The Christmas party you’re planning at home is coming up! Before your nerves get the best of you, here are a few tips to make sure you become the best host with the best party!

Don’t forget your food and drinks!

Any Filipino get-together is incomplete without food. As long as you have your food prepared and ready, that’s already most of the work! You can opt to order your food early, have catering services prepared, or perhaps cook the food yourself. 

If you decide to cook, it’s a good idea to prepare the food during the quiet days leading up to the event itself.  This means preparing your food the night before so you don’t need to stress on the day itself. Here are a few easy holiday treats to make for your party.

Along with your dinner food, don’t forget to stock up on drinks. Whether your guests’ drink of choice is water, juice, soda, wine, or any other alcohol, make sure you’re well-stocked. This also goes for the finger food your guests will enjoy eating during the festivities. 

Give a warm welcome

This might be an obvious tip, but it’s often overlooked. Don’t forget to greet your guests as close to their time of arrival as possible. It’s also polite to point out the bathroom so they don’t have to ask when they do need to use it. 

You can also lead them towards the food or the common area to mingle with the other guests. You can check our other article on how to set up your living room when hosting events at home.

Prepare your guest room

It’s not uncommon for guests to stay over after a dinner party, so whether or not your guests have told you beforehand that they plan to go home, it’s best to stay prepared. If you don’t have a guest room, you can use an air mattress or perhaps your couch for them to use for the night. 

Free up closet space

Make sure to clear up some space in a closet for your guests to put their things in. Doing this will make sure you won't have shoes or jackets cluttering up the party area.

Skip the paper napkins/plates

It’s the holiday season! It’s the perfect time to whip out your silverware and napkins. Skipping the plastic is also a more environmentally friendly option!

Stock up on toilet paper

Your house is gonna be packed with guests. In order to avoid that awkward exchange of a guest asking for toilet paper mid-party, make sure to have your bathrooms stocked and ready.

Consider the kids

If your dinner party guests bring their kids, you need to make sure you’ve prepared food, drinks, and activities for them to enjoy. You could even pick a movie for them to enjoy and let them hang out together in one room.

Don’t turn down help

It can be tempting to take up everything by yourself, but remember to accept help when one of your guests offer. If they volunteer to bring food and drinks, graciously accept their offer and let them be a part of party organizing if they like. It’ll definitely make for a good bonding activity.

Here are your tips! On the day itself, remember to relax and take deep breaths. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself and remind yourself to enjoy yourself and bond with your guests, it is the reason you decided to host your party!