Party Time, Excellent
by Scott Hardie on December 16, 2017

I rarely enjoy going to parties and I never drink, so it has come as a surprise to me that I have lately developed a love of hosting parties where friends drink. Kelly and I have thrown three parties in three months, each with around 20-25 guests: A Labor Day cookout with swimming in the pool, a Halloween party with costumes and horror games, and a Christmas party with a gift swap.

I think we're done for a little while, just to give ourselves a break, because it takes a lot of cleaning and shopping and preparing to throw parties like this. But I'm surprised at how much we've enjoyed them so far. I have really enjoyed all of the planning and hosting and socializing and playing. I even kind of liked the stress of getting ready in time before guests arrived, which should be the least pleasant part (other than maybe the cleanup afterward).

Searching my feelings, I have a suspicion as to why I like this, and I consider it arrogant but I'm going to say it anyway: My parties are in some ways a criticism of other parties. Maybe I don't like other parties because most of the ones I've attended are kind of boring, or worse than boring: You nibble on so-so food, you have a drink (or not in my case), and you make awkward small talk with strangers, until a few hours have passed and you can finally leave. That's not appealing to me. Kelly and I have made a point of inviting people who know each other so that they're comfortable talking, and having participatory activities for people who want to do something besides stand around chatting. For instance, at our Christmas party last weekend:

- We invited guests to bring treats to a dessert potluck.
- We made candy cane martinis from recipes online.
- We asked a few guests to help with ornaments on the tree since they liked decorating.
- We had a Yankee swap game, where guests opened presents and stole them away from each other.
- We distributed a stocking to each guest, with treats and goodies inside.
- We invited guests to stay late for a raunchy game of Cards Against Humanity with the holiday cards drawn first.

We also tried to liven it up with rocking Christmas music and decorations and scents. It all went down very well; the people who I thought would be least entertained were soon cheerful and eventually laughing until they were red in the face. That's the kind of party that I want to attend. That's the kind of party that I want to host. I can't wait to do this again.

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