24 Festive Holiday Party Themes

Are the holidays right around the corner? If so, then it’s time to start planning an amazing event for family and friends! Peerspace wants to share some festive holiday party themes that you can use to make your event a special occasion. We have ideas that will dazzle and delight everyone on your guest list!

1. Throw a naughty or nice party

Are you on Santa’s naughty or nice list? Feel free to dress and act the part with this holiday party theme! You can even include games that tease out who the nicest and naughtiest are among you using these printable playing cards!

2. Celebrate Christmas in Las Vegas

You don’t actually have to travel to Las Vegas for this theme. A Vegas-themed party is all about the glitz and glamor. Neon signs, a Welcome to Las Vegas backdrop, cards and casino chips…You get the idea!

That said, there’s no reason you can’t take the fun to America’s party capital anyway. Let Peerspace make your holiday party theme a reality by browsing through some of our venues in Las Vegas! You’re just a few clicks away from making a spot like this Southridge nightclub with space for up to 200 guests all yours!

3. Test your baking skills with a cookie swap party

Do you love making holiday cookies for friends and family? Bake some peppermint thumbprints, gingerbread men, or holiday sugar cookies, and arrange a cookie swap! With some holiday-themed cocktails, milk, and mocktails, you have an instant low-key party theme to work with.

4. Bring in some nostalgia with a storybook Christmas party

Did you have a favorite Christmas story as a kid? Why not dress the part or make some themed food for a storybook Christmas party? Encourage your guests to dress as part of nostalgic Christmas stories as well like the Polar Express or How The Grinch Stole Christmas!

5. Provide supplies for ornament decorating

So many of us buy ornaments when it’s so easy and satisfying to make them yourself. An ornament-making party is perfect for the DIY crafts lovers among us. You just need to provide enough raw ingredients for creative minds to make something amazing, like glass globes, paints, glitter, and tinsel. 

6. Make it a virtual holiday party

Sometimes distance, life events, or impossible schedules mean that it’s too difficult to meet up in person. Well, why not have a virtual holiday party instead? They’re easy to organize – have everyone decorate the room where they have their computer set up with Zoom. Play some music, have some drinks together, and celebrate through Internet magic!

7. Spice up your gift exchange with a white elephant party

You can make a gift exchange party really unique by planning a white elephant gift exchange! The idea is that players have the option of exchanging their gifts for one that someone else has instead of unwrapping one when it’s their turn to take one from the pile. Check out Peerspace’s white elephant party ideas and gift ideas for further inspiration!

8. Make some delicious gingerbread houses together

Gingerbread houses combine the best of DIY crafts with sweet treats! Each decorative ingredient is as tasty as it is good-looking. Start with some gingerbread walls and include decorative touches like frosting, candy melts, marshmallows, and edible glitter to see what kind of houses your guests come up with.

Check out our handy holiday party planning guide to get all the information you need to throw the best bash yet!

9. Bring some gifts and drinks for a wrap and wrum party

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Gift wrapping need not be a dull affair. Not when you can make it a wrap and (w)rum party with friends! A few bottles of rum, some fun paper choices, and good company are all you need for a good time. 

10. Celebrate the seasons with a winter wonderland event

A holiday party doesn’t have to revolve around Christmas or another specific holiday. Winter wonderland events are one such holiday party theme. Snow white and ice blue decorations, winter wonderland-themed foods, and holiday music are key to this theme. But you’re free to take the party plans in any direction from there, like making it a dinner, birthday, or cocktail party!

11. Wish everyone a Merry Grinchmas 

Who hasn’t seen “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”? This holiday party theme will have guests laughing from the moment they receive their themed invitations! Best of all, the theme is easy to get creative with using some of Peerspace’s Grinchmas party ideas and food ideas.

12. Celebrate with a night of holiday movies

Holiday parties are a wonderful chance to watch classic movies together like “A Charlie Brown Christmas” or “It’s a Wonderful Life”. A large TV set with a few cushions, sofas, or blankets set out is an instant party! But what about something a little more upscale? If you browse Peerspace, you can rent actual private movie theaters like this venue in Midtown Manhattan, NY, with leather theater seats, surround sound, and a 4K projector!

13. Host a Candyland party for a sweet time together

The Candyland holiday theme is perfect for kids who love sweet treats! Oversized decorative candy, cakes topped with frosting sculptures, and a candy buffet are just a few of the ways you can bring this idea to life. And if you need a little more inspiration, check out these ideas from Easy Event Planning.

14. Set out milk and cookies for Santa & friends

A milk and cookies party can be a kid’s birthday, Christmas, or general holiday party theme. Invite guests to bring their own homemade cookies – or you can handle all of the baking yourself. This theme can also be combined with a cookie swap event, after which everyone tastes their new box of cookies with milk to wash them down! 

15. Break out your ugly sweaters for the evening

Do you have an ugly sweater waiting to be revealed at Christmas? Chances are, so do many of your friends and family! Make it an official holiday party theme and send invitations out for an ugly sweater party. Be sure to include a competition as well with a prize for the ugliest sweater.

16. Have everyone over for a tree decorating event

If your holiday tree is looking a bit bare, then why not have some friends over to help decorate it? You can combine the ornament-making holiday party theme with this one as well. Make some fancy ornaments and then let everyone contribute to building a truly memorable holiday tree!

Holiday party themes like this need our merry indoor Christmas photoshoot ideas to commemorate them. Check ’em out!

17. Share some drinks with a holiday happy hour

A holiday happy hour is the perfect way to unwind with your colleagues, friends, or family. Check out local restaurants and bars known for happy hour specials. Deals on drinks, meals, and appetizers only get better when the holiday season rolls about! 

18. Get cozy with a pajama party

We think holiday parties are the perfect time to dress down instead of getting fancy. Make cozy outfits the theme with a holiday pajama party. Hopefully, you already have something incredible in your closet for the occasion, like a reindeer onesie or plaid pajamas with a Christmas stocking cap! 

19. Choose your favorite Christmas characters to dress up as

Who is your favorite Christmas character? Santa? The Grinch? Buddy the Elf? Make Christmas characters the theme and let everyone dress the part! This holiday party theme definitely needs a costume contest as well to honor the best dressed among you.

20. Have a very groovy Christmas with a 70s party

Decade themes can easily be woven into any event, including a holiday party! Start by browsing some of our 70s party decorations and outfit ideas. Then, choose a spacious gathering venue that already looks the part.

As the nation’s leading online marketplace for event venues, Peerspace makes it easy to book 70s-inspired venues. We have holiday party spots like this 70s-style bar and lounge in Phoenix, AZ, with a TV, standup arcade games, and other amenities for a truly retro holiday party!

21. Dress warmly and go caroling together

A caroling party is a great way to spread some holiday cheer in your neighborhood! It starts with singing in a group for your neighbors. But once you’ve circled the block you can all head indoors for holiday drinks, a gift exchange, and conversations by the fireplace. If you want to make your caroling party even more unique, try dressing up in Victorian English outfits for cold weather, like a cape and top hat.

22. Celebrate with some reindeer games

Dress up in a reindeer onesie and celebrate with a few reindeer games together! Need some inspiration to get you going? Play Party Plan has some games using each of Santa’s reindeer to start.

23. Host a “worst present party” for gag gifts

Gifts don’t always have to be things that people want. So make this the theme with a “worst present” or “gag gift party”! You might not have much experience choosing awful gifts so here are some ideas to get you started. This theme works especially well if you’re planning a white elephant gift exchange (see above).

24. Have a holiday brunch together

A meal with good company is a surefire formula for a successful holiday party. It doesn’t have to be dinner, either. A brunch party is a unique way to host a holiday meal. Local brunch restaurants with private rooms and any of the brunch venues near you that Peerspace has will serve!

Holiday party themes: conclusion

Holiday party themes can stick to Christmas if you want something traditional. But by using some of our ideas, you can also choose more creative takes like reindeer, white elephant gift exchanges, or a gingerbread house crafting event!

We at Peerspace love helping people make lasting memories together. So if you enjoy what we’ve come up with, be sure to browse some of our holiday party venues near you as well to make your event a memorable one!

Find unique party venues near you on Peerspace