🍺 Christmas Drinking Games

Turn up the holiday cheer with these festive drinking games. Perfect for getting the party started with spiked cider and good vibes!

1. 12 Days of Drinking

A progressive drinking game based on the classic carol. Each round adds a new rule:

• Day 1: Waterfall (everyone drinks, can’t stop until person before you stops)
• Day 2: Two truths and a lie—wrong guessers drink
• Day 3: Three-second chug
• Day 4: Four corners (point to corner, people there drink)
• Day 5: Five finger categories (like Kings Cup)
• …and so on until chaos ensues

Players: 4+ | Buzz Level: 🍺🍺🍺🍺

2. Naughty or Nice

Holiday truth or dare with festive stakes:

• Pull a card that says “Naughty” or “Nice”
• Nice: Answer a wholesome question truthfully or do a silly dare
• Naughty: Spicier questions and bolder dares
• Refuse? Take a shot and wear the “Grinch” crown until someone else refuses

Players: 4+ | Buzz Level: 🍺🍺🍺

3. Santa’s Drinking Roulette

Fill shot glasses with various drinks (some spiked, some not, one extra strong). Arrange in a circle. Spin a bottle to determine your fate. Russian roulette meets Christmas!

Players: 3+ | Buzz Level: 🍺🍺🍺

4. Christmas Carol Karaoke Showdown

Sing Christmas carols karaoke-style. The crowd votes. Lowest score drinks. Bonus rule: forget lyrics = immediate drink.

Players: 4+ | Buzz Level: 🍺🍺

5. Holiday Never Have I Ever

Christmas-themed confessions:

• “Never have I ever re-gifted something I got last year”
• “Never have I ever pretended to like a gift”
• “Never have I ever kissed under the mistletoe”
• “Never have I ever broken a Christmas ornament and blamed someone else”
• “Never have I ever eaten all the cookies meant for Santa”

Players: 3+ | Buzz Level: 🍺🍺

6. Stocking Stuffer Shots

Hang mini stockings. Each contains a dare or challenge. Complete it or take the shot hidden inside. Great for mingling!

Players: Any | Buzz Level: 🍺🍺🍺

7. Candy Cane Flip Cup

Classic flip cup with candy cane obstacles. After chugging, you must eat a bite of candy cane before flipping. The peppermint makes chugging… interesting.

Players: 6+ | Buzz Level: 🍺🍺🍺

🎁 White Elephant & Gift Exchange Games

The heart of any adult Christmas party! Here’s how to make gift exchanges legendary.

8. Classic White Elephant (with Rules Refresher)

The essentials:

• Everyone brings a wrapped gift ($15-25 range works)
• Draw numbers for turn order
• Player 1 opens any gift
• Each subsequent player: open NEW gift OR steal an opened one
• Stolen gift owner picks again (new or steal)
• Three-steal max per gift, then it’s “frozen”
• Player 1 gets final steal option at the end

Pro tip: The best gifts are either genuinely useful or hilariously bad.

9. White Elephant: Drinking Edition

Add these rules to turn up the chaos:

• Stolen from? Take a drink
• Gift frozen (3 steals)? Everyone drinks
• Unwrap a dud? Take a shot of sympathy
• Someone gasps at your gift? Social drink
• End with the worst gift? Finish your drink but get first pick next year

10. Yankee Swap

Similar to White Elephant but gifts go in order around the circle. Each person can swap with anyone who’s already opened OR open new. More strategic, less chaotic.

11. Secret Santa Reveal Game

After gifts are exchanged, everyone guesses who their Secret Santa was. Wrong guess = drink. Right guess = your Santa drinks. Keep guessing until solved!

12. Naughty Santa

White Elephant but all gifts must be “naughty”—gag gifts, adult items, embarrassing photos, inside jokes. Not for the faint of heart or office parties!

13. Left-Right Christmas Story

Everyone holds their wrapped gift. Read a story with lots of “left” and “right.” Every time you hear your direction, pass your gift that way. When the story ends, open what you’re holding!

Search “Left Right Christmas story” for free printables.

🎬 Holiday Movie Drinking Games

Christmas movie marathons are mandatory. Make them interactive!

14. Elf Drinking Game

The classic. Drink when:

• Buddy says “Santa!”
• Someone mentions the North Pole
• Buddy eats something weird
• There’s a musical number
• Buddy hugs someone aggressively
• Finish your drink: “SANTA! I KNOW HIM!”

Danger Level: High. Buddy talks A LOT.

15. Home Alone Drinking Game

Drink when:

• Kevin screams
• A booby trap goes off
• Someone says “Kevin!”
• The wet bandits argue
• Kevin eats junk food
• Finish your drink: “Keep the change, ya filthy animal”

16. A Christmas Story Drinking Game

Drink when:

• Ralphie fantasizes about the BB gun
• The Old Man curses
• Someone says “You’ll shoot your eye out”
• The leg lamp appears
• Flick or Schwartz appear
• Finish your drink: Triple dog dare

17. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Drink when:

• Clark rants about his bonus
• Cousin Eddie does something gross
• Something breaks or goes wrong
• The cat or squirrel cause chaos
• Someone falls
• Finish your drink: The lights finally work

18. Die Hard Drinking Game (Yes, It’s a Christmas Movie)

Drink when:

• John says “Yippee-ki-yay”
• Hans is menacingly polite
• Someone dies (sip, don’t chug)
• John’s feet get more injured
• There’s a Christmas song playing
• Finish your drink: “Now I have a machine gun. Ho Ho Ho.”

19. Love Actually Drinking Game

Drink when:

• A new storyline starts
• Someone makes a romantic gesture
• There’s an awkward moment
• Hugh Grant dances
• Colin goes to America
• Finish your drink: The cue card scene

20. The Grinch Drinking Game

Drink when:

• The Grinch smiles evilly
• Max the dog suffers
• A Who sings
• The Grinch’s heart is mentioned
• Cindy Lou Who is adorable
• Finish your drink: Heart grows three sizes

🎅 Ugly Sweater Contest Ideas

The ugly sweater contest is sacred. Here’s how to run it right.

21. Classic Voting Categories

• Ugliest Overall: The main event
• Most Creative: DIY masterpieces
• Most Lights: If it’s not a fire hazard, try harder
• Best Store-Bought: For those who didn’t craft
• Most Inappropriate: The adults-only category
• Best Couple/Group Theme: Coordinated ugly

22. Ugly Sweater Runway

Play Christmas music. Each contestant walks a “runway,” strikes poses, and shows off their sweater. Crowd cheers to vote. Lowest cheers takes a drink!

23. Sweater Story Time

Each person must explain WHERE they got their sweater and WHY it’s the worst. Best story wins. Most unbelievable story = drink.

24. Ugly Sweater Scavenger Hunt

Make a list: “Find someone with: jingle bells, 3D ornaments, lights that work, an animal, tinsel, something ironic.” First to complete their list wins!

🏆 Team Competition Games

Split into teams for maximum chaos and bonding!

25. Gingerbread House Competition

Teams build gingerbread houses from kits. Set a timer (30-45 min). Judge on: structural integrity, creativity, and “would you actually eat this?” Losing team drinks.

26. Gift Wrapping Relay

Each team member must wrap an item (increasingly difficult: box → bottle → basketball). Race against time. Worst wrapping job takes a shot.

27. Holiday Pictionary

Christmas-themed Pictionary: Rudolph, Santa’s workshop, chimney, fruitcake, Scrooge, etc. Losing team drinks after each round.

28. Christmas Carol Telephone

Whisper carol lyrics down the line. Last person sings what they heard. The more wrong, the funnier. Most butchered carol = team drinks.

29. Ornament Decorating Contest

Provide blank ornaments and supplies. Teams have 15 minutes. Vote on best ornament. Winners get first pick at White Elephant!

30. Snowball Fight (Indoor Edition)

Crumpled white paper “snowballs.” Two teams. 2-minute battle. Most snowballs on opponent’s side wins. Losers chug.

🧊 Holiday Icebreakers

Get people talking and mingling with these festive icebreakers!

31. Christmas Two Truths and a Lie

Holiday-themed version:

• “I once got [gift] for Christmas”
• “My family tradition is [weird thing]”
• “I’ve never seen [classic Christmas movie]”

Wrong guessers drink!

32. Find Your Holiday Twin

Give everyone a card with half of a famous Christmas duo (Rudolph/Clarice, Kevin/Marv, Santa/Mrs. Claus). Mingle to find your match. Last pair found drinks!

33. Christmas “Would You Rather”

Holiday edition of Would You Rather:

• Would you rather only listen to Christmas music year-round OR never hear it again?
• Would you rather be the Grinch OR be Buddy the Elf’s roommate?
• Would you rather have to wear an ugly sweater every day OR never receive another gift?

Minority vote drinks!

34. Holiday Memory Share

Everyone shares their best OR worst Christmas memory. Group votes on most entertaining story. Winner assigns drinks.

35. Jingle Bell Speed Dating

2-minute conversations with holiday questions. Jingle bell rings = rotate. Great for larger parties where not everyone knows each other!

🎮 Classic Party Games (Holiday Edition)

Your favorite party games, Christmas-ified!

36. Christmas Charades

Act out: wrapping presents, decorating tree, Santa going down chimney, opening a disappointing gift, holiday road trip, etc. Classic but festive!

37. Holiday Taboo

Describe Christmas words without saying obvious related terms. “Describe ‘Rudolph’ without saying: red, nose, reindeer, Santa, sleigh.” Hard mode activated!

38. Christmas Most Likely To

Holiday questions:

• “Most likely to cry during a Christmas commercial”
• “Most likely to start decorating November 1st”
• “Most likely to eat all the cookies before Christmas”
• “Most likely to give the worst gift”
• “Most likely to pass out at the office party”

Person with most votes drinks!

39. Holiday Heads Up

Use the app or DIY cards. Christmas movie characters, songs, traditions—your team describes while you guess from the card on your forehead.

40. Name That Christmas Tune

Play 2-3 seconds of Christmas songs. First to name it correctly wins the round. Loser of each round drinks!

41. Christmas Mafia/Werewolf

Classic social deduction with a twist: Grinches try to steal Christmas presents from the Whos of Whoville. Same rules, festive theme!

🏃 Active & Relay Games

Get people moving! Perfect for burning off holiday cookies.

42. Candy Cane Hook Relay

Using only a candy cane in your mouth, pick up and transport ornaments to a bucket. Relay race style. Drop an ornament = start over!

43. Christmas Tree Decoration Race

Teams have identical mini trees and ornaments. Blindfolded decorator, sighted guide. First team to decorate correctly wins!

44. Reindeer Ring Toss

Someone wears antlers. Partners try to ring-toss wreaths onto the antlers from across the room. Harder than it sounds!

45. Jingle Bell Rock Freeze Dance

Dance when music plays, freeze when it stops. Anyone still moving when “Jingle Bell Rock” pauses is eliminated. Last one dancing wins!

46. Snowman Building Relay

Teams race to “build a snowman” (stack toilet paper rolls, add carrot nose, wrap scarf). First complete snowman wins!

47. Cookie Decorating Speed Challenge

Decorate cookies with icing and sprinkles. Timer: 3 minutes. Judge on creativity. Worst decorator eats their cookie… then takes a drink.

🧠 Christmas Trivia Games

Test your holiday knowledge!

48. Classic Christmas Trivia

Sample questions:

• What country did the tradition of Christmas trees originate? (Germany)
• In “A Christmas Story,” what does Ralphie want for Christmas? (Red Ryder BB gun)
• How many gifts total in “12 Days of Christmas”? (364)
• What’s the best-selling Christmas song of all time? (White Christmas)
• What was Frosty’s nose made of? (A button)

49. Christmas Movie Quote Quiz

Name that movie from the quote:

• “You sit on a throne of lies!” (Elf)
• “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.” (It’s a Wonderful Life)
• “Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal.” (Home Alone)
• “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” (Elf)

50. Drunk History: Christmas Edition

After a few drinks, someone tells the “history” of a Christmas tradition while others act it out. Vote on most entertaining. Historically inaccurate stories = drink!

51. Christmas Song Lyrics Challenge

Play obscure lyrics from Christmas songs. Teams guess the song. First correct answer wins the point. Great equalizer—some songs are sneaky hard!

🎄 Chill Christmas Games

Not every party needs high energy. These are perfect for cozy vibes!

52. Christmas Card Against Humanity

Use the official holiday pack or make your own Christmas-themed cards. Same rules, festive chaos. “Santa’s bringing _____ this year.”

53. Holiday Couples Trivia

For couples: Each person writes answers to holiday questions about their partner. Compare answers. Wrong answers = drinks!

• “What’s their favorite Christmas movie?”
• “What’s on their Christmas wish list?”
• “What’s their most hated Christmas song?”

54. Christmas Story Mad Libs

Fill in the blanks for a holiday story. Read aloud. The more drinks consumed, the funnier the results!

55. Secret Santa Detective

Throughout the party, try to figure out who has you for Secret Santa based on clues. Write your guess before the reveal. Correct = assign drinks. Wrong = drink yourself.

56. Holiday Playlist Battle

Everyone submits 3-5 songs anonymously. Play the playlist. Vote on best/worst after each song. Worst song submitter revealed at the end = finishes drink.

57. Christmas Bingo

Create bingo cards with holiday party moments: “Someone mentions politics,” “Drunk uncle appears,” “Food coma,” “Someone regifts,” “Mistletoe kiss.” First bingo wins!

58. Gratitude Circle (The Wholesome One)

Go around sharing what you’re grateful for this year. Optional drinking rule: anyone who makes the group cry (happy tears) assigns drinks!

✨ Holiday Party Tips

Setup Essentials

• Festive cups: Red and green solo cups hit different
• Playlist ready: Mix classics with modern hits
• Photo booth: Props + backdrop = memories
• Dress code: Ugly sweaters mandatory or strongly encouraged
• Game station: Dedicate a space for activities

Drink Ideas

• Spiked eggnog (classic for a reason)
• Mulled wine (warm and festive)
• Peppermint White Russians
• Hot chocolate bar with boozy add-ins
• Christmas Mules (ginger beer + vodka + cranberry)

Keep Everyone Safe

• Always have non-alcoholic options prominently available
• Arrange rides or crash space in advance
• Pace games throughout the night
• Food is your friend—keep snacks flowing
• Know when to wind down

Make This Christmas Legendary

With 60+ games at your disposal, you’ve got everything you need to throw the best Christmas party of the season. Mix and match based on your crowd—start with icebreakers, build to drinking games, wind down with chill activities.

The secret to a great holiday party isn’t just the games—it’s the people and the energy you bring. So crank up the Christmas playlist, pour the eggnog, and let the festivities begin!

More holiday party ideas:

• Halloween Party Games
• Thanksgiving Party Games
• New Year’s Eve Party Games
• Complete Drinking Games Guide
• Game Night Ideas for Adults
• Party Games for Large Groups

Happy Holidays! 🎄🥂