And Be Merry: Hosting

Hosting a Christmas Movie Night

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A simple guide with quick tips for setting up your own festive holiday movie night!

There’s nothing quite like sharing the warm and fuzzy holiday feeling of watching a familiar, jolly movie with your loved ones.

Here are a few easy tips for throwing a casual holiday movie night for the season!

Choosing your Movies

The hardest question of the day. It really comes down to taste.

One option is to poll your guests. You can do this with a free online option like doodle. Or just text your friends and ask for their top 2 choices.

And if they don’t respond or can’t make a decision, then you get to choose your favorites!

If you’re running short of Christmas DVDs, here’s a classic set!

Not sure where to start? Here are some classics to choose from:

It’s a Wonderful Life
Miracle on 34th Street (the old one!)
A Christmas Carol
Holiday Inn
White Christmas
It Happened on Fifth Avenue
A Charlie Brown Christmas
A Christmas Story
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The Muppets Christmas Carol

Slightly more modern Classics:

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Jim Carrey version)
Elf
Santa Clause
Home Alone
Christmas Vacation
Christmas with the Kranks
Bad Santa

Romantic Christmas Movies:

Christmas in Connecticut
The Shop Around the Corner
The Holiday
Love Actually
Last Christmas
You’ve Got Mail
When Harry Met Sally
Almost Christmas
Bridget Jones’s Diary
The Last Holiday
New Year’s Eve
The Best Man Holiday
Four Christmases
The Whole Hallmark Catalogue

The Snacks

Movies and snacks go together like…well, like movies and popcorn. Duh. (Yep. I actually did try to come up with some sort of creative metaphor there.)

You’ve probably been eating and drinking up a storm during the holiday season. But that’s no reason to renege on the holiday movie snacks!

DIY S’mores or Fondue Bar

DIY snacks like s’mores or fondue are the perfect way to dress up the average snack bar and make it twice as fun!

Just gather some fruits, cookies, marshmallows, candy canes, and bread (if you’re doing a cheese fondue). Set it all up and dip away.

For s’mores: add some red and green sprinkles to your marshmallows!

The one downside? You may have so much fun making s’mores or dipping in fondue that you’ll forget about the movie!

Need a fondue pot? I’ve had this little guy since college and it’s the perfect size for a movie-watching snack!

Moose Munch – Christmas Style

Popcorn is an absolute-must for movie night.

But why not take your popcorn game up a notch and make some salted caramel chocolate moose much? You can even get red or green chocolate chips or sauce and sprinkle them over the top for an extra Christmassy theme!

Moose munch too much work? Toss your buttered popcorn with cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar instead!

Too sweet? Try switching up the savory flavors in your popcorn and opt for something like garlic parmesan or jalapeño cheddar.

Homemade Cookies, Bark, or Brittle

If you’ve been busy in the kitchen this season, put your treats out on display!

Unless your guests are bringing their own candy, they’ll definitely want some sweet treats to snack on during the evening.

Candied Pecans

An easy snack to whip up. Candied nuts are one of my weaknesses and this recipe for maple candied pecans is so easy it’s dangerous.

But if you’re sharing with a crowd this is the perfect slightly sweet treat to share after the popcorn is finished.

A Cheese Board

Not into the sweet? Opt for a savory option and throw out some classic cheeses, salted nuts, and a few dried fruits.

A bonus is cheese pairs very well with wine. So you have a built in match!

Themed Snack

If you know the movies you’re watching ahead of time, why not pick a snack from one of the movies! You don’t have to recreate it exactly. But even a vague reference will get a smile out of your guests.

The Drinks

What is a holiday movie night with a cozy festive beverage to sip while you watch!

You could always go with the standard: wine. There are some great holiday-specific wines that are perfect for a Christmas movie night.

But if you want to do it up a little more festive…there’s nothing like a cocktail.

Cocktails

There are so many delicious and festive Christmas cocktails that are perfect for sipping with a holiday movie.

Try one of these 6 Festive Christmas Cocktails.

Or mix up a Big Batch Holiday Cocktail if you’re serving a whole crowd. (You can make these in advance too, so you don’t have to stress about it during the party!)

Make a Themed Cocktail

Just like the themed snack, choose a cocktail from one of the movies. (Example, “a flaming rum punch” for It’s a Wonderful Life.)

Or, you could choose a theme based on the type of movie you’re watching and make up the cocktail yourself! (A romantic Christmas movie session would go well with sparkling wine and strawberries.)

DIY Hot Chocolate and Tea Station

This is a great option for alcohol-drinkers and non-alcohol-drinkers alike. Guests can choose what they like, how they like it.

And all you have to do is put out all the necessary ingredients.

If you dress it up with lights or ornaments, it also adds a cheery party atmosphere.

Just make sure you add plenty of options and keep the booze clearly labeled!

The Set Up

This doesn’t only include your big screen TV. Consider your couch, chairs, floor cushions, bean bags, lily pads and toadstools too. Heck, build a blanket for if you want to! (Seriously build a blanket fort, it’s a great activity.)

You’ll want to arrange seating so it’s in front of whatever device you are using.

And consider the placement of the snacks and drinks! A low center table

Setting your snacks out of the way? Keep in mind people on the far side of the room may have to cross in front of the screen to reload on goodies.

You really just want to be sure everyone can see and hear the movie. If you’re lucky enough to have just gotten a flat screen TV for Christmas, go you!

Otherwise, a laptop, computer, TV, or any device you normally use is perfectly fine. Don’t splurge too much on your party. It’s supposed to be fun and relaxing! You don’t need a Hollywood A list screening room.

But if you’re worried your laptop may be too small, here’s a slightly larger portable DVD player that I absolutely love!

It has a 14” screen, which is still considered mini in TV land. But the bonus of this guy is it plays DVDs from any region around the world! Perfect if, say, you feel like watching the Christmas episode of The Goodies.

Using a laptop or portable DVD player and worried about sound? These little speakers work wonders for crackly sound! (Beware the blue LED light though. It’s always on while they’re in use. So if that annoys you, steer clear!)

Add Some Games

Most of the night will be spent watching movies. And if you want to keep it casual, you don’t need to throw games into the mix at all.

But no matter how much you love Christmas, at some point you’ll need a break. Even if it’s just to pop some more popcorn!

Games are also a great way to get the party started while you’re waiting for all of the guests to arrive or for someone to come back from a beer run.

Charades

A classic game, but make it Christmas-movie-themed!

Choose from selections of classic Christmas activities, titles of films, or even scenes from your favorite holiday movies.

Movie Quotes

Compile a list of obscure quotes from holiday movies and see which of your guests can name the right film for each quote!

If you’re doing this with films you are watching that night you could try…

Movie Quote Bingo

Make a list of movie quotes or movie moments from the various movies you’ll be watching that night. Have your guests mark down each time they find one from your list.

This probably means you’ll need a prize to give out. You could make it a batch of fresh baked Christmas cookies, a snuggly blanket, or even the choice of the next movie!

Christmas Movie Drinking Games

An obvious choice, but worth mentioning.

If you and your friends know the movies you’ll be watching well enough, then turn it into a drinking game. Just make sure you have enough drink to go around!

Or opt for something simple like ‘Drink everytime someone says “but it’s Christmas.”’ Or ‘Drink every time you hear the song Walking in a Winter Wonderland.’

Remember to drink responsibly.

Cozy it Up!

You’re watching a movie, so don’t make your party too formal.

You want lots of blankets, pillows, throws, cushions, bean bags. Really anything soft, comfy and cozy. People will likely be sprawled out on the floor or lounging on your couch. Keep it casual.

One way to really enforce the cozy factor is to tell your friends to arrive in pajamas.

Nothing says comfy movie night like a pair of fuzzy socks and pajamas.

Finishing Touches and Upgrades

There are always a few little elements that take your party to the next level.

Invitations

Invitations are totally optional, but it’s always a nice touch to receive an official invitation.

I especially recommend this if you plan on having a themed movie night.

Or if you’re asking your guests to bring their own movie!

If you’re not handy with the markers and the DIY version, there are free options like Canva that allow you to design your own invitations with the help of templates.

And remember, you can always send them over email instead of spending the money to print them out and mail each one.

Decorations

I’m assuming you already have your abode all dolled-up for the holidays. If not, this is a perfect excuse to throw up some decorations!

DIY decorations are easy enough with paper chains, cheap Christmas ornaments scattered around, and some bowls of candy canes. Hang up a string of lights and you’re ready to go!

Party Favors

Party Favors are another non-essential but very fun treat. It’s always a pleasant surprise when someone hands you a little gift as you head out the door.

Don’t go all out here. If you’re hosting people to watch a movie, they won’t be expecting anything really fancy to take home. Keep it as casual as the party.

Some fun party favor ideas: