33 Christmas Party Themes

Craft an elegant, all-white aesthetic, extending from imitation snow on the floor to plush sheepskin blankets adorning the seats. Enhance the ambiance with traditional white balloons and paper snowflake decorations. Set the mood with Bing Crosby's iconic melodies playing on a loop. Delight guests with white chocolate desserts, and offer marshmallow snowmen as a delightful treat for the little ones. Opt for a touch of sophistication with a white-tie dress code or simply invite everyone to dress in white for a chic and cohesive look.

Engage your community center in a heartwarming tradition by organizing a Christmas tree lighting ceremony that unites everyone. To initiate the festivities seamlessly, encourage friends to contribute ornaments for the tree or provide a crafts station for children to craft their own decorations. Explore our collection of DIY Christmas crafts for inspiration! Everyone can bring or craft their unique ornaments to adorn the tree. As is customary at any memorable tree lighting event, build excitement with a dramatic countdown from 10 before illuminating the tree. The moment the majestic tree lights up signifies the official start of the holiday season.

Turn your party venue into an arctic adventure! Think life-size cutouts of polar bears, penguins, and walruses on ice floes. Hang paper snowflakes from the ceiling, or create an indoor scene that’s reminiscent of Santa’s workshop. Get kids involved by setting up a crafts table, where they can create their own toys like little elves.

Infuse your home with the enchantment of the timeless Christmas ballet. Embrace ballet-themed elements, such as using tutu-inspired drink holders and serving ballet slipper-shaped cookies. Craft a captivating table centerpiece featuring a genuine nutcracker, and ensure your playlist features Tchaikovsky's iconic score. Encourage children to dress up as graceful ballerinas or noble nutcracker soldiers, and add to the merriment with a traditional game of "Find the Nutcracker," where the victor earns the coveted nutcracker as a prize!

For a unique twist this Christmas, consider a party that gathers traditions from across the globe. La Befana from Italy brings candy to children, while Père Noël fills French children’s shoes with treats. Decorate with colorful papel picado from Mexico or star-shaped lanterns from the Philippines. It’s a great way for kids to learn about different customs from various countries, or about their own heritage. Joy to the world!

All aboard! Take everyone on a journey inspired by the beloved children’s book. Start with invitations that double as train “tickets”. Bonus points if you have a model train track, but decorations inspired by the North Pole and locomotives will get the desired effect. After the party, wooden train whistles make cheerful party favors for kids.

Like brunch, but more festive! A Christmas tea party is an opportunity to break out your fancy dresses, fine china, and Darjeeling tea. Make holiday scones (think currants and cinnamon) and finger sandwiches cut like Christmas trees (that tree-shaped cookie cutter isn’t just for cookies, you know). Invite your friends for the most elegant Christmas party ever. Pick out festive napkin sets to match. Pinkies up! This theme is perfect if you were hoping to host an event during the day or outside.

Whether you bake everything from scratch or make things easier on yourself by getting a kit, gingerbread house decorating is one tradition we see every year. Make things interesting by turning it into a contest with prizes like the tallest house or best use of gumdrops. Keep it classic with peppermint trim and frosting icicles, or go for a theme like Barbie’s dream house or a Halloween haunted mansion. Minted’s personalized kids apron and mitt sets add a unique touch to any baking party. This is also a great virtual party idea; you could circulate the recipe to your friends and family ahead of time, bake at the same time, and show your final creations off on the camera.

For nature lovers, there’s nothing like a walk in the woods. Channel that fresh air feeling with natural textures like birch, pine, and burlap. Pinecones and spruce boughs bring a forest scent inside, a classic Christmas party theme that works on any winter day. Review our detailed article on unique Christmas flowers, greenery, and plants for inspiration on items to use in your decor.

A Christmas tree made out of a hay bale pyramid? You better believe it. If you’re going with a country Christmas party theme, you’ll need to channel your inner cowboy. Pick up some plain cowboy hats and decorate them with string lights, tinsel, or a simple plaid ribbon to get in the mood. Cowboy boots are a must, as are bandanas (ideally in red and green). For decor, think barrel tabletops, saddle blankets, and did we mention hay bales? To completely countrify your party, make sure you’re spinning country renditions of every Christmas song ever.

This holiday party theme brings everyone’s favorite board game to life. Take inspiration from characters like Mr. Mint to Queen Frostine. Peppermint and snowflake decorations will turn the room into a winter wonderland, while a life-size board game for kids to play on is the ultimate party fun. And of course, don’t forget lots of candy! Giant lollipops, gummy bears, or cupcakes with holiday frosting are a sweet way to celebrate the holidays.

Like an eighties disco theme, but for Christmas! Forgo the classic red and green color palette and invite your friends to dress up in bright, neon colors. Don’t forget glow sticks, glow cups, neon masks, colorful wigs, and a food buffet in every color of the rainbow. Black lights make it a party, while brightly colored cocktails add to the overall look. Spin your favorite eighties Christmas tunes, and have a cup of cheer!

Take the party south of the border with a fiesta holiday theme. Mariachi music, margaritas, and papel picado are a must. Instead of a Christmas tree, decorate a cactus with string lights and brightly colored pom-poms. Set up an outdoor taco bar for guests to make their own, and teach your kids about Mexican holiday traditions like Las Posadas, a procession through the whole neighborhood where children reenact Mary and Joseph’s search for lodging in Bethlehem.

Aloha, snowbirds! Even if you can’t escape the cold where you are, you can still turn up the heat by throwing a Hawaiian Christmas party. Grass skirts, leis, and Hawaiian shirts make for festive attire. Tropical cocktails and fresh fruit will warm up appetites, while ukulele music keeps the party going on island time. Turn your backyard into a beach with lounge chairs, swaying palms, and tiki torches that set a relaxing mood. Transform your home into everyone’s favorite tiki-lounge themed bar!

Nobody does Christmas quite like Scandinavia, where they’re just a stone’s throw away from the North Pole. Channel the northern lights by setting up a colorful light display, or hang North Stars from the ceiling. For a new twist on a classic gift exchange, consider swapping books instead of presents. You can even do this virtually by coordinating a mail-in book exchange. This Nordic tradition will be a thoughtful addition to your Christmas party. For a sweet finish, bake some Finnish cardamom cookies that will make your house smell like heaven. Pass around lots of gløgg (mulled wine) for a cup of good cheer. Skål!

You don't need to visit the mountains to embrace this festive party theme. Provide everyone with a reason to showcase their vintage ski attire, including eye-catching Day-Glo puffer jackets from the '80s and oversized fuzzy pom-pom beanies. Rest assured, ski boots are optional for fireside relaxation. Welcome guests from the chilly outdoors with ski-inspired delights, such as ski-shaped cookies or a cocktail bar arranged beneath a chalet-style counter offering winter beverages like hot toddies or spiked cider.

This is not your grandma’s Christmas dinner. Up the drama this year by creating a cinematic look inspired by Dutch still-life paintings, long winter nights, and starry skies. Midnight blues, wine-toned accents, and gold hardware create a dark and moody look. Set the tone with candelabras for dramatic ambiance. Keep the menu rich and full, like roast duck, decadent chocolate cake, and merlot all around. Do your research beforehand and provide each guest with their horoscope based on their birth month.

If friends and family can’t celebrate in Vegas, bring Vegas to them with an adults-only Christmas party theme that plays to gambling, bright lights, and entertainment. Host a poker tournament, set up a blackjack table, and instead of gambling with poker chips, bet with Christmas cookies and cupcakes.

This wild holiday party idea is perfect for celebrating a special guest of honor. Whether it is a family member celebrating a monumental birthday or a colleague celebrating retirement, encourage attendees to line up some funny jokes that can be directed at the guest of honor. As the party planner, you can moderate how raunchy you allow the jokes to get. Continue the “roast” theme over into the dinner menu by serving a Christmas roast of your favorite meat.

The over-21 crowd will love this Christmas theme! Many breweries around the world will release winter brews and themed beer recipes unique to the months of November and December. San Francisco’s very own Anchor Brewing has released a special Christmas Ale every year since 1975. Head to your local liquor store and purchase a variety of beers that your guests may have never heard of. Create some note cards detailing flavors featured in each selection. Of course, with anything alcohol-related, ensure your guests are drinking responsibly and have post-party transportation arranged.

If you're planning to offer a selection of 12 different wines, anticipate a flurry of "yes" RSVPs. You could focus on wines from specific regions, particular grape varietals, or even invite guests to bring their own wine bottles to contribute to the tasting experience. Complement your wine samplings with an exquisite charcuterie board featuring a diverse array of world cheeses, cured meats, and an assortment of crackers.

Play homage to some of your favorite celebrities and fictional characters with a costume party that encourages guests to dress like someone that normally appears on the screen. As an icebreaker, instruct partygoers to guess the identity of everyone at the party. Investigate some fun cocktails to pour for everyone in attendance. You can start your research with our list of Christmas cocktails featuring gin, vodka, or whiskey.

Host a karaoke night dedicated to all our favorite Christmas carols and songs. Mail out party invitations a month or so in advance to allow guests to start stretching their vocal cords at home.

Choose to rent a karaoke machine or simply print out lyrics to all your favorite tunes that party attendees can reference. Dress up your backyard to look like a stage, complete with streamers, a spotlight, and string lights.

Get it? We combined the word “Santa” with “extravaganza”. Various cities throughout the U.S. hold Santa races in December where runners are all dressed in red suits and white beards. Copying that trend, host a holiday party where all guests are instructed to dress up as Santa Claus. Minted has quite a few Santa-themed party invitations and holiday cards that would work perfectly for getting the word out!

Invite your friends over for a Christmas movie marathon on a snowy day. Choose from classics like "Frosty the Snowman" and countless Hallmark movies. Enjoy movie trivia, a drinking game, and fresh popcorn with customizable toppings, or set up an outdoor theater in the backyard and mail homemade tickets with your invitations for added fun.

Of all the funny Christmas party themes, this one takes the cake. Make it a contest by offering prizes, from best home-made sweater to most sparkles. Bonus points for anyone who recreates their parents’ (or grandparents’) retro Christmas outfits from happy golden days of yore. And don’t forget to take lots of photos. Bake some sugar cookies in the shape of sweaters and allow party attendees to decorate their own ugly sweater-themed cookie!

So you want to throw a Fourth of July party, but you’re five months late, or seven months early. Enter: the Christmas in July party (or would that be Fourth of July in December?). Either way, celebrate the US of A with star-spangled decorations mixed with Christmas red and green. Fire up the grill and make some good summer BBQ food, because at this point, we don’t blame you if you’re bored of candy canes and Christmas pudding. Create a song list of some of the most patriotic tunes to play as well. You can really have some fun with this Christmas theme.

Turn your home into Whoville! This classic Dr. Seuss book makes the perfect funny Christmas theme. From green-hued treats to DIY grinch decorations (basically green fur everywhere). Kids can make crafts inspired by the Grinch’s growing heart, or spend the afternoon watching the hit movie. Or, make storytime a group activity by having everyone read a page each from the book. Either way, it’s quality time spent together. After all, “Christmas doesn’t come from a store; Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

It’s either the perfect excuse to re-gift that weird fruit bowl or a chance to pick out an outrageous gift that you kind of want to end up with by the time the game is over. Either way, this funny Christmas party theme is the silly holiday staple everyone looks forward to. Set a price range so it’s a fair game, then sit back and see what everyone came up with. For additional interactive game ideas to keep your holiday party guests engaged, be sure to read through our post on 28 fun Christmas games.

What exactly is a flannel holiday party, you ask? Anything you want it to be, as long as it involves flannel. This holiday party theme is especially perfect for a cabin getaway with friends, where all that’s on the agenda is lounging in your flannel. But if you really want to get in the spirit, head to the fabric store to pick up strips of flannel for decorations and easy touches. Nothing says holiday cheer like plaid bows mixed with evergreen boughs and your favorite cinnamon-scented candles.

Bring to life the beloved characters of this classic Christmas film! Pass out light-up red noses for guests to wear, plus reindeer headbands for the perfect photo op. Create adorable reindeer treats like cookies with pretzel antlers, or make DIY reindeer drink stirrers for a charming touch. Set up kid-friendly activities, like pin the red nose on the Rudolph or ring toss with “antler” branches. Let the reindeer games begin!

Make it a cozy night in and break out the matching pajamas. Keep everyone warm with flannel blankets for an outdoor party, or come in from the cold and sit by the fire to make smores. This one is also a perfect theme for a virtual party on a cold, winter day, when all you want to do is stay in bed. Be sure to have mugs of cider and hot cocoa on hand, complete with marshmallow snowmen you can craft yourself. It’s fun for all ages, too. If you're running late on Christmas photos, this could be a great time to grab the camera. Pajama parties make for great photos, keeping the kids busy with a fun activity that allows for candid photo taking. See our full list of unique family photo ideas for more inspiration.

Whether you love or hate Tim Burton’s animated Halloween/Christmas movie, it does present inspiration for a funny Christmas party theme! Encourage your guests to recycle the Halloween costumes they may have worn back on October 31st. Are there ways they can bring fresh life into those costumes with a Christmas spin? Zombie elves anyone? Let your imagination run wild with decoration options like jack-o-lanterns with reindeers carved into them or plastic skeletons wearing Santa hats.