Tips for a Perfect Christmas Party

Every year Christmas is the same: set up the Christmas tree, eat a very big meal with the family, season shows and movies on TV and, maybe, a visit to your parents or friends.

Aren't you tired of the same old Christmas? What if this year you would spend it differently, throwing a party for a few good friends? Now don't get a headache thinking of all the work you have to do, following the tips I'll give you you'll only get in the Christmas spirit even more organizing this party.

Assuming you already know who you want to invite, make sure that all your friends don't have alternate plans. It would be a shame to find yourself alone on Christmas Day. Then you need to make a menu and buy ahead of time drinks and all the necesary items and food. Don't leave it all at the last moment or you'll find yourself waiting in shopping lines forever.

Also find out if the guests will be bringing their kids to the party. In this case you don't want them to get bored or get in the adults' way. You can organize some activities, for example decorating the Christmas tree, making decorations, or if you have a backyard, a snowman contest. You can even ask one of your guests to dress up as Santa Claus. This will make for a much better Christmas than just watching the TV.

What must the menu include to impress the audience? Take into account their preferences but make your own choices - it's your party after all, isn't it? Here are some ideeas:

1. Hot cider - a fresh drink that will fill your house with it's aroma. You can make it yourself. All you need is pimento, oranges, lemons, apple juice, sugar and cinnamon. Cut the oranges and lemons into slices, put pimento in some of them, add the sugar and cinnamon and let them boil. After that reduce the heat but keep the temperature constant for another 30 minutes. At the end you can take out the cinnamon sticks and fruit slices. For an even better drink put some brown sugar on the glasses.

2. Hot chocolate - but not any kind of hot chocolate. Use liquid cream instead of milk, ditch the instant cocoa and put in natural cocoa and bittersweet chocolate; then put it all in bain-marie and stir well. When you serve it pour it in cups and ornate it with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.

3. Negus - choose a red wine, not too sweet, with a potent grape aroma. The good thing is that you can use almost any type of wine because boiling brings them to almost the same taste.

4. Cinnamon buns and chocolate truffles - you can find these at the supermarket or in specialized shops. You can get them with different aromas: coniac, almonds, white chocolate, coffee and many others. Truffles can be kept in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for no more than a month.

Now that we have laid out a menu, don't concentrate your attention only on it thinking it's all that will get everybody to your house. Christmas parties have failed many times just because they were predictable. Don't organize a sitting dinner; it's a good ideea to make a swedish buffet and let the guests mingle and socialize.

Don't forget the music and decorations. Put some carols in the background but prepare some other kinds of music. Maybe the party will get going and some people will want to dance. Hang some Christmas tree branches on your door to be sure that your guests find you easily.