So you’ve decided to throw a Christmas party. The next step is to decide what kind of Christmas party you’re going to throw. The right Christmas party theme can make all the difference, and there are plenty of things you can do to make your party as memorable as possible.

If you’re throwing a Christmas party this holiday season and want to make some good memories, then keep reading to find the best Christmas party ideas 2012.

Top Christmas party idea of 2012: Ugly Tacky Christmas sweater party

Over the last few years, ugly Christmas sweater parties have been becoming more and more popular. You can expect to see more ugly Christmas sweater parties than ever before this holiday season. These parties are popular for a number of different reasons, but the main selling point is that everybody has a good time while dressing in some awkward outfits.

If you haven’t yet decided what type of Christmas party to host this holiday season, then here are a few advantages of choosing to throw an ugly tacky Christmas sweater party:

Everybody has a talking point

Nobody likes a party where groups of people bunch together and refuse to talk to one another. The point of a party is to get to know the people around you. Since everybody will be wearing ugly Christmas sweaters at your party, everybody has a quick and easy talking point they can use to strike up a conversation. Instead of forcing people together with awkward introductions, the party host can sit back and watch guests comment on the sweaters that other people are wearing. Prepare for lots of opening lines like, “That is by far the ugliest Christmas sweater I’ve ever seen.”

An opportunity to be creative

The best ugly Christmas sweaters are often the most creative ones. Whether you’re buying a Christmas sweater online or designing one yourself, there is plenty of opportunity to get creative. Decorate a normal Christmas sweater with tree ornaments, for example. Or, order a Christmas sweater that references some pop culture trend – like Justin Bieber wearing antler horns.

Hilarious pictures

The best way to remember an awesome party is to take lots of pictures. Fortunately, ugly Christmas sweater parties present plenty of reasons to take pictures. There will always be one guest that everybody wants to take a picture with – like the one wearing the ugliest sweater in the room – and that means people will more than enough ways to remember your party. If you want your friends to know exactly how awesome your Christmas party was, then you need people to take lots of pictures. Give them a reason to do so by hosting an ugly tacky Christmas sweater party.

Memorable and non-traditional

Unless you’re hosting a party for newborn babies, your guests will have already attended plenty of Christmas parties over their lifetime. They’ve seen Christmas trees, worn awkward Santa costumes or elf ears, and done all the other things you’re supposed to do at a traditional Christmas party. Instead of throwing a party that everybody has been to before, why not do something completely different? By throwing an ugly tacky Christmas sweater party, you’re giving guests a memory that will last a lifetime. Whether they’ve been to ugly sweater parties in the past or this is their first time, a non-traditional Christmas party is an easy way to make your event as memorable as possible.

Ultimately, everyone has fun

And here’s the number one reason why ugly Christmas sweater parties are the best type of party to throw this 2012 holiday season: everybody has fun. From finding or making the perfect sweater to taking dozens of pictures throughout the night, it’s easy for everyone to have fun at an event like this.

So what are you waiting for? Throw an ugly sweater party this Christmas season!

Runner up party ideas

Holiday movie marathon

If you’re looking for a more casual holiday party idea, why not throw a holiday movie marathon? Parties like this are easy to host. Just rent some classic Christmas movies, grab some egg nog and cookies, and relax in your living room. Here are some classics to consider renting:

1. Miracle on 34^th Street
2. Elf
3. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
4. A Christmas Story

If you want to make the holiday movie marathon more entertaining, you can add a drinking game into the mix. Take a drink whenever somebody says the word “Christmas” or take a shot every time someone throws a snowball (maybe don’t play with that rule if you’re watching Elf).

Cast-off gift exchange

Some view this party idea as tacky. Others think of it as a fun way to make the best out of an awkward situation. At a cast-off gift exchange party, party-goers give each other unwanted gifts. So, if you received an ugly tie this holiday season and don’t know what to do with it, you can give it to your friend who has a massive collection of ties.

Just make sure that the friends you’ve invited to the cast-off gift exchange party aren’t the friends that gave you the gifts in the first place.

Wrap party

Wrap parties might not be the most entertaining type of Christmas party, but it’s one way to make a boring task more entertaining. At a wrap party, guests bring all of the Christmas gifts they need to wrap and then wrap them together. Sure, you might still get paper cuts and tape will still get caught in awkward places, but at least you’re having fun with friends.

Conclusion – which party should you host?

Ultimately, ugly Christmas sweater parties are the perfect way to ring in the holiday season. Everybody has a chance to be creative, lots of pictures will be taken, and it’s a perfect way to meet new people. Whether you’re partying with coworkers, family members, friends, or a mix of everybody, it’s easy to have fun at an ugly tacky Christmas sweater party.

There are basically two schools of thought on this one: A classy ugly cheesy Christmas sweater party and a ugly tacky Christmas sweater party.
Let’s start with the classy. In this case, we’ll keep things as simple and sophisticated as humanly possible. Popular drinks will be wine, eggnog, and hot apple cider. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to throw some Christmas cookies in the oven either; guests tend to get hungrier depending on how ugly their sweater is. For the boys and girls dancing around in their Christmas clothing, be sure to have some non-alcoholic beverages, and if they’ve been good all year round, don’t be afraid to throw in some soda pop. In the case of a classy Christmas party, it may be best to play some conservative Christmas music like a Kenny G Christmas.

For those of you who just gagged from reading the first paragraph, have no fear. First off, be sure to add some chocolate bits to your holiday cookies selection. And for the drinks, we need to start with the hard bar. Spiced rum is an excellent compliment to eggnog, especially with a little nutmeg sprinkled on top. The Christmas boys and girls will have to get a designated “kids room” that they can frolic about in without seeing all of the adults embarrassing behavior. For this, I suggest a rec-room with a pool table and a tv. It might be best to do everyone a favour and rent a Ninteno Wii for this to occupy the children – the adults have some partying to do. For the Christmas music upstairs, take some time on itunes or any other legitimate music downloading website (Santa’s watching) and get the cheesiest Christmas music you can find. Most sites let you sample so you know what you’re getting yourself into.

Now that you know how to handle guests for your tacky ugly tacky Christmas sweater party, let’s go over the decorations. Garland is in this year, try putting it around lamps (the outside of them dummy) and everyone likes when garland swivels up the stair well. Other classic gimmicks can be easily obtained from the local dollar store. If you don’t have enough glasses, grab some plastic ones and a sharpie to write everyone’s names on. If possible, get a red sharpie and green cups or vice versa… tis the season after all. Aside from your Christmas tree, which I’m sure is just beautiful; consider some reflective accents such as the “noel” decorative wall hanger. If you can get your hands on a cardboard santa cutout or poster, a great game to play is pin the tail on the santa. For more of a challenge, try pin the tail on the reindeer. When it comes to lighting for an ugly tacky Christmas sweater party, remember, the more colours the better. And I’m not talking about these fancy new L.E.D Christmas lights, I’m talking the ones your dreading to dig out of the crawlspace that have been tied in one massive knot for the last year. Don’t forget to check every bulb!