Ladies’ Christmas Tea for Holiday Gatherings

I simply can’t comprehend that we are nearing the end of yet another year, and looking towards another magical Christmas holiday. This holiday, create lasting memories for your friends and family by hosting a ladies’ Christmas tea that is filled with light and love.

Here are some tips for hosting a Christmas tea to help your soiree run smoothly.

Decorations

One of my favorite shopping trips to do this time of year is visiting my local vintage and thrift stores. The holiday displays entice with bright colors and beautiful, sparkling accessories.

You can find all sorts of intriguing holiday-themed table decor and teacups to dress up your party arena. Glass balls, green boughs, candles, and strands of silver and gold are all delightful ways to bring your holiday tea table to life. Many thrift stores are associated with a charitable company, so the purchases you make help give back to your community. It’s a win-win!

Food

Oh, the places one can go with food for a ladies’ Christmas tea! In these tips for hosting a Christmas tea, I want you to keep in mind that your party can be as extravagant or as effortless as you’d like.

A great start to your Christmas tea menu is a classic—tea sandwiches. Don’t let the charming and delicate look of tea sandwiches fool you into thinking these are complicated menu items. Tea sandwiches are super-duper easy with just a few ingredients.

For example, you can buy a pre-made egg or tuna salad at the store, as well as other yummy fillings like hummus, cucumber and dill dip, whipped cream cheese with fruit—the options are endless.

Grab a loaf of fresh-made bread, dress it up with a tantalizing spread and slice it into quarters or triangles for your ladies’ Christmas tea. (Tip: If you chill the sandwich before slicing, it makes for a cleaner slice.) You can decorate the tops of your sandwiches, if you choose, by using a toothpick to affix an olive, slice of fruit, or other edible intrigues.

Slice up some fresh fruit for a salad to serve as an easy side dish. Your local market will have pre-cubed fruit mixes that you can purchase and serve as is, or cut into more delicate servings.

For my ladies’ Christmas tea, my mom made a delicious Almond Puff for dessert, a treat she makes for every holiday season. It’s an absolutely tasty delight with its flaky crust, doughy-soft inside, and creamy almond-flavored icing. It’s the perfect sweet for a Christmas tea party.

For more ideas on how to create an enticing Christmas tea menu, check out this helpful article.

Drinks

A warm beverage is a cozy offering this time of year. The Plum Deluxe hot cocoa mix is a taste tantalizer for your guests. It’s dairy-free and not too sweet, so you can customize it how you like.

With just two ingredients, it’s as genuine as you can find with the best raw cane sugar and raw cocoa. Whether you want to mix it with water, dairy milk, or your favorite non-dairy milk, this is winter comfort in a mug.

Eggnog has had a rather renowned past but has come into contemporary favor again in recent years. It’s a spiced, creamy beverage that now comes even in dairy-free options (like Nog Almond Milk). A petite, slightly-warmed glass of spiced eggnog would be a delightful treat for your ladies’ Christmas tea party.

And, of course, we shall have tea!

One of my favorites for the oncoming wintery weather is the Buttery Shortbread herbal tea. The honeybush base provides a naturally sweet and somewhat earthy ingredient that is perfect for a calming cuppa. Just like shortbread, this tea has a buttery feel and a sweet creamy taste (but without any sugar or butter, of course).

Fresh honeybush tea is paired with cocoa peel and blackberry leaf to give a wonderful richness. It’s a simple tea blend with intriguing depth and flavor, and pairs well with my savory tea sandwiches and sweet almond pastry.

Simplify

Of all the tips for hosting a Christmas tea I can offer, the most important one to take to heart is to allow yourself some space to simplify your plan, if needed. The theme and focus of your Christmas tea should be love, friends, and peaceful feelings, not stress, sweat, and tears.

Once you make your party plan, see if there is anything you can do to simplify your strategy. Maybe some of your food can be purchased pre-made at the local market or bakery, or assembled the day before and then chilled. Pick up a floral bouquet at the market and break it apart to create lovely small arrangements to adorn your table or give them away as party gifts. Ask your guests to bring their favorite tea with them, or a favorite menu item.

I know we all have experienced some turbulence and unexpected plot twists in our lives in the past many months. My wish for us all is that the Christmas season can be a time to reset our perspectives and look ahead with hope, faith, and inspiration that the best days are still ahead of us.

I’ll leave you with my favorite Christmas quote for now: “Blessed is the season that engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.” —Hamilton Wright Mable. Enjoy your tea adventures and I’ll see you next month!