The Holiday Party

A holiday party doesn’t have to be hard to host. Make it easy on yourself with these simple tips for sharing the season’s cheer.

The holiday season already has two big dinner parties built in. The last thing you need is another large group sitting down at your table.

What you want is a holiday party, a chance to gather with friends and family to celebrate the season and share the holiday cheer—with as little sitting down as possible. You want an occasion that’s fun for the guests, but easy on the host.

You can still serve delicious food, of course, but it’ll be of the finger variety, and you’ll be free from the requirements of the holiday meal. The holiday party is about noshing, after all, not eating—great tastes, small portions, and easy preparation. Plus, you can serve what everyone really wants from the holidays: lots and lots of cookies.

Here are a few tips to insure your holiday party is fun for all, including you:

Set proper expectations. Make sure everyone knows what to expect—that there’ll be food, but not dinner. Send out the invite at least two to three weeks in advance—those holiday weekends fill up quickly. And let people know the start and end time so folks with more than one party to attend can plan their evenings and be sure to fit yours in.

Prepare in advance. Make sure you buy the liquor days in advance, and do some of the decorating the day before. All the food should be done well before people arrive. Some may have to be reheated briefly in the oven, but the goal is to avoid slaving over the stove while others make merry. This is your party.

Get frisky with the decorations. A little personal touch can go a long way. Extra greenery from your tree, a few ornaments strategically placed, even some tacky tinsel can make a table fun. And don’t forget the mistletoe.

Keep the food handheld. Finger foods are the name of the game. Anything too saucy or mushy requires bowls, silverware, plus you’re asking for drips—not only on your guests’ outfits, but on your furniture. Stick to savory, tasty bites that can be popped in the mouth. And for dessert: a big spread of yummy cookies, made a day or two in advance.

Make it easy on yourself. Take those little steps that save you set-up and clean-up time. If you don’t have enough glassware (two glasses per guest is the rule), or even if you do, consider going with semi-elegant plastic glasses—they make them with stems these days. Stick to paper plates if you want and silverware—if you even need it at all—can be plastic. But nice plastic.

Stock the bar for revelry. Make sure you’ve got the bar properly stocked for your crowd—wine if they’re wine drinkers, beer if they like beer, and plenty of non-alcoholic beverages. And why not whip up a special cocktail for the evening? It can involve peppermint or cinnamon schnapps. Drape a miniature candy cane or a cinnamon stick over the edge for effect. And don’t forget winter favorites like mulled cider—you can do one spiked and one not and keep them warm in crock pots. Just be sure to keep track of the intake of those party hoppers who will be hitting the road shortly.

Plan a special activity. Singing carols is an obvious choice. Just make sure you photocopy the songbooks in advance, because no one actually knows all the words. And figure out who will provide the accompaniment, even if it’s a recorded version of a song turned down low; going a cappella can sometimes be, well…dispiriting. If you need recorded carols, Frank Sinatra has a cozy Christmas album, and on the groovy side so does James Brown (it’s called “Santa’s Got a Brand New Bag,” what else?). Holiday parties aren’t free from preparation. But if you do it right, plan ahead, and accept help when it’s offered, you can create a low-impact evening that let’s you in on as much cheer as everyone else. So these can truly be “Happy Holidays.”