Hosting a holiday party in graduate school can seem like a daunting idea- the planning, the expenses, keeping track of RSVPs, sounds like as much work as we already do in school!

But fear not- as an avid lover of the holiday season, here is my guide to throwing the best holiday parties in graduate school- on a budget, and with minimal organization required!

Skip homemade- buy fun treats from the store!

I try to make a few homemade treats each year for my holiday parties but depending on the size (and dietary restrictions) of the crowd, I also definitely go the H-E-B seasonal section and find treats that are suitable for everyone! Some of the easy, cheaper options include candy canes, chips and salsa, and cheese and crackers! If you’re looking for something a little more festive but not quite as involved as baking, you can melt chocolate and pour it into custom molds to make any sort of celebratory shapes you want!

To help cut costs, and time/work for you, you can also make your event a potluck- ask everyone to bring their favorite holiday treat! This usually means you’ll have more than enough food, and everyone will have something there that they like!

Don’t pregame the bars- make drinks at home!

This one is so fun and so easy (as long as you’re of age, of course!). There are TONS of online recipes for simple and fun holiday drinks that you can make right at home and please a crowd with! Some of the easiest classics are things like spiked hot chocolate (use Baileys and any hot chocolate mix you like!), mold wine (hot wine with some fruit in it, like a wintertime sangria!), and White Russians (milk and alcohol sounds weird but they are so good, and actually look white!). I’ve also been known to buy margarita mix and throw it in a holiday-themed glass and call it a holiday margarita- and I welcome you to do the exact same thing with whatever your
favorite drink is! If it looks festive, it is! Decorate for your space!

Decorations can be particularly challenging- between often being renters with not a lot of space, it can be hard in grad school to have storage space for a bunch of holiday décor, and then to bring them out and try to hang them on walls that might jeopardize your security deposit! My trick is to bring out the candles where I can’t put lights- it makes for the same low- light-romantic holiday vibe without the need to hang things up! I also like to repurpose things in my apartment for holiday cheer- like switching out pillow covers rather than whole pillows, using a holiday-themed tablecloth, or using a festive blanket on the couch!

Have little activities- any game will do!

This is another fun thing to ask people to bring if you want- if there are games out, people will probably play them! We all know grad students love a good challenge, and once they get comfortable, the games will get more and more fun! This is also a great way to bring your friends together that otherwise might not know each other, and gives them something to do to get to know one another.