Christmas At Home Or Out? Christmas is one of the biggest family holidays celebrated throughout the world. Historically and traditionally Christmas has usually be held at someone's house, usually a family member or friend. However, as people become busier at the Christmas season and families tend to move farther apart it sometimes makes more sense to celebrate Christmas out. Deciding on Christmas at home or Christmas out involves several different factors. You may even decide that a combination of parts of Christmas out and parts at home works best for you and your family. Tradition One obstacle to celebrating Christmas out is the tradition of always having Christmas at a family member's home. While there is no doubt that a Christmas spent at a residence is very warm and special, there is also a lot of planning, decorating, cooking and logistical issues that go into having a traditional Christmas at home. Think of all the hours of preparation that go into hosting Christmas at home. While it may be a pleasant and relaxing holiday for guests it is usually a very stress filled time for the hosting family. In addition to just the Christmas dinner there are also decorations, finding room for everyone to stay as well as all the clean up after the family meals and the Christmas dinner. Very rarely does the host and hostess have a chance to enjoy the event as they are busing making sure that everything is just right for the guests. Advanced Planning Either Christmas at home or Christmas out requires thorough advanced planning for the space, meals and entertainment. If you are planning on having Christmas out you will need to book the banquet room, hall or facility several months in advance to be ensured of the space that you want and need. In addition if you are using a hall or other facility you may also have to book a caterer, which means that the meal itself will be planned several months in advance. Realistically this makes Christmas itself so much easier as everything has been established long before the actual dinner. There will still be last minute changes and confirmations, but all the large items will already be determined. If you are planning on attending a dinner out at a restaurant for Christmas dinner be sure to make reservations as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Many of the more exclusive restaurants and fine dining establishments begin taking reservations for Christmas dinner early in the New Year. Planning Christmas at home is roughly the same, although you may not need to begin planning so far in advance. It is still a good idea to get out invitations early to avoid conflicts for guests, as well as plan the menu and the space requirements. If you have a very small house or apartment and want to have a large number of guests for dinner you may want to consider eating out for everyone's comfort. Combinations For those that still would like to have a traditional Christmas dinner but would also like the added convenience and ease of eating out why not consider a combination of the two. Possibly have a catered dinner or go to a restaurant for the dinner, but plan to have dessert and coffee at your house in more of an informal manner. You may also want to reverse this and have people meet at your house for a cocktail party or gathering prior to having Christmas out. Either one of these options allows you to have guests to your house over the Christmas season while avoiding all the planning and cooking of completely hosting the Christmas meal. If you are planning a gift exchange you may want to consider having this at your home, either prior or after the meal. If you are planning to have Christmas out with some time at your residence you may want to consider options for having guests get around. If you live in a cold or wintery area perhaps some guests may have difficulty driving in bad weather. Renting a limousine or car to pick up your guests at their homes, then transporting them to the restaurant and back home is wonderful additional touch. Many limo services provide flat rates if you book a block of time, regardless of the number of stops or areas that they will need to travel to. When booking a limo service be sure to notify them of the number of people and the locations of the stops so there is no confusion on Christmas night. Deciding on Christmas at home or out is a big decision, especially if you have traditionally always had the celebration at home. With some advanced planning and careful consideration a Christmas dinner out may just start a new tradition in the family for everyone.-----------------------------------------If you are a business owner get listed at Best Entertaintment Site, part of Localwin Network.