Gather your friends and host a themed party this holiday season! These 13 adult Christmas party themes are fun and festive.
'Tis the season to eat, drink and be merry. So let this list of fun ideas inspire you to do some entertaining full of holiday cheer.
There’s a chill in the air, spiced drinks are re-emerging, and people are starting to gather again.
These adult Christmas party themes will help you plan a fun night in for your friends and family.
It's Holiday Party Season
Although we may not get snow where we live, my family and I love the Christmas season. We make a themed Christmas card every year. And we make Candy Trains while listening to holiday music.
But I particularly enjoy hosting parties during the holiday season, especially when it’s just the grown-ups. After all, we’ve been through the wringer these past few years.
Related post: Open House Wine-Tasting Party Idea
Planning a party is a great way to get everyone together. And you can keep it short. The party doesn't have to rage on all night. It can be as simple as a themed happy hour. But no matter how long the party is, it will get you into the holiday spirit.
It's the perfect season to mix and mingle no matter what the theme. So invite friends and have some fun.
Organizing a fabulous adult Christmas party doesn’t have to be complicated. There are thousands of great theme ideas floating around out there, and I’m going to share my favorites with you for your next tinsel-decked soiree.
Adult Christmas Party Themes
1. Ugly Christmas Sweater Party
You really can’t go wrong with an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party and while this is a theme we see a lot during the holidays, you can easily change up the details to make it more unique.
An Ugly Sweater Party is even more hilarious when you add a competitive edge.
Create different categories, such as “Most Tinsel,” “Most Awkward,” and “Most Holiday Flair.” The prizes can be as simple as candy canes.
Or to keep things really interesting, have each guest bring a sweater and do a drawing to see who has to wear what. Better yet, designate the first person to arrive as the sweater assigner.
You can check out these ugly sweaters for more inspiration (warning: some are totally inappropriate and heinous). And check out easy party decorations perfect for this theme.
Everyone will have a great time and leave with memories to last a lifetime.
2. Holiday Cocktail Tasting
Instead of a Christmas-themed wine tasting, ask everyone to bring ingredients for their favorite classic holiday drinks. You can’t go wrong with a delicious Cranberry Moscow Mule, although the bourbon variation may be a close second!
While it might get a little out of control for everyone to make a cocktail to share, you could make a few and pass out little tasters.
Be sure to provide plenty of water and snacks throughout to ensure that everyone stays safe.
You can check out all my cocktail recipes here to find one that you can make. (But a Holiday Mule or a Pine Old Fashioned would be great ideas!). Be sure to set out crushed candy canes to rim the glasses!
3. Adult-Only Christmas Game Night
The kids will have to hit the hay early so that the grown-ups can break out some fun (and potentially off-color) adult-only holiday party games.
Choose from wintery-themed activities like my Hallmark Christmas movie drinking game or a Elf Monopoly. Or play an old classic.
Put on a favorite Christmas movie in the background and serve some delicious drinks. It's going to be a long night of laughter and competition no matter which fun game you choose to play.
Serve one of the tasty drinks on my list of Bourbon Cocktails for Christmas.
4. Ladies-Only Christmas Pajama Party
This Christmas party is for all of my ladies out there who have juggled a thousand different tasks and need to enjoy a well-deserved holiday cocktail and sweet snacks.
So put on your best Christmas jammies, prop your feet up, and relish an evening with friends. Or trim a tree. The activity really doesn't matter as long as you are together.
You can have everyone wear their own pajamas or buy matching sets so you can remember the fun night all season long.
Watch some holiday movies, like a Christmas Story, or an old classic like Dirty Dancing. Or just hang out and enjoy your time together.
5. Christmas Gift Exchange--With a Twist
I absolutely love doing gift exchanges with my friends, and it’s even more enjoyable when it involves a little humor.
Instead of a traditional White Elephant gift exchange, have each person pick a slip of paper a few weeks beforehand.
Each slip of paper has an adjective (sticky, sweet, furry), and the gift must possess that quality. Laughter is a probable side-effect!
Be sure to set price limits to ensure that no one goes way overboard. Encourage people to be creative and have fun with it.
6. Open House Style Wine Tasting
If you aren't ready to have a lot of people in your home, you can still invite people over. Host an Open House Wine Tasting.
I set one up around Thanksgiving last year and made it a food drive also. It was a great way to gather and enjoy some wine without hosting a full-on party. I didn't even need to clean my house.
A few bottles of red and white wine are really all you need! Let people drop by during a set period of time and enjoy a casual Christmas party for adults.
Here are some 10-minute Holiday Appetizers you can set out too.
7. Christmas Sip n’ Paint
This adult-only Christmas party idea will be a smashing success. Grab a holiday paint by numbers kit for each person and set up a fun painting experience just like you've probably been to.
Ask everyone to bring their favorite wine and get to work. Put on a holiday playlist and paint away!
No two paintings will look alike and there is, for sure, to be lots of laughter as you try to make a masterpiece.
With enough sipping, you may even want to go out and sing Christmas carols...
8. Binge-Watching Party
With so many great shows on Netflix or other streaming channels, you can plan a binge-watching party. Make it holiday-themed for this time of year.
You can watch both National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation movies. You can watch all the Home Alone movies.
Or you can even watch the whole Christmas season of Nailed it or Sugar Rush Holiday editions. If your friends love decorating, watch every episode of Holiday House Makeover with Mr. Christmas.
Let whatever show you pick be your guide for food and drinks for the evening.
You can see a list of all the Netflix Holiday shows here.
9. Christmas Craft Night
Our family makes Christmas crafts every year, and it’s a fun way to get together and make memories. Have your friends and family bring supplies for their favorite holiday-themed projects, pour the wine, and enjoy each other’s traditions.
Some easy ideas for Christmas crafts you can do as a group are:
- Macrame Christmas Ornaments for the Christmas tree.
- Make Snowflake Balloons
- Candy Trains
- Make Homemade Caramels
- Make Christmas Stockings
Set out the supplies, some light bites and let create something unique.
10. Gingerbread House-Building Competition
You don’t have to be an architectural guru to build gingerbread houses. However, you may be in store for some good-natured ribbing from friends if it falls down.
Compete as couples or divide up into teams. May the best builders win!
Not only is this a fun party idea for grown-ups (because they finally get to make their own house instead of just helping their kids) but there are tons of sweets around to snack on while you build.
Set out some savory snacks, like a Chex Mix, to counteract all that sugar!
You can pick up a little something as a prize or just do it for bragging rights. Be warned, gingerbread houses can be hard!
11. Easy Cookie Exchange for Moms
I used to hear the words "Cookie Exchange" and break out into a cold sweat. It was synonymous for lots of work. I don't want to be required to make dozens of Christmas cookies just to attend a party.
But this Easy Cookie Exchange idea is perfection. This is the easy way to do it and it's still super fun.
My fix? Store-bought cookies. Especially during the holiday season, store-bought desserts are next-level. Whether you grab something from a local bakery or just hit up the local Trader Joe's, it's all good.
Set out boxes so everyone can take a variety home. And then enjoy each other's company. So easy. Pour a little champagne or hot chocolate and enjoy the night. No baking is required.
But you should include sharing a favorite recipe, since that's what Christmas is all about.
12. Anything But Cheese Christmas Charcuterie Fest
The best holiday celebrations are the ones that make you think and get creative! So instead of asking for everyone to bring a meat and cheese tray, challenge them to bring an “anything but cheese charcuterie board.”
You’re sure to see some unique and (hopefully) delicious combinations! Use my Hot Chocolate charcuterie board as an example.
Let your guests know to keep their board on the small so you don't get overwhelmed with way too much food.
Invite some guests to bring savory and some to bring sweet to have a variety of flavors.
I don't know about you but I think the food is always the best part of any party anyway.
13. Wine and Essential Oils Party
You know how a few years ago you and all of your friends bought ALL the essential oils? Now is the time to pull them all out and make use of them.
Host a Wine and Essential Oils Party! Invite your friends for a happy hour where you can share each other's oils and create custom holiday blends to use all season.
Whether it's a Holiday Room Spray (here are some printable labels!) or a roller-ball blend, this is a fun gathering that is super easy to host. A little wine and some tasty snacks are all you need!
Bonus: If you're not ready to host an in-person Christmas celebration, I do have a virtual holiday party you can host instead. Have a Virtual Wine Tasting. Wine advent calendars keep things easy. And for this fun idea, you can even stretch the party out to weekly if you want.
Tips
- You can add a white-elephant style gift exchange on to any of these adult Christmas party themes. Use the theme to guide the gifts! For example, watching holiday movies? Buy gifts based on favorite characters!
- Make up your own themes based of classic holiday movies, phrases, songs etc. White Christmas could mean everyone wears white, all the drinks are white, etc.
- Santa hats are strongly encouraged not matter what fun ideas you choose.
- I like to keep my guest list to a small group to keep things intimate. It's less stress on the host and easier to keep things moving.
These past few years have been incredibly challenging, so take the time to relish time with family and friends with these fabulous adult Christmas party themes.
Regardless of your party’s theme, Christmas parties always guarantee laughter, love, and probably a few adult-only jokes.
Images from Creative Library.
ElRay Gilley says
love your ideas! trying to see if I want to have a Christmas Open House Party. Wanting it inexpensive and fun and come and go. Like you wine tasting and donation party and Im considering it. More ideas appreciated.