How to Host a Christmas Tea

One thing I like to do at Christmas time is gather with friends. The holidays offer the perfect reason to meet and enjoy an afternoon together with the girls. A Christmas tea is just such and opportunity for fellowship.

The name "Christmas Tea" doesn't mean that it is a tea and scones kind of afternoon. Rather, the name suggests an afternoon of relaxation with a group of women with whom you want to share the joys of the impending season. As a hostess, you are responsible for the atmosphere of the gathering. Set the mood and tone for the get-together. This article mentions a few tips that will help any woman host a successful afternoon Christmas Tea.

Choose a theme. You can't have any type of gathering without a theme. As the season is Christmas, you have a few choices. One idea I like is "Holidays Remembered". Ask each invited guest to write down a treasured memory from holiday seasons gone by. Each story can be shared at the Christmas tea.

Send out the invitations. Now that the theme has been chosen, it's time to invite the honored guests. Depending on the size of your home, you may want to keep the number of guests to a maximum of eight to ten women so that the job of hostess won't become overwhelming. Send out the invitations at least two weeks prior to the event date to give folks a chance to R.S.V.P.

Plan the menu. A Christmas tea menu usually consists of light fare such as hors d'oevres, a dessert, and beverages. To lighten the load, ask each guest to bring an item that will serve fifteen people. Remember: keep it simple. The point of the gathering is fellowship. Don't let an elaborate meal prep frazzle your nerves and ruin the mood. The dessert can be as simple as frosted cake squares. A local bakery can handle that order for you. Appropriate beverages for a Christmas tea would be something like Russian tea, hot apple cider, and/or hot chocolate. If you decide on the cider, don't forget the cinnamon sticks!

Time to choose the gifts. Depending on the theme, the hostess, you, may want to purchase a little "thank you" gift for each of your guests. The gifts are a way of letting these women know how special they are to you. Going on the there of "Holidays Remembered", gift ideas could be picture frames with an antique finish or lockets to hold treasured photos of someone special. Present the gifts at the end of the Christmas tea.

Incorporate the theme into a game or two. What's a get-together without games? A good time will be had by all. Again, going on the theme of "Holidays Remembered", use the stories and play a guessing game. Before each guest shares their memory, read a few lines from each story and see if the guests can correctly discover which of them you are talking about. A Christmas word scramble would be fun too. Give the guests two minutes to unscramble as many words on the paper as they can.

Wrap it all up with dessert. After the games and storytelling, let the guests relax with small talk and their dessert. You can take a breather as well. The Christmas tea has come to a successful conclusion and all the guests have had a wonderful afternoon.

Hosting a Christmas tea can be the start of a new holiday tradition for you and your circle of friends. Spending time in the company of those you love is a great way to usher in the holiday season.