Holiday season is just around the corner and it's time to start planning your holiday bash. Once you’ve covered all the basics, such as hiring an event caterer, securing a venue space, and finalizing a menu, it’s time to get down to the details.
Instead of the same holiday party that everyone will be attending, why not plan a uniquely themed event?
Here are our top three out-of-the-box holiday party ideas. Warning: using any of the holiday party ideas below will set the bar very high for next year’s bash.
1. A Masquerade Murder Mystery
A masquerade murder mystery is the perfect combination of formal and creative. Have your guests adorn their faces with decorative masks, and decorate the event space with purple, green, silver, and gold. Centrepieces can be faux weapons, like candlesticks, rope, poison bottles, or a lead pipe. If you’re feeling really extravagant, you can make it a Phantom of the Opera themed soiree.
The night before your holiday party, your guests will receive an envelope with directions and their role in the murder. Throughout the night, the goal is to find out who committed the crime. There are many companies that provide a pre-packaged murder mystery set, which will make planning a cinch.
In terms of entertainment, consider hiring a string quartet or small orchestra to really up the elegant and suspenseful mood. It’s most likely that some of your guests will forget to bring their own masks, so have some extra on hand.
Leave some time after the murderer has been unveiled for guests to mingle and dance the night away. The ultimate “Who done it?”
2. A “Dicey” Gift Swap
Ditch the tired “secret Santa” gift swap for something a little more creative. For this gift swap, you’ll need a six-sided dice—which you can find at your local games shop—wrapped gifts, and written directions.
First, ask each of your guests to bring a gift. Make sure you specify a theme—such as books—or a price limit or gender neutral gifts. Then, have everyone sit in a circle with their wrapped gift on their lap. Give the dice to the first person in the circle and after each roll, follow the directions that correspond with the number rolled.
For example, if a six is rolled, all guests will pass their gift to the right. A three means they pass their gift directly across the circle. A one: the roller is allowed to swap gifts with anyone. Get creative when coming up with your directions—just make sure they’re written down so that you remember them.
Have everyone roll the dice two times, but before the second round of rolls, everyone gets to unwrap their gifts. At the end of everyone’s second roll, they get to keep the gift in their hand.
3. A Spooky Theme
If you’re looking for a holiday party that will stand out and have people talking about it until next December, choose an eccentric theme.
A Nightmare Before Christmas theme keeps with the holiday spirit, but with a unique twist. This theme is best if you’re in touch with your goth side, have friends with a good sense of humour, or work in a hip workplace.
Decorate the space with lots of candelabras, chandeliers, stuffed crows, and fake spider webs. A colour palate of a deep maroon, black, and ivory will keep with the theme without being too drab. Extra points if the event space has a fireplace.
Any of the Gladstone Hotel’s event spaces would be the perfect space for an eerie holiday party. If you really want to go all out, hire a magician.
