Christmas party

[Bellini81]

Has anyone thrown a pre Christmas party at home?

My birthday is a few days before Christmas but I usually let it slip by quietly but this year I want to do a real Christmas party with the cocktails, gorgeous food and Christmas music on loud and give everyone a chance to be merry and let their hair down.

I know in the movies the Christmas parties look brilliant and festive but will I end up regretting having a party at my house so close to Christmas?

If anyone has done it and had good or bad experiences that can talk me into it (or out of it,) I would be grateful

I have an informal afternoon party around a week before Christmas with mince pies, mulled wine and apple juice where people can come with their kids and drop in for an hour between other activities and catch up or stay for the whole afternoon.

We have a party every year on the middle weekend of December and it's absolutely brilliant! My parents always had one and I am carrying on the tradition. Ours starts from about 11 and lasts til about 5 ish (it used to be evening but we all have young children now 😬) I used to do all the food myself, but now everyone brings a plate of something with them. I always provide homemade mince pies, chipolatas with honey and mustard, mini frittatas with feta, pea and mint, and palmiers. I also make my own mulled wine (kept warm on the slow cooker) and for the drivers and children I do ginger ale and grenadine. The house is decorated (two live Christmas trees, one in the sitting room and one in the playroom) fairy lights everywhere, log burner going, and everyone dresses up! It's a really lovely way to start Christmas, we all really look forward to it!! 🎄🎄🍾🍷🎉

I think you've just talked me into it

Yes every year. 60 people.

I have an entertainer for the kids and like ppl everyone brings a plate if food to share.

Swifey: mulled apple juice in a slow cooker for drivers and less picky children.

My best friend does this every year.

She invites young children, because she has her own and it's hard for people to find childcare, with teenagers/grandparents etc often being busy themselves. One of the rooms in her house is given over to the kids, with toys, Disney channel, bowls of crisps etc in there, and the adults take it in turns to check on them.

She gets decent soft drinks for the adults who are pregnant or driving rather than expecting them to share the kids' orange squash.

Trays of savoury goodies from Costco.

Plenty of vegetarian options.

A retro cheese and pineapple hedgehog went down well with the over 35s last year. As did a big bowl of retro sweets.

We always have Christmas parties/get together before christmas. It's great fun. I sometimes have two. One with family and two close friends and one with just the two close friends which is a bit more child friendly!

The child friendly one is pin the nose on the snowman and other silly games. Bit of a buffet. Drag the duvets down to watch a Christmas movie. Just general excitement really.

The other party has vodka jelly shots, face mats, drinking games, silly games such as kids charades. Last year I bought saucy charades which didn't get used so looking forward to that this year. And of course Christmas attire must be worn. This year I have bought an inflatable turkey suit to wear and an inflatable Santa suit for dh to wear.

We usually have a big NYE party too but again didn't have one last year as that was the day ds was admitted to hospital.

So, looking forward to the festivities this year and intend on enjoying every minute and making it magical for the kids after the shit year we've had 🎗

We had one one year, it was just like a movie. Everyone arrived at 8pm promptly, there was a real buzz, strangers talking, everyone standing in the kitchen diner, Christmas nibbles (great warm bites over Christmas) and then coincidentally everyone left just after 11pm. we never mentioned a time and at first I thought it was too early but it was a all really natural, such a buzz etc so just felt like a Christmas cocktail party.

My Mum&Dad always hosted a Christmas open house when I was little. I looked forward to it every year, and I intend to carry on the tradition with my own children when they're a bit bigger.

I say go for it, OP!

Yes, we have one every year - usually the weekend before xmas. I make slow roast pork and serve it with apple sauce and bread rolls. Can't remember what veges had last year but something fun. And some easy salad, mince pies, chocolate log, crisps, kiddy stuff. Mulled wine in one slow cooker, milled apple in the other. Christmas playlist. It's brilliant, not loads of work!