Merry Friendsmas

| Industry Insight

Every year, people all over the world face the same predicament: what to do with that weird, timeless time between Christmas and New Years? Or if you’re a holiday junkie and suffer from the depression that inevitably follows the festivities, it can feel like a long stretch from New Years to the next celebration. What do you do to keep your spirits up?

We have an answer: Friendsmas.

If you have a surplus of holiday spirit, chances are your friends do, too. Birds of a feather flock together, right? And, you’ve already probably spent or plan to spend plenty of time with family, but what about your friends?

Since the season has probably sucked your bank account dry, here’s how to have a festive, fun, and budget-friendly Friendsmas.

Guest List

This one should be a no-brainer. Invite your friends. Many of your friends may even be in town for the holidays, and likely wanting a reprieve from their mother’s casseroles and sugar-high nieces and nephews. They will be delighted to be invited to your Friendsmas party.

Attire

This goes without saying as well. Ugly Christmas sweaters. Scrub out the three-day-old crab dip stain on that felt reindeer and wear it again. Friendsmas parties are also perfect for people who have more than one hideous holiday sweater that they didn’t get a chance to wear. Other encouraged ensembles include: pajamas and/or adult onesies.

Food

We’re tired of cooking. We might even be (gasp!) tired of cookies. That being said, it’s not much of a party without food. You can advise your guests to take their moms up on the dinner casserole ahead of time, but you’ll still want to provide some appetizers. Don’t worry, anything from the chip aisle will do.

If you’re a more gracious host, consider ordering takeout like pizza or chinese food. Nothing says Friendsmas like a bowl of lo mein and orange chicken.

Entertainment

If you can’t have a great time just hanging with your friends, you probably need cooler friends. Think about it. But, even if you do have awesome friends, no time can’t be made even better with an upbeat Spotify playlist.

Pick out some group games in advance, too. Here are some of our favorites for immature adults:

Regift Exchange

Raise your hand if you got an oven mitt at your family’s holiday gift exchange. Or, perhaps you mentioned once that you enjoy a good candle, and ended up with like eight of them. Whether it’s something you’ll never use like the sock stretcher you got as a White Elephant pick or something you just don’t want, Friendsmas is the perfect opportunity to regift these unwanted items. And who knows, maybe you’ll get something you actually want this time.

How will you be spending your Friendsmas? We guarantee that if you follow any number of these traditions – and maybe add a few of your own – Friendsmas will be an occasion you look forward to every year!