When we were little, the holidays were a time of magic. Daydreams of Santa, Frosty the Snowman and Rudolf constantly ran through our heads.
Now that we’re older, it’s harder to get excited about the holidays. However, there is a simple and fun way to spread a little holiday cheer.
Holiday parties are a great way to get pumped for the holidays, and get together with friends and family. The great thing is, the possibilities are endless. There’s a holiday party for everyone.
Gift Exchange Parties
One of the most classic holiday parties is the Secret Santa. Secret Santa parties are a great way to break the ice and meet new people. When guests arrive, have them fill out a short questionnaire with questions like favorite color, favorite food, favorite store and hobbies. This, along with their name, will be put into a container for people to draw out of.
Each guest is to get a small gift for the person whose name they draw. Either invite guests over about a week later to exchange gifts or have them exchange gifts on their own time. Make sure to set a price limit on gifts to avoid that awkward feeling of exchanging gifts of unequal value.
Another kind of gift-exchange party is the White Elephant. At a White Elephant, guests come with an inexpensive, humorous and often tacky gift.
“My favorite kind of parties are white elephants because it’s fun to buy and see all the gag gifts people have found,” freshman Abby Cohen said. “It’s just all over a good time.”
As guests arrive, ask them to draw a number from a hat and have them sit in a circle with the presents in the middle. The numbers drawn will determine the order in which guests open gifts.
To start the game, the person with the highest number chooses a gift from the center, unwraps it and shows it to the rest of the group. The next player will then have a choice to either unwrap a gift or “steal” a gift that has already been unwrapped.
When a player has their gift stolen, they can choose a new gift from the center to unwrap. The cycle continues until the last gift has been unwrapped.
Fun You Can Taste
There’s nothing more comforting than the smell of freshly baked cookies wafting from the oven, so one party guaranteed to be a hit is a cookie-baking party.
To cut down on costs, plan out what ingredients will be needed and ask each guest to contribute. Or, bake the cookies before guests arrive and have each one bring something to decorate with.
After cookies are done, give each guest a paper plate and have them choose the cookies they want to bring home. Make sure there are enough cookies for each guest to take a platter.
Decorating gingerbread houses is another holiday favorite, so if cookies sound like too much work, that’s another option. Put guests on teams to decorate the houses, and have a competition for who creates the best house.
Low-maintenance Parties
One party guaranteed to get a laugh is the ugly sweater party. Ask guests to come in the ugliest holiday sweater they can find — the uglier, the better. Most people have an ugly sweater somewhere in their house, but if not, check any of the secondhand stores in town. This party can be combined with any of the previously mentioned parties or stand on its own.
Another simple party is a holiday movie marathon. Invite friends to come over and watch holiday favorites such as Elf, Miracle on 34th Street and It’s a Wonderful Life.
“Make sure to watch Elf,” senior Kendra Moore said. “It’s a classic.”
Making Lawrence a Better Place — One Song at a Time
“Christmas caroling is a fun and fulfilling experience, not only for the caroler, but for the community,” sophomore David Glauner said.
Some may consider it old-fashioned, but Christmas caroling is a great way to spread some holiday spirit throughout the community. Caroling can be done anywhere — around the neighborhood, at a nursing home, or even just walking down Mass Street.
Not only is it a fun way to get together with friends, but watching people’s reactions is priceless — especially the older folks’.
Before caroling, make sure to print out lyrics to the songs. If singing in public sounds ominous, turn it into a Christmas Carol karaoke party.
The holidays are all about getting together with loved ones and celebrating what makes life great. Parties don’t have to be big productions. It’s amazing how much fun can be had with just a few people hanging out. So, pick a date, call up friends, and spread a little holiday cheer.