It’s that time of the year again, the time to spread joy and cheer and rejoice that finals are almost over. The best way to show you are grateful for your friends and family for always having your back is to throw a little party. As you gear up for the holiday season, be mindful that not everyone celebrates the same traditions. Throwing an inclusive holiday party is easier than it has ever been thanks to the help of Instagram-ers, Pinterest-ers, bloggers, and the rest of the internet community. You are just a search away from hearing a wealth of people from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds sharing their traditions for the holiday season. But if you don’t know where to start, here are some fun and creative ideas!

DECORATIONS:

Nature is a great place to start when thinking about decorations. You can do anything: snowflakes, tree branches, plants, and glitter. Glitter is basically natural, at least in my house. With a nature-y theme you can go as big or as small as you would like in dressing up your home. You can hang a cute wreath, set some flowers out, or just cut some nice paper snowflakes if you feel like keeping it low-key. If you are holiday maniac you can take your cut-out snowflakes to a whole new level by making them into ballerinas or dipping them completely in glitter. If you are a mason jar kind of person, filling them with cinnamon sticks, pinecones, or ornaments is always an option. There are endless ways to fill your home with holiday cheer to leave everyone feeling happy and welcome!

FOOD AND DRINKS:

Coffee is an excellent place to start when catering to your guests. Make a regular old coffee bar  a little more festive with a toppings selection of creamer, whip cream, and chocolate shavings and some lovely vegan options. If you want to be mindful of all dietary needs, make sure to pick up some gluten free and vegan snacks. The easiest way to provide a diverse menu of foods that will suit everyone is to open up your menu pot-luck style. Not only will this introduce you to a breadth of new recipes, it will also take some of the cooking pressure off of you, leaving you more time to plan your party!

ATMOSPHERE:

You can’t have a good party without some bumpin’ tunes and we have just the inclusive holiday playlist for you! Created by our very own Gina Watylyk, this playlist will get you feeling jolly and ready to party!

With all these fun ideas for inspiration you should be ready to throw an inclusive holiday party of your own!