In 11 days, you will be free from caffeinated late-night library trips, procrastinating on papers and cramming for finals. Deck your crib with Dollar Store decor, throw on a flamboyant Santa sweater and spike the hot apple cider. ‘Tis the season for decadent treats, fine company and a healthy dosage of fun and games. Deliver invites via Facebook and commence winter break with a holiday party. The following spins on party themes should stir your currently-immobilized-but-soon-to-be-liberated creativity.
White Elephant gift exchanges and Secret Santa parties
In Western culture, the term “White Elephant,” derived from Southeastern Asia, is used to describe an object that is more of a hassle than it is worth. Monarchs gifted sacred white elephants to their favored subjects, and while it was an honor for the subjects to receive the elephant, it was also an inconvenience, as the elephant required more upkeep than it provided labor to its owner. It is in the owners’ best interest to rid themselves of the White Elephant, which could become someone else’s treasure.
For a White Elephant gift exchange, gather six or more friends and instruct everyone to bring a potluck dish along with a cheap or humorous item. If participants find themselves lacking items to re-gift, they can purchase something ridiculous from a secondhand store for less than $5. Downright outrageous gifts with outlandish wrapping make for rousing entertainment.
As the host, write down numbers for all of the participants, cut them out and place them in a hat. Have each participant draw a number. The person who draws the highest number chooses the gift he or she would like and unwraps it in front of everyone. Each successive participant can steal the first gift or pick one of his or her own. In a “Yankee Swap,” hosts determine the number of times a gift can be stolen and whether or not the first person is allowed to trade gifts at the end.
Don’t be fooled by the mesmerizing metallic gift bag with the perfectly curled ribbons – it likely contains an old school Barbie or small plastic reindeer figurine that poops out chocolate Jelly Beans.
Among the gifts my family has received at these parties are a clunky silver meat cutter (all but one of us are vegetarian), a hideous hand-painted tea kettle frame with a photo of a 62-year-old man, and a crooning teddy bear that sings Elvis classics. A round of unstoppable laughter ensued when the minister of my church opened a foot massager at a White Elephant party that my family attended. The only text on its box read “a fine vibrator.”
For secret gift-giver parties, also known as Secret Santas, guests draw the names of other party-goers ahead of time with the party’s hosts and shop for that person. There is typically a $10 to $20 gift limit and Secret Santa gifts are often of nicer quality and more use than their White Elephant counterparts.
Festive caroling and cookie-seeking parties
Almost everyone is familiar with the holiday tradition of caroling, but how about cookie and hot cocoa-seeking caroling parties? They keep you easily entertained for free and eliminate drink and hors d’oeuvre costs.
Gather a large group together, print out lyrics to various holiday songs and practice singing together in your home. Be sure to mix up religious and secular songs to include everyone you carol to.
Before you leave, bundle up in holiday sweaters, mittens, hats and gloves. Map out a safe route to carol along and try to pin-point houses that will positively receive your good-natured efforts, regardless of your singing ability. Pack props, such as mistletoe and jingle bells, to add some pizazz to your performance and prepare for spontaneous moments. You may be offered treats at these homes, which is your goal.
To make it a contest, split up your caroling party in at least two groups and divvy up separate routes. The group that does the best job of winning over home-dwellers and is offered the most treats within a specific time block wins.
As an extra kick, take a camera or video recorder along so the caroling party can document the evening. Accompanying musical instruments are always a hoot.
One evening last December, my sister, six friends and I were invited into three different homes after our scintillating performance of “Silver Bells.” At one home, I slipped off the staircase, fell on my butt and splattered my sweater with mud. Still, we didn’t miss a beat and garnered some caroling fame among grandmothers and young families in Albany, Ore.
“Haggard” aka tacky or ugly holiday sweater parties
Don’t dismiss the baggy knit sweaters with the plethora of appliqué designs, sequins and cheesy embroidered holiday sayings. Don these digs, available at most secondhand stores, and host the ever-popular “haggard” holiday sweater party. This holiday party theme is both fun and functional, as it will keep guests warm in unheated apartments.
Instruct guests to purchase over-the-top holiday sweaters and bring a food or drink item to share. To make it a costume contest, encourage guests to elaborate on their attire by adding accessories. These contests can be judged by the hideousness of the sweater or other outfit attributes.
For party activities, build a gingerbread house, bake cookies, play board games or kick off a mad dance party with some heinously bad pop holiday songs (N’Sync and Britney Spears come to mind). Continue the evening with fine wining and dining. Conclude with a sweater swap, if your guests can bear to part with their threads.
At the four haggard holiday sweater parties I have hosted, I have seen my guests wear everything from a high school letterman’s sweater to an intricately beaded New York New Year’s scene sweater. Inspired by the party’s theme, my guests have kept their sweaters and begun collections.
Check out more holiday party ideas and contribute your own on Pizazz, the Pulse blog.
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