15 Awesome Office Christmas Party Themes

An office party is about the workforce coming together for a fun day or night celebration. That’s why, over the festive season, it’s important to host a fabulous holiday or Christmas party!

Employees work tirelessly throughout the year to maximize company success. They deserve an enjoyable bash at the end of the year as a reward for all their efforts. 

If you’re looking for some ways to make your end-of-year Christmas party one to remember, you’ve come to the right place. Below are some of the best holiday and office Christmas party themes to inspire you. 

15 of the best holiday and Christmas party themes for your office party

1. Old Hollywood glamour 

A classic theme that is always a hit is old Hollywood glamor. This theme is elegant and allows everyone to get a bit dressed up for the occasion. 

For this employee Christmas party idea, set up decorations that incorporate jewels, velvet, and shimmer. Try to create an event that feels like the Oscars, albeit a few decades ago! The finishing touch should be a long, luxurious red carpet for employees to walk down when they arrive. 

Pick activities to fit into the theme, like movie quizzes. You can even host a screening of some old Hollywood classics. If you lean into the Oscars theme, you can do an awards ceremony to recognize the efforts of employees throughout the year. 

Related: How To Host The Best Holiday Office Party (Plus Ideas)

2. Ugly Christmas sweaters

It’s not the festive season without a delightfully ugly Christmas sweater. Why not make it part of the dress theme? 

Ask employees to come dressed up in their ugliest Christmas sweaters. The group pictures will be fantastic!

If you want it to be more activity-based, you can set up a Christmas sweater decorating station with beads and baubles so that employees can bring in a plain sweater and dress it up. 

To ensure that people go all out, host a small competition to reward the best Christmas sweaters. 

3. Winter wonderland

Create a snowy winter wonderland for a setup that everyone in the office will enjoy. Go crazy with the cotton balls, fairy lights, and even a snow machine (if your budget allows). 

Employees will especially enjoy this if you live in a region that does not see extremely cold weather or snow at this time of the year. 

Create a cozy atmosphere with hot cocoa, mulled wine, spiced cider, and more for a truly wintery experience. If you have a large outdoor space, you can set up a Christmas tree and a few fun activities, like ice skating and sledding. 

4. Christmas movie night

One of the best parts of the festive season is the feel-good Christmas movies. Classics such as ‘Home Alone’, ‘The Grinch', ‘Elf’, ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, and more, are popular with all during Christmas!

Set up a movie theater using a projector. This can easily be done in the office. Set up Christmas decorations, lay out blankets and comfy pillows, and most importantly, have an array of sweet snacks and bottomless popcorn. 

Send out a poll with a few options to employees beforehand so they can vote for their favorite movies. This will help you narrow it down to 2 or 3 movies for the party. 

5. Global festivities 

The holidays are a festive time for all, and everybody has their own cultures and traditions during this time. An office Christmas party that brings together a diverse workforce of employees is the perfect way to celebrate these different values. 

You can gather input from employees about what each of their celebrations entails, and then incorporate these different elements into the decorations, food, and activities. 

You can even ask each employee to bring a traditional dish from their culture to create a large, global potluck. This allows everyone to try new types of food and learn more about each other. 

Related: Christmas Bonus: Ultimate Guide To Rewarding Employees

6. Masked ball

For an office Christmas party theme with a bit of mystery and allure, you can throw a masked ball!

Employees can come dressed up with a mask on, which creates a carnival-like atmosphere. To make it more fun, ask employees to keep their masks on throughout so that they have to figure out which mask is shielding which colleague throughout the night. 

You can elevate the event to a ball with tables, food, and dancing. Guests can bring their partners and will enjoy a more traditional night of fun. 

7. Christmas karaoke 

There are endless catchy Christmas songs that get everyone in the spirit during the season. 

All you need to do is hire out a karaoke machine that has all the festive tunes, and everyone will quickly get swept up in the musical spirit. Alternatively, you can host the party at a karaoke bar or venue. 

8. Tropical bonanza

If you are based in a region with cold, icy winters, a Winter Wonderland theme may not be all that enjoyable for employees. Give them an escape from the chill with a tropical-themed party. 

Ask everyone to pull out their best Hawaiian shirts and sunglasses, and transform the office into an island paradise. You can bring inflatable palm trees, beach blankets, and colorful flowers.

Go all the way with tropical food servings such as fruit platters, fresh salads, poke bowls, etc. 

You can also offer a selection of cocktails you would typically find at a beach bar, like mojitos, margaritas, and a bay breeze. 

9. Merry cocktail class

If you are looking to do a more activity-based party, a cocktail class is a fun way to get everyone involved and learn a helpful skill for the holidays. 

All you need to do is set up a station for each person with the tools and ingredients they need for the chosen cocktail. Have an instructor walk them through the steps of how to make it. If you have individuals who do not consume alcohol, ensure you have a mocktail option at the ready. 

Employees will enjoy the class, as well as tasting their creations afterward. Popular Christmas cocktails include Eggnog, White Russians, Amaretto Sours, Espresso Martinis, Moscow Mules, and more. 

10. Casino night 

For a fun game night, you can set up a casino room for employees to get betting. 

You will need a few tables and volunteers to deal at each one. Set up popular games like Poker, BlackJack, Roulette, and more. It is best not to involve real money, but you can enforce a chip system. 

To keep the competitive spirit alive, whoever gets the most chips by the end of the night can get a prize. You can even have a winner plus a first and second runner-up. 

Ask everyone to wear their best James Bond gear for a real Monte Carlo feel. 

11. Holiday market

Christmas markets are aplenty at this time of the year, with stalls of delicious food and quaint crafts. If you have the budget and capacity, you can set up a small market for employees to enjoy the festivities. 

You can contact small local businesses that sell the necessary goods to set up a stall for the night. Depending on the size of the workforce, you can do any number of stalls that each have a food or drink choice on offer, as well as other goods if you wish. 

Set up a few tables and hang some Christmas lights around, and your employees can enjoy their own private Christmas market. 

12. Murder mystery night

If you have a smaller office with few employees, everyone will enjoy a good murder mystery night. 

You can either come up with the plot yourself or purchase a kit online. Then assign a character to each employee so that they can come dressed accordingly, and you can begin the game of ‘whodunnit?’. 

Based on the location and period of the story, you can decorate the space and serve themed food and drinks.

13. Great Gatsby

Nobody throws a party like Gatsby, which is why the movie is such a popular party theme choice for any occasion - including an office Christmas party. 

Set in the 1920s, the famed character threw the most opulent parties at his home. 

Employees can dress up in typical 20s attire (think flapper dresses and bow ties), and you can decorate the space with gold and glitz, with music playing and champagne flowing. 

14. Artsy festival 

After a long year of work, employees might need something to unwind. One of the best ways to do this is with a large blank canvas and lots of paint. 

Plan a painting party where each person gets a canvas and a range of paint colors, as well as brushes and sponges, so they can let their creativity flow. Everyone will enjoy this, regardless of their art skill levels, as there is no set way to express oneself. 

Make it fun with free-flowing drinks and food, and feel-good Christmas music in the background. You can even ask them to paint a picture for the person sitting next to them, so each employee leaves with a little gift and reminder of the day. 

15. Snow day

Most employees will remember the joy of a snow day, being able to stay home from school, cuddle up in bed, and watch cartoons or movies all day. 

Take them back to their childhood with a snow day-themed party, where everyone can come dressed up comfortably (or even in pajamas) and enjoy a cozy night. 

Lay out your childhood favorite snacks and comfort food, cocktails with a Christmas twist, and set up board games, movies, music, and more. 

Final thoughts

Office Christmas parties are the perfect way to get everyone from the workplace together. At these, you should spend time with one another, and celebrate all the hard work and accomplishments of the year gone by. So why not make it even more enjoyable with a fun office Christmas party theme? Choose from the list above and you are bound to host a party that your employees won’t soon forget! 

There are endless office Christmas party theme options to choose from. Your budget, the number of guests, and capacity will determine what you should do. Alternatively, you could ask for input from the office to get an idea of what employees will enjoy most. Perhaps even put it to a vote to see which theme comes out on top. 

Whichever theme you go with, keep in mind that a party is also a great chance for you to reward employees for all they do before everyone leaves on their Christmas break. If you want to send them off with a Christmas gift, big or small, PerkUp offers quick and convenient Christmas gift options to show your appreciation.