Holidays are the perfect time to plan a great party for friends and family.
Holiday parties do take a little extra bit of planning and preparation, so checklists and patience are a must.
We, as a people, just seem to have a lot of holidays on our calendars, and therefore we've got a great excuse to have lots of parties.
The coolest thing about holiday parties is that the holidays are always quite different and really lend themselves to different themes and structures.
Holidays that fall in the summer months tend to lean toward outdoor barbeques while winter holidays would more than likely be an indoor party.
Holidays like Thanksgiving would most likely be a sit down dinner party with Turkey and lots of fixings.
But a Christmas party can be simply a stand up cocktail party.
The planning for the various holidays isn't really very different even though the outcome may be quite different.
You'll still have to have a master checklist.
You'll still need to do budgeting, plan a menu, pick a venue, develop a guest list, ensure that you have enough supplies, etc.
All of this while you still need to plan for the regular holiday.
Christmas, or birthdays for example, will require shopping for presents and gifts as well as decorating the house for the holiday.
Holidays and special events can become a bit overwhelming and it may make good sense to get some assistance from a professional party planner.
The easy part of holiday party planning is that the theme is already picked for you as well as the standard supporting decorations, and maybe even the menu.
But, one should usually try to find a way to make the event unique to you and your guests.
You may want to pick some new and interesting activities to help make your party different from all of the other parties going on during the same holiday season.
Perhaps you can find a really spectacular invitation rather than send the same old thing that everyone else is sending.
Party favors are another way you can truly differentiate your party from all the others.
If your party is around a gift giving season like Christmas or Chanukah, perhaps your invitation can be incorporated into a small party favor that can be sent to the homes of your guests prior to the party.
Perhaps you can find a talented art student who can make invitations to your Thanksgiving dinner look like something that John Smith may have sent to Pocahontas.
Holidays are so much fun because you can let your imagination run wild and no one is going to make fun of you.
When all is said and done the purpose of throwing a party is to let people have fun and have a memorable time.
It's usually a time of year when a "break" is quite welcome and you can be the person that gives all of your friends and family the break that remains a part of their memories for years to come.