I can always come up with a zillion ideas for holiday parties. But this article is different.People sometimes find themselves in "a pickle" when there's bad blood in a family, friends that don't like each other, and people who take the word "party" too far by drinking too much.
Here's where you'll find useful ideas and helpful options to help you (and your family and friends) with keeping the peace at your holiday party.
The bulk of my family is spread out in about four states or so. If there's any bad blood (beyond those who are annoyed with others for whatever lame-butt reason), I don't know about it.
Friends of the family spend holidays with their own families, but sometimes drop by for dessert and coffee later.
The alcoholics on my mom's side of the family hit rock bottom a long time ago. They're sober now.
Growing up, I missed all of their drama (doggone it) because most of them live in Los Angeles. Except one time. I was about 10 years old when it happened, and laughing my fanny off. My mom's youngest sister was kicked out of my grandmothers house for cussing her out. She was yelling and screaming something fierce. They couldn't hide that one from me!
I have absolutely no idea about the status of the drinkers on my dad's side. Most of his family live in Texas. Yee-ha!
Believe it or not, everyone really can get along at a holiday party! Here are some holiday party suggestions that show you that keeping the peace at your holiday party is possible.
With a well thought out and executed plan, you can make your get-together as uneventful of an event as possible.
Shake up tradition
Traditional rituals can be cool, but not if they're accompanied by people's same old bad behaviors. Try changing your venue. Move the holiday party from your place to a restaurant - except, no repeat of the Real Housewives of New Jersey table flipping, pluh- eez! Or take the festivities to your younger cousin's place. You'd be surprised. A change of venue can alter the dynamics and change everything.
Limit liquor
Everyone knows that in moderation, alcohol relaxes people. It can also cause some people to misbehave, especially if they've arrived at the scene of the party with a chip on their shoulder. If you know that a family member overindulges and then acts out, establish some drinking (or booze) guidelines.
- Announce your guidelines on the inside of your holiday party invitations to explain your "keeping the peace guidelines" beforehand. Keeping the peace at your holiday party, state in your holiday party invitation that the theme for the party is to focus on the children. Add to the holiday cards, that the goal is to ensure that the children attending the holiday party will feel cared for and comfortable.
- Whether you're celebrating the holidays at a public or private location, limit the amount of alcohol that will be served so that everyone will be able to enjoy the great food.
- Guideline example, like - if you show up "tipsy", we'll take a group vote on whether you are or not - and if we all agree (that you're tipsy), you'll be escorted out, immediately.
- Or, if you abuse the guidelines and get boozed up after you've arrived at the party site - and it's determined that you are drunk (or you're getting drunk), whether you've had one drink (because you were drinking before you arrived and it only took one or two cocktails to set you off) or ten drinks (because you're guzzling drinks as fast as the waiter can bring them), you will be escorted out.
Invite an "innocent witness"
The presence of an outsider tends to make family members more inclined to class it up and control themselves. Your guest playing this role will usually make everyone (except maybe, the children) more aware of their behavior.
Provide entertainment
If your get-together only about eating, there will plenty of time for hanging out and socializing - complete with the skirmishes that can go with it. Plan something. Think of activities that will give everyone something to focus on besides one another. Your holiday party should be a good time for all and fun!
- Have everyone arrive earlier than usual with canned goods and nutritious holiday party snacks. Have the gear available to make baskets (baskets [one of the best places to buy inexpensive baskets are at a hardware store], stuffing material [use new garbage bags to plump up the interior bottom of baskets, buy cheap holiday print fabric by the yard to cover the garbage bag base, kind of like holiday wallpaper - to hide the bottom of your plumped up basket]). When the task is completed, everyone can help take them to your local food pantry.
- "Hire a few clowns" to do a winter holiday party skit to entertain the kids. Have willing family members and/or friends dress-up and play the role.
- Play holiday party games. Play board games or cards. Or, if you have Sony or X-Box console, organize a team competition-type game that the adults can play with the children. Buy any new video holiday games that might have recently come out. look for video Christmas party games.
- Leave out old (as in, ancestry old) family photo albums.
"Keeping the Peace" Holiday office party ideas
It's been calculated that on average we spend more time at work and with coworkers than our own families. Use the examples listed above that will work perfectly for your event. Because if you think about it, your office coworkers are your family away from home.
Company holiday party ideas don't have to be a drag and so lame that you don't want to bother to go to. The ideas listed above can become corporate holiday party ideas that will help with keeping the peace at your holiday party, for home or office. Don't be too shy to use them. Lookout for each other. We're all each others holiday gifts, anyway. Keep everyone safe.
You don't have to experience weird holidays. Christen your party as your "holiday party city"!
Spread peace and love! Peace sign art is back in style. So peace symbols and peace doves are once again really cool.
Send "symbols of peace" peace sign designed (or peace dove designed) holiday invitation cards to start your theme. Make holiday adorned peace signs and peace doves your holiday party theme logo. The peace lily could be your holiday party flower. Place holiday inspired peace quotes strategically around your party site area. Buy cool-looking peace sign tattoos for the kids.
Bless your holiday meal by praying a prayer for peace - then praying for family, friend and world peace before you sit down to eat your holiday lunch or dinner.
Add inexpensive flags of your family origin to your holiday centerpieces, along with pine cones and greenery, and peace lilies.
The word for "peace" in different languages
Afrikaans: Vrede
Albanian: Pake
Arabic: Salaam, Salam
Armenian: Khaghaghutyun
Bengali: Shanti
Bosnian:Spokoj or Mir
Cherokee: Dohiyi
Choctaw: Achukma
Chinese (Mandarin): He Ping
Croatian-Serbian/Czech: Mir
Danish: Fred
Egyptian: Hetep
English: Peace
Eskimo:Erkigsnek
Finnish: Rauha
Farsi: Ashtee
French: Paix
Gaelic: Sith
German:Frieden
Greek: Irini, Irene
Hawaiian: Maluhia
Hebrew: Shalom
Hindi: Shantih
Hopi: Sipala
Indonesian: Damai
Italian: Pace
Japanese: Heiwa
Kurdish: Hasiti
Latin: Pax
Lithuanian: Taika
Maltese: Paci
Mongolian: Enh Taiwain
Nyanja: Mtendere
Persian: Sula
Philippino:Katahimikan
Polish: Pokoj
Portuguese: Paz
Romanian: Pace
Russian: Mir
Scottish: Sith
Spanish: Paz
Swahili: Amani
Tahitian: Hau
Thai: Santiphap
Tibetan: Sidi
Vietnamese: Su Thai Binh
Welsh: Heddwch or Tangnefedd
Yiddish: Sholem
Zulu: Ukuthula
Get everyone on the same page. Post pre-established holiday guidelines and display your peace symbols proudly. When you work at keeping the peace at your holiday event - you will keep the peace. And your holiday party will be fun, too!
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