A Crash Course in Hosting Your First Friendsmas

Have you heard of Friendsmas? While Christmas is generally reserved for family get-togethers, Friendsmas, as the name suggests, is a time for pals to celebrate and exchange gifts and good eats. It takes place on the third Saturday each December and gives us the opportunity to show our chosen family how much they mean to us.

If you want to host your own Friendsmas do but are worried about the costs, there are ways to pull it off that don’t have to blow your budget.

Hosting Friendsmas at your place for the first time this year? Here’s how to organise a celebration to remember.

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1. Handmade Head Wreaths

Literally *no one* likes those unflattering paper crowns that come inside Christmas crackers. So why not give your guests headwear they’ll actually want to wear by crafting head wreaths using penny gum stems? They are just as festive and much easier on the eye (and will look great when featured on the ‘Gram).

2. DIY Friendsmas Crackers

Why spend money on crackers filled with useless plastic trinkets when you could make better ones yourself? All you need are empty toilet paper rolls, tissue paper and ribbon to wrap them. You can even personalise them to suit each guest and use them as place cards. Fill yours with anything from a selection of sweets to small but thoughtful gifts.

3. Do Secret Santa

If you are on a budget, don’t put strain on your wallet by getting everyone a gift. Instead, organise that you all do secret Santa. All attendees will randomly draw names to see who they are going to be buying a present for. Set a budget so that everything is more or less in the same price bracket. Take turns opening your gifts and trying to guess the giver!

Keep your guests satisfied with some tasty appetisers. Click here for recipes that look great and are easy to make.

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What Else Can You Do?

There are plenty of ways that you can make your Friendsmas experience a special one. Here are some suggestions.

1. Pick a Theme

Since Friendsmas isn’t an altogether traditional holiday, you can ditch the Santa hats and snowflake decorations and choose your own theme. Let your guests know if they should dress up and select your decor to match the occasion.

2. Create Animated Invitations

Instead of making a WhatsApp group (we are all in enough of those!) get your guests excited for your upcoming festivities by sending out an animated invitation. These can easily be designed using free software, like Canva.

3. Have a Potluck

Not sure you can handle all the cooking on your own? You don’t have to! Ask everyone you have invited to bring a dish towards a potluck. This means there will be tons of variety and plenty of food to keep everyone full and satisfied.

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4. Create a Playlist

Set the tone and the mood of your Friendsmas celebration by creating a playlist for the day ahead of time. You can choose to go with classic Christmas tunes, your favourite tunes or something that pairs with the theme of your event.

5. Play Some Games

Nothing perks you up after a filling lunch than playing some games. Board games (alongside boards of cheese and some drinks) are a great way to have fun and connect, as are interactive games like charades.

6. Give Back

It’s always important to spare a thought for the less fortunate as we enjoy our Friendsmas feast. Better yet, ask your guests to bring some things to donate along with your leftovers to a local shelter.