the questions on paper and then submit for grading, or it can be themed like "Family Feud" or "Double Jeopardy." 
  17. Happy Birthday Jesus Party
    • Host decorates home to reflect a Christian Christmas reflecting the nativity story.
    • Devotional segment or someone reading aloud the Christmas Story. 
    • Birthday cake with Happy Birthday Jesus
  18. Ugly Sweater Contest Party
    • Guests come dressed in their ugliest or tackiest Christmas sweaters
    • Guests vote for sweaters (top 3, most creative, ugliest, most unique, etc)
  19. Ugly Sweater Decorating Party
    • Guests bring a sweater to decorate and some materials
    • Host provides additional decorating materials, supplies, hot glue, etc.
    • Guests vote for sweaters (top 3, most creative, ugliest, most unique, etc)
  20. Scarf / Earwarmer Knitting Party
    • Guests bring their knitting supplies and yarn
    • Host shows video or teaches how to knit a specific pattern, if needed.
  21. Christmas Wreath Decorating Party
    • Guests bring wreath and decorating supplies
    • Host shows video or teaches how to make a Christmas burlap/mesh wreath, if needed.
  22. Christmas Carol Singing in Neighborhood
    • Everyone walks around the neighborhood to sing Christmas carols. You can do it as a charity donation, or just for fun. You could also go to a senior living center, nursing home, or hospital. Don't forget to have someone video! 
  23. Christmas Dinner Potluck
    • Everyone brings their favorite Christmas dish, or you can assign each person to bring a type of food (vegetable, side, dessert, meat, etc) so you don't get too many of one thing.
  24. Christmas Minute-To-Win-It Games
    • Look online for fun "Minute to win it" games. You can find themed, adult, kid friendly, or other types of Minute To Win It games. 
  25. Talent Show
    • Tell guests to prepare or bring a talent for the party. It can be Christmas themed, it can be something funny, a skit, a song on the piano, or anything else. Allow them to get creative.
  26. Christmas Fish Bowl
  27. Hot Cocoa / Wassail Competition
    • Everyone brings their favorite recipe (or a secret recipe) of hot cocoa. You could also make it wassail / hot cider themed, instead. Can be spiked!
    • Allow everyone to vote for their favorite recipes. 
  28. Murder Mystery Dinner
  29. July in Christmas (reverse)
    • Instead of Christmas in July, have a July in Christmas party! Everyone dress up like it's the summertime. Decorate your house with beach/summer props, serve tropical drinks, and have a BBQ cookout.
  30. Silver & Gold Party
    • Everyone come dressed in Silver and/or Gold. Decorate your house accordingly.
  31. Movie Themed Party & Costumes
    • How The Grinch Stole Christmas, A Christmas Story, The Polar Express, Nightmare Before Christmas, etc.
  32. Ice Skating Get-Together
    • Instead of meeting at the house, have a get-together for everyone to go to the ice skating rink and go get hot cocoa afterwards.
  33. Christmas Light Tour
    • Split up into cars to go driving through neighborhoods with a lot of Christmas lights and decorations. Meet back at your house for spiked hot cocoa / cider and appetizers. 
  34. Food Drive / Coat Drive / Etc. Contest Party
    • Ask each guest to bring canned goods (coats, toys, etc.) for charity. Make it a contest and the winner gets a prize. 
  35. Candy Guessing Jar
    • Fill a medium to large jar with hot tamales, mints, m&m's, or other candy. Make sure to count how many you put in there!
    • Each guest gets to guess / write down how many they think are in the jar. The winner gets to take it home!



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