The holidays bring out the best in your neighborhood. You admire each other’s twinkling lights, welcome the carolers, and most fun of all, you throw parties. Soirees large or small, casual or sophisticated, give you a chance to reconnect with people who live just around the corner. Here are a few ideas for neighborhood gatherings, particularly the ones that require weeks and months of planning.
Holiday open house: This come-and-go party showcases a newly purchased or remodeled home, or the fabulous holiday decorations you’ve placed in every room.
Tip: Light a fire. Since ancient times, fire has served as a focal point for gatherings, notes Greg Knight, who runs patioculture.net. “Fire reinforces a hearth mentality that draws people together,” he says.
A cookie swap: Guests leave with a sugar high — and at least as many cookies as they brought. Basically, guests bring about six dozen and take home about that many. (Want to make macaroons like a pro? Click here for a recipe.)
Tip: Swap stories, too. Robin Olson operates cookie-exchange.com and recommends having guests share stories about their cookie recipes before the tasting begins.
Cocktail party: Pair classic cocktails with appetizers for an upscale shindig that doesn’t require the expense — or trouble — of a seated dinner. If you want to keep the party hopping from house to house, try a progressive party.
Tip: Let guests help themselves. “The host should spend more time with the guests than behind the bar,” says Knight. “If you’re able to enlist the help of a friend who’s a cocktail wonk, or you just really like being behind the bar, then you can get more ambitious with the recipes.”
Gift wrap party: Don’t wrap all your gifts solo on Christmas Eve. Make wrapping a social affair, sharing different papers and boxes.
Tip: Assign patterns or colors to the people you invite to ensure variety.
Tree decorating party: String the lights and garland ahead of time. Then lay out ornaments, with hooks in place, for guests to place between sips of eggnog.
Tip: Relocate your most precious or fragile ornaments until guests have gone home.
Holiday party ideas for your neighborhood
By Jennifer Chappell Smith
The holidays bring out the best in your neighborhood. You admire each other’s twinkling lights, welcome the carolers, and most fun of all, you throw parties. Soirees large or small, casual or sophisticated, give you a chance to reconnect with people who live just around the corner. Here are a few ideas for neighborhood gatherings, particularly the ones that require weeks and months of planning.
Holiday open house: This come-and-go party showcases a newly purchased or remodeled home, or the fabulous holiday decorations you’ve placed in every room.
Tip: Light a fire. Since ancient times, fire has served as a focal point for gatherings, notes Greg Knight, who runs patioculture.net. “Fire reinforces a hearth mentality that draws people together,” he says.
A cookie swap: Guests leave with a sugar high — and at least as many cookies as they brought. Basically, guests bring about six dozen and take home about that many. (Want to make macaroons like a pro? Click here for a recipe.)
Tip: Swap stories, too. Robin Olson operates cookie-exchange.com and recommends having guests share stories about their cookie recipes before the tasting begins.
Cocktail party: Pair classic cocktails with appetizers for an upscale shindig that doesn’t require the expense — or trouble — of a seated dinner. If you want to keep the party hopping from house to house, try a progressive party.
Tip: Let guests help themselves. “The host should spend more time with the guests than behind the bar,” says Knight. “If you’re able to enlist the help of a friend who’s a cocktail wonk, or you just really like being behind the bar, then you can get more ambitious with the recipes.”
Gift wrap party: Don’t wrap all your gifts solo on Christmas Eve. Make wrapping a social affair, sharing different papers and boxes.
Tip: Assign patterns or colors to the people you invite to ensure variety.
Tree decorating party: String the lights and garland ahead of time. Then lay out ornaments, with hooks in place, for guests to place between sips of eggnog.
Tip: Relocate your most precious or fragile ornaments until guests have gone home.