Claudia Mcintosh

The holiday season is upon us again, and for many, this means more than food, friends, and time away from work or school; it is an excuse to combine the three and throw a party. While hosting a party does involve some work, it doesn’t have to be a huge hassle if you simply follow a few guidelines.

Recently Cheryl Meyer, owner of the Party Depot, held a workshop for people to learn a few party-throwing guidelines.

Meyer stressed the importance of time, saying, “You need to nail down details early and give yourself plenty of time.”

For a great holiday party, begin planning today. You should decide how many people you’d like to invite, when and where you will hold the party (keeping in mind the number of guests you plan to invite), and the theme of the party.

Meyer suggested a Mexican theme for a new twist on a holiday party. You can create your own invitations from red, green, and white construction paper, shaping the invitations to look like the Mexican flag. After writing all of the party information and an R.S.V.P. date (so that you know how many to plan for), have the invites delivered at least a week ahead of time, but not so early that invitees will forget about the party.

Also, you should always have entertainment planned for any party. Having guests play a few traditional Mexican holiday games works well for this party. You could allow guests to take turns trying to break open a Santa pi