It's the holiday season and its been decided that you're going to have your office friends over for a Christmas party. Try these best company Christmas party ideas to liven up everyone in your party. Have the fireplace lit up; play your favorite Christmas tune; nail a mistletoe on every doorway, and the party can begin. Depending on the number of people you've invited, you will either pick a buffet or a conventional sit-down meal. Most popular is the buffet. If you have a buffet, write out invitations saying: "Bring a Dish to Share". What's Nice To Serve On The Buffet? A 12 foot hero or sub is a safe enough choice. Served either hot or cold, it's enough to feed everyone. Alternatively, you can make your own creation and tell everyone beforehand to bring something they make. Popular side dishes are: stuffed mushrooms; chicken or turkey rolls, or bite-sized appetizers which come in a wide assortment of flavors. Have a wide variety of wines, colas, water, and don't forget eggnog. How Will You Serve the Buffet? Place a large table in your dining area or any large area in your house. Try arranging the food nicely on the table. Add plates, napkins, and silverware that has Christmas themes on it at one side of the table. If done this way, your guests can take a plate, napkin and tableware and then proceed to the food. An advantage of this: Cleanup is easier, too. Decorate your dining room table. Here are some suggestions: Choose a solid color tablecloth; red, green or white. Add Christmas placemats at each setting. As a centerpiece, fill a crystal bowl with Christmas balls. Next to the centerpiece, place two Christmas candles. To make your tablecloth stand out, pin garland around the bottom of the tablecloth. What Fun Games Can be Played? After everyone's had their fill, it's time for fun games. Adults may enjoy charades or a Christmas sing-a-long. How about playing musical chairs with a twist. The guys get down on one knee, while the girls circle around them to the tunes of Christmas medleys. When the music stops, each girl has to immediately sit on a guy's knee. It's so fun, that your guests laugh till tears fall out. And lastly, there is no Christmas without a Santa Claus. Have someone wear a Santa villian costume. Make him wear white hair and mustache that reaches his nose. He can give away small gift packs or anything nice. All this will surely make your Christmas party a well remembered one.

 In part I of this series we discuss the general preparation for a Christmas party. In subsequent articles we will go into more detail in things like Christmas party themes and Christmas party food. We will also discuss Christmas party invitations in more detail. So, be on the look out for them.

Everyone knows the month of December is full of shopping, cooking, and Christmas parties.  Many people enjoy entertaining during the holiday season.  Unfortunately, issues do arise, such as scheduling problems. Furthermore, money always gets tight right before Christmas.  Don’t let that stop you though.  If you want to throw a Christmas party for your friends and family there are some important tips to keep in mind. 

The first thing to do when deciding to have a Christmas party is start planning well in advance.  December is a busy month and getting the ball rolling early will be a huge help in your preparations.  So step by step, here is how it should go.  Decide on your guest list.  If your budget is limited (and who’s isn’t during the holidays?) you may want to put a number cap on your list.  Also be aware that space is an issue as well.  Overcrowding into a small area does not make for a merry party.  This is also the time to decide if you want to go the potluck way or handle all of the food yourself. 

The next step in your Christmas party preparations is to send out your Christmas party invitations.  Be sure to give guests as much notice as possible and, to avoid confusion, call, mail, or email everyone on the same day.  This just avoids hurt feelings.  No one wants to feel like an afterthought.  This is also the time to include a brief note mentioning the potluck theme if that is the way you decided to go.  Check back with any potential guests who may not have responded in a week.  A quick phone call should work fine.

Now that you have a good idea on how many people will be attending your Christmas party, you can start to think about the menu.  Make a list for the grocery store, being sure to estimate high on the cost.  If things look a little pricier than you intended, look the list over again to see if you can eliminate any items.  Don’t forget to include paper napkins, plates, and plastic ware.  Of course if you are having a more formal party those things won’t be a concern.  Go to the store, stick to your list, and get ready to party.

Having a Christmas party can be the highlight of your holiday season.  If you are prepared in advance, there is no reason why you can’t enjoy the party as much as your guests.  Accept any help that is offered, cook your behind off, and celebrate the holidays with those nearest and dearest to you.

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The Christmas season is a festive and joyful time of the year when people come together and families gather to celebrate and enjoy the company of each other.  We gather together to have fun, and to share in the festive spirit.  Singing is an extremely popular way of expressing the joy we feel.  So when we gather with friends and relatives, we all deserve a good laugh by singing along to some funny Christmas songs. 

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The business of decorating for Christmas has made great strides in recent history.  It is now a full time business for a number of organizations.  Take from the simple idea of doing a job for someone who doesn’t want to do it, commercial Christmas decoration offers innovative designs.  These designs include light displays, banners, and holiday décor for both the home and business customer. Finding a good commercial Christmas decoration is very important.

A quick trip to your local mall during the holiday season will offer an introduction to the world of commercial Christmas decoration.  Using Christmas trees, garland and wreaths the designs have become timeless.  Add the large quantity of lights, bright ornaments and elaborately wrapped boxes; the display seems to come alive.  Businesses spend a great sum each year in an effort to bring the Christmas spirit alive.  Extravagant and gorgeous are the plans, as the businesses want to fill the customer with Christmas cheer. More on Where to find the best commercial Christmas decoration

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It has become a common practice to send friends and family an electronic card for their birthday or a holiday, including Christmas. And it is easy to see that there are numerous good reasons for doing so. The price of Christmas greeting cards and stamps have risen to a level that makes sending Christmas cards an expensive hobby. These days everybody has access to a computer, so anyone can receive a card for Christmas. The Christmas e-cards have become very sophisticated, with great animation. Something that is not possible at that level with a Christmas post card. Another advantage of the email christmas card is the fact that you do not have to worry about the timely arrival of your card at its destination. Even friends and family that live far away can receive your card practically instantaneous.

Why is it, than, that there is still a large population, that will not send email Christmas cards, even if they have no problem sending email cards during the rest of the year? It seems that tradition plays an important role here. Christmas cards, by tradition, are displayed during the holiday season and make for a very festive picture. Furthermore, if the receiver looks at your card, chances are that it will bring back memories and it will make them think of you. And this is something we all appreciate at the end of the year. It makes for the special Christmas atmosphere.

What do you think? Do you prefer a Christmas post card, or is an Christmas e-card just as good for you. Share your opinions. Fill out the comment form and let others know what you think.

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Once again, the holiday season calendar is filling fast. There are all kinds of Christmas-related activities that families are involved with, each year. There are private parties for friends, civic gatherings for whole towns, office parties for businesses, and of course, large family gatherings. Most families try to schedule at least one large party for the extended family members, every Christmastime. Parents of small children often face these large family parties with a mixture of anticipation and doubt. They know that there will likely be family members at these parties that they haven't seen in many years, maybe since their own childhoods. And now, as adults and parents themselves, this is their first opportunity to introduce their own children to the rest of the family. Many parents are extremely self-conscious, when it comes to bringing their children to family parties, worried that the family will judge their children more stringently than friends, or even than strangers would. Some parents may feel that a large gathering of people, many of whom really are strangers to their kids, isn't the best light in which to meet young family members. It's also not the best situation in which to expect the best behavior from children. It's a fear that's exaggerated by most parents. They want their kids to be seen as the best kids, ever, but they forget that sometimes kids really just act like kids. Even so, it's the goal of most children to behave correctly and to please their parents. A bit of natural rambunctiousness or noisy behavior shouldn't ruin a parents night, no matter what Uncle Joe thinks about it. On the other hand, it can be helpful for parents to prepare their children a bit for large family Christmas gatherings. Discussing, ahead of time, the kind of behavior that's expected can provide a child with a blueprint for the party. Also, making sure that children are well-rested and well-fed, beforehand, can make a big difference in a child's mood at the party. Parents should prepare themselves, as well. Most of the adults who will be at any gathering have had experience of some sort with small children. They understand that even the best kid has moments of noisy or disruptive or even destructive behavior. Parents need to understand that, though it's nice when relatives compliment them on their kids, what others really think about their children isn't important, ultimately. It's the unconditional love between parents and their children that matters the most, at Christmas and throughout the year.

Christmas is a magical time when you stroll outside, the air is cold and crisp and often the sky looks a little grey but you still feel happy and walk with an added bounce in your step.  It makes you smile seeing the great job Jack Frost did on your windowpanes and you do not mind scraping the car windows before you can drive to go Christmas shopping.  You travel slowly down the street looking at all the fabulous light shows displayed on the houses and lawns of friends, neighbors and even strangers.  Fighting the crowds while shopping for the perfect Christmas gifts for loved ones, friends and co-workers, just adds to the excitement of Christmas.  This is all part of the joy of Christmas. 

If you have children, you hide their gifts because you know that just like you when you were a child, they will be hunting for them.  Sometimes you keep them at a friend’s house so the children do not find their Christmas gifts and you get a chance to visit while you wrap them.  If you have younger children, there are often bikes and doll carriages to be constructed or toys that need batteries put in them.  Do not forget to mail the children’s letters to Santa at the North Pole.  No matter how old your children are, even ones living away from home, they love Christmas stockings so stocking stuffers are necessary.  A great family tradition is to take your children to buy a few Christmas gifts and food items to donate to those less fortunate.  Christmas is a time for giving and enjoying the company of all people, not just those that you already know.         

Christmas morning finally arrives, gifts are opened and the turkey is stuffed and in the oven.  The Christmas tree glows and sparkles with tiny lights and beautiful Christmas ornaments.  Opened gifts sit under the tree; the children are playing while the adults sit and talk.  After all the hard work of preparing for Christmas, it has been worth every second.  Other family members and friends stop by to wish you Merry Christmas and to celebrate this wonderful holiday.  Everyone sits down to a lovely Christmas dinner of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy.  Desert is often plum pudding or Christmas cookies, if you have any room left.  After tidying up and tucking the children into bed, you finally get to sit down and put your feet up.

At Christmas, many people celebrate Christ’s birth while others celebrate life and pray for peace and harmony.  We remember loved ones we have lost and reminisce about years gone by.  No matter how old we are, what race, heritage or upbringing, Christmas is a time to love, rejoice and live. 

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The fir tree was a Pagan symbol for winter. They had the habit of decorating the trees. 1,000 year ago, St Boniface, who converted the German people to Christianity, was said to have come across a group of Pagans worshipping an oak tree. In anger, St Boniface is said to have cut the oak tree. To everyones amazement a young fir tree sprung up from the roots of the oak tree. St Boniface took this as a sign of the Christian faith. This believe was past on from generation to generation and in the 16th century the fir tree was brought into the home at Christmas time and decorated. The Christmas tree tradition has begon.

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In 1840 in London, England, a British narrative painter named John Callcott Horsley designed the very first commercial Christmas card.  Sir Henry Cole, first director of the Victoria and Albert Museum and a friend of Horsley, requested he do this.  The one thousand Christmas and New Year’s cards he designed never went on sale until 1843.  Controversy surrounded the card because it depicted a family toasting Christmas.  Although puritans denounced it immediately, many others loved the idea.  Other artists followed Horsley’s example, as the Christmas card became exceedingly popular.  In 1849, English artist William Egley designed an extremely popular Christmas card.  New years greeting cards, on the other hand, had been around since 1796 when merchants sent them to their customers.  These cards usually said best wishes for the New Year.  The fashionable Christmas cards gradually replaced the New Year’s cards. 

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Christmas preparations commence right after Thanksgiving. Christmas decorations in all shapes and sizes adorn store shelves. Dads and MOms brave the snowstorms or the freezing weather just to line up outside toy stores to be the first to buy the newest item on sale. The next Christmas morning the adults don't even want to get out of bed because of all that waiting. This year why don't you focus on faith not on money. Let's prepare our hearts to welcome the Christmas season with our family members in a spiritual way. Family Worship The Advent season (which means coming or arrival) starts on the first Sunday after Thanksgiving and continues to four Sundays. The coming of the child Jesus into the world is celebrated during Advent and values the importance of this event in the lives of every Christian. The Advent wreath, the centerpiece of worship, consists of a small wreath (real or artificial), evergreen sprigs, five candleholders, and five candles. Three of the candles can be purple or deep blue, one is traditionally pink or rose-colored, and the fifth candle is white. The candles are arranged in a circular fashion inside the wreath with the white candle, usually called the Christ candle, in the center of the other four. The time for worship is performed each Sunday before church or in the evening before going to sleep. Each member of the family can light the candles and read the prayer or devotional. After the prayer, a moment can be set aside for any inquiries the young ones may want to ask about the activity. Family Fun Holidays are a time for people to get out and celebrate with family and friends. As a family, host a "Christmas for Christ" party. Involve the whole family in the planning. The central theme, of course, is the celebration of the birth of Christ. Have the children create their own special invitations. Invite Christian and non-Christian friends alike. Do the shopping for game prizes at this time too. If a lot of activities are planned, start early enough to fit everything into the evening. To lessen the costs, have the people you've invited bring a dish to serve buffet-style. Since different ornaments will already be hung for Christmas, no added display is needed. Also a costume party is fun. Have your guests dress as a character from the nativity scene. There will be prizes for the best costume. The games that are chosen should fit the Christmas spirit theme. Have trivia games, charades, and puzzles at parties; everybody loves them. Kids will be the ones to take charge of the games while parents take care of the food. Don't forget to end the night as well as you started. No Christmas gathering is complete without dessert, singing of carols, and the telling of the Christmas story. Sharing your faith with your family should be special and fun. You will create Christmas traditions that will be enjoyed for years to come.