Andreas Ketels
Artist and founder of Glowbus®
Focus on fire
Christmas: cosy, warm and comfortable in freezing temperatures or – best of all – with a white layer of powdery snow. But how to achieve that mood when it is so cold? Imagine various fire elements where you will spend the evening, they will keep you warm. Fire does not only give direct heat, but it also creates a warm ambiance which makes the temperature feel less cold. Seat yourself and your guests comfortably around a fire pit, preferably at 1 to 2 meters distance, to maximally enjoy the radiation heat. Dining outside? Place your table near a fire element and, even better, decorate it with extra candles. Make sure that the smoke is blown in the other direction. Some dishes require a smoked flavour, but having smoke blown in your face while eating is not very pleasant. Use plenty of dry wood in your fire pit to limit the smoke development and always take the direction of the wind into account.
Extra lighting
Atmosphere is usually created by a light play between warm and cold. Both must be present to create the ultimate sense of rest. Check if it is possible to install some extra lights. There is a high chance they will be up the entire year to enjoy on other moments. Place a spot on a tree or another element in your garden and increase the play between light and dark, warm, and cold. You can also start the party on your driveway with a few garden torches to guide your guests to the partly location.
Food & drinks
Atmosphere for the guests is one thing, but make sure that you, as the host, are not freezing all night because you are serving everyone all the time. A self-service buffet or bar perfectly fits this experience. You can join the table and listen to interesting conversations with a glass of wine – or something else.
Usually, the evening is divided into three parts:
- Appetizers: provide a unique appetizer such as a punch bowl or herb beverage. Maybe you can do something with fire to heat up the beverages?
- Dinner: join together around the table in the open air. Provide an experience, such as a good piece of meat on the barbecue or smoked over the fire. Nothing is as enjoyable as a mix of appetizers and dinner so you, as the host, can join in the conversations of the moment, while everyone admires your chef skills.
- Moment of connection: after dinner, join together around the fire pit. It is a great moment to serve a hot beverage. And if you feel like having another bite later on? Grill something good over the fire! Think of marshmallows, marinated scampi, or just cast a few potatoes in aluminium foil in the fire, if possible, with some butter and herbs. Let the real outdoor feeling in and provide an experience around the fire.
Comfort
- Provide comfortable pillows and blankets so your guests can keep warm.
- Make sure there is plenty of room for everyone to put down their beverages, so they do not have to hold it the entire night. Chairs with arm supports around the fire pit are a great invention.
- Check beforehand whether the party location will remain dry, and that the path leading up to the location does not turn into a waterslide in case of sudden rainfall. Provide cover over the table. Do not leave anything to chance. Is there a change it is going to rain? Ask your guests to bring their umbrella so you can still sit comfortably around the fire pit to heat up.
Activities
The highlight of every Christmas party? Opening gifts of course! And you do this during the moment of connection around the fire pit. Christmas in the open air is also the ideal moment to get an old board game from the attic or play a game in which you challenge each other to tell interesting stories – with or without alcohol as extra game ingredient. Do you have kids? Then it is important to come up with fun activities for them, because if the children are bored, the parents have no rest. Prepare some garden games or create an open-air cinema. You can also be creative with outfits and organize a competition in awful Christmas sweaters. You can also organize an activity which takes you away from the party location. A game with tasks in the forest in the dark is also fun for adults.
Make memories
Do not forget to make mementos for later. Make fun videos and photos of your unique outdoor Christmas party and send these afterwards to all those present, or to those who were not present. But above all: enjoy your Christmas party around the fire pit.
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