When it comes to enjoying the most wonderful time of year with your closest family and friends, one of the best ways to celebrate is to throw a Christmas barbecue. Although it may be a winter wonderland outdoors or in some parts of the world, it shouldn't stop you from enjoying veggies and meat on the grill.
It's still winter when you throw your Christmas barbecue, making it important to keep the gathering festive and have it work within a holiday theme. Have a twist on your menu items, which can include honey glazed smoked ham, grilled lobster tails, apple wood smoked turkey, and grilled prime rib. You can still incorporate egg nog and apple cider into the mix, just serve it before or after everyone sits down for dinner.
The Christmas barbeque requires holiday decorations to celebrate the season and prevent having it feel like a summer event. Consider streaming garland on the outside of the barbeque and placing a few Christmas trees outdoors where guests can enjoy the view. You can pair the holiday decor with summer decor by adding small umbrellas in the drinks or hanging photos of Santa at the beach. You'll also want to hand out stockings to each visitor for a great way to involve each person in the holiday theme.
When setting the table, you can still incorporate a few palm tree decorations with the centerpieces to mix the holiday and barbeque theme. This will allow it to still feel like a laidback barbecue that isn't overwhelmed with mistletoe or ornaments. Consider playing Christmas music in the background to set the mood, which will encourage interaction among the guests for a fun and enjoyable setting.
If it happens to rain or snow during your Christmas barbecue, be prepared to bring everyone indoors with extra seating that is available. If bad weather is expected, put the meat in a slow cooker in the morning while cooking burgers on the stove. Although you may not be able to play volleyball or ping pong outdoors, offer indoor board games that will allow guests to interact and stay busy until the food is served.
For indoor barbecues, choose a Home/Contents Insurance policy ahead of time to protect your belongings should a fire occur while you're trying to make the perfect prime rib. The policy should be active at least a day prior to your event when you begin prepping for the guests.
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