Some holiday party ideas might exercise our urge to create useful things rather than just meet and greet. ...And in the sharing season, these useful things will likely entail doing something that others will benefit from. 

An enjoyable and unusual focal point for a holiday party could be...

• Planting trees or tree seeds (depends on where you live, of course!)

• Building a neighborhood creche

• Participating in a Habitat for Humanity project

• Fulfilling a goal that your club or other organization has had in mind (such as repainting a meeting hall, pouring over catalogs to shop for the right furnishings or equipment, or making a quilt to raffle)

• Making shrunken-wool sweater hats or mittens, or shrunken-wool blanket quilts, for a homeless shelter

• Baking healthy dog treats and making catnip mice for an animal shelter

• Shoveling snow for elderly neighbors

...Just bring the refreshments, decorations, and holiday music along!

Tired of exchanging physical gifts (that perhaps no one needs)? ...Try exchanging services right then and there. Ask each person who attends to be prepared to do something for the person whose name they draw out of the hat. A friend attended such a party recently - she took her laptop computer and used her super astrological software to generate a current-quarter horoscope for her gift buddy. One person gave a massage, some read to the whole group. You could create a poem for that person; teach her something; etc. (I.e., anybody can find something to do.) ...Fun!

...Or ask everyone to bring a favorite Christmas story to share with the group. If you like, collect a dollar from everyone too... and then collate them all into a book, making a copy for everyone.