With work beginning to wind down and the mercury starting to soar, it’s clear that we’re inching closer to the most wonderful time of the year. ‘Tis the season to unwind, relax and invite family and friends to come together to celebrate. However, for those of us who eagerly put up our hands to host Christmas, this time of year can feel daunting and can easily descend into chaos. Fortunately, with a little bit of forward planning and a healthy dose of delegation, you can ensure Christmas day (and the lead-up) is stress-free and brimming with joy.
Read on for our 5-step guide to hosting Christmas at your place this year.
Get into the festive spirit
The best way to kick into gear when it comes to the holiday season is to dust off the decorations and set the scene. Whether your festive decorations start and stop with a modest Christmas tree or you quite literally “deck the halls”, there’s no better way to get into the Christmas spirit than to decorate. Set aside time to dig out and organise your Christmas decorations early (preferably now, if you haven’t already). Schedule time with the family to decorate the tree, set up any lights and hang the stockings. If you’re opting for a real tree, mid-December is the perfect time to purchase one to ensure it is fresh and smells lovely for the big day.
Plan out all the food and drinks
It’s no secret, Christmas can be the most intense cooking day of the year. So when it comes to hosting, you have two options: if being in the kitchen truly sparks joy, you can take full control of planning the menu and doing all the cooking; or, if the thought of that level of responsibility is more likely to spark terror, there’s no better strategy than delegation. Plan out your menu and make a list of everything you need from mains and sides to drinks and ice and delegate to your guests. It’s best to be specific with your requests so that on the day you end up with everything you need and nothing you don’t.
Prep the supplies
Once the food and drinks are organised for the day, you’ll need to ensure you have everything you need to comfortably host your guests. Take stock of plates, cutlery, glassware and serving utensils such as salad servers and water jugs and ask guests to bring any extras if you’re short. You’ll also need to map out your seating plan. If you’ve got a big family, you may need to set up an extra table or two and rustle up some extra chairs – plan ahead to see if these can be borrowed, if not it’s easy enough to hire some for the Christmas period.
Assign jobs
To ensure the day goes smoothly, don’t be afraid to assign jobs. Guests and family members will likely appreciate being given a role as it makes them feel helpful and involved. Tasks like prepping food, clearing plates and taking care of rubbish can easily be taken care of by guests on the day to take the pressure off you.
Bend the rules
When Christmas day arrives, expect one or two things to go wrong – it’s inevitable and happens in every single household. Go easy on yourself and bend any rules you might usually uphold to enjoy the day. The kids will inevitably eat too much sugar, the house will likely be a mess and a glass of red wine just might wind up on someone’s white shirt – it’s all part of it and the best thing you can do is go with the flow and enjoy the day.
“The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.” – Burton Hills