2023 is the return of the singles party. It’s true! Post covid, so many of us took advantage of the opportunity to reconnect with family members that we hadn’t been able to see for most of two years. This year, family is still a priority, but it’s also time to gather with friends. What’s the best way to celebrate the holidays with your single friends, especially those who may not have too many options this year? Throw a holiday party, of course!
Where do you begin? Naturally, you want this party to be special. This isn’t your usual weekend gathering. Whether you want to throw a ‘Friendsgiving’ feast or celebrate the winter holidays, this is the time to execute something fabulous. Here are some holiday party ideas designed just for the single crowd.
Retro Cocktail Party
There’s never a bad time to throw a retro cocktail party for you and your single friends. It’s just that the holidays can make this party theme even better. Try a snowball for Christmas, a champagne cocktail to ring in the new year, an orange-tinted old-fashioned for Halloween, and mulled wine for Thanksgiving.
How about a classic holiday punch to serve the crowd? Find a cool punch bowl with cups and a dipper. Then, make a themed punch. Bonus points for making things extra campy. We love dried ice and lime sherbet with white soda to make a classically spooky and smoky punch. The winter holidays are perfect for bright cranberries and mint. Try warm soothing flavors such as chocolate, pumpkin, or cinnamon in your Thanksgiving and Halloween punch bowls. A crock pot is ideal for serving up hot buttered rum.
Don’t forget the retro snacks and apps. I Made up an old cookbook for rumaki, watergate salad, fondue, pigs in a blanket, or even those little sausages in BBQ sauce.
Craft Holiday Decorations
Let your guests show their creative side with a holiday decorating party. Bring your single pals over to try any of these variations of this theme:
- Bake and decorate cookies
- Paint Christmas ornaments
- Invite guests to bring a meaningful craft or recipe to share
- Have a pumpkin carving/painting contest
- Hold a holiday-themed sip-and-paint party
- Make holiday cards
These kinds of hands-on party activities are great for getting the group gathered together in one space. In addition to creative crafts, this will foster conversation and connection. Who knows, two of your single friends could make a bit of a connection.
Secret Santa With a Twist
Secret Santa is definitely a classic idea for a holiday party. The only problem is that it’s been done over and over again. You need a fun twist to really make this idea something special. That’s what takes this activity from played out to fun and engaging.
One approach is to set some kind of challenging parameter. Such as:
- All gifts must be purchased from the thrift store
- Consumable presents only
- Nothing over $5
- Everyone goes to the same store together and must finish shopping in 15 minutes
Depending on the crowd, you might also limit the group to jokes or risque gifts.
Halloween Scavenger Hunt
What could be more fun on Halloween than getting outside and scaring the crap out of yourselves and your friends? Sure, you may be too old for trick or treating, but you can definitely enjoy a Halloween scavenger hunt.
How you pull this off depends on the resources you have, and how much time you want to spend. At its simplest, your scavenger hunt can simply be a trek around the neighborhood to see who can find a list of autumn and Halloween-themed items the fastest. If you want to go all out, make it a city-wide event. Send your friends out to complete a list of tasks such as drinking a fall microbrew, visiting a haunted house, and taking a picture of a pet in a costume. You may even be able to find a tour company that does specially curated scavenger hunts. If you don’t want to do it alone, get started here to find a love partner for Halloween.
A Non-Traditional Thanksgiving Feast
No disrespect to the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. It’s just that most of us have experienced this heavy, sleep-inducing meal for several decades. Wouldn’t it be nice to do something a bit different? A singles party is the perfect opportunity to serve up a radical variation on the holiday dinner theme, or involve everybody and make it a potluck.
Here are just a few ideas:
- Make your own pizzas
- Taco bar
- Chili cook-off
- Lasagna and garlic bread
- Empanadas or tamales
- Desserts only!
- A vegetarian feast
- Chinese takeout
Isn’t a party truly about eating what you love, not what you’re supposed to?
Enjoy a Singles Holiday This Year!
Celebrate the fall and winter holidays by reconnecting with your friends. Celebrate the joys of being single, and party the way that only you and your crowd can.
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