Q&A for How to Have a Christmas Party

Is there a theme? Is there a budget? And then also, what is the guest count? Some people like it more relaxed and others want to go all-out. I've worked on company parties that wanted a specific theme and others that just wanted a party where everyone comes in jeans and has drinks. That and budget are the main components to have locked down.

Think about what you and your guests like. The last thing you want is to put yourself and your guests in a direction where you're uncomfortable. If you're more comfortable with groups of maybe three to four people at the most, consider playing board games or trivia on paper. It's okay if you're not the dancing or karaoke type.

A common mistake that people make when they're inviting people is not capping the guest list. Even if you have a big open space, opening up the guest list can raise many red flags. Consider how much food you can serve and potential fire hazard risks when increasing the headcount of your party, and ask guests to RSVP.

3 to 4 hours would be great. If you want to make big party, then 4 to 6 hours.

Ham, green beans, salad, and a cake or sugar cookies would be great. Go to the store and check out the Christmas themed cooking magazines, they always have good recipes in there.

You could play "Pin the Nose on Rudolf", make snow men out of pretzel sticks and marshmallows and decorate them with chocolate syrup, or buy extra large shirts and shove pillows in them and have Santa Clause races.

Watch Christmas movies, eat great food. Do anything that makes you feel good.

A bedroom might be a little too small for lots of people. If you are only inviting a few friends, it could work. A great place for a Christmas party is in a living room or a dining room.

I would say it depends on how many people show up and how long the party lasts, but between two to three games should be good.

You can, there's really no rule for when you are allowed to throw a Christmas party and when you aren't allowed.