We used to do birthday parties for our kids but nowadays haven’t even done one of those in years. We go to our neighbors who like to host New Years and Super Bowl parties.
My favorite though was this guy who ran a farm seed and chemical company and he would host this BIG bash every 4th for his employees and customers. We are talking lots of food, beer, games, fireworks, and even live music.
However we are redoing our back deck soon and want to start hosting some again.
Home is where I go to be away from people and let my natural introverted self recharge from social interaction. It’s not where I socialize. If I’m inviting someone into my very private space there’s either a strong reason to overcome that norm or they are exceptionally close to me. A party isn’t a strong reason and tends to imply way too big of a group to be that connected to.
We host one large annual party around the Lunar New Year. 15-20 people.
I also host a (five hour) holiday baking party for my daughter’s friends. Some parents will hang out sipping wine and munching on snacks. 10-15 people in total, including kids/teens.
Two immediate neighbors and we host the Halloween parents hangout on a rotating basis. Basically an open house for the cul-de-sac parents whose kids are old enough to go trick or treating on their own or with one parent.
I used to host an after Thanksgiving dinner cocktail party of sorts. A number of friends and co-workers would hang out at my apartment overlooking the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City and watch the lighting of the plaza. Most were glad for an excuse to leave their family gathering an hour or two earlier.
Not as a rule and not for several years now. I’ve jointly hosted some with past roommates, back when I had roommates. I’ve also had my place “volunteered” a couple of times and acquiesced to it. Of course I still occasionally have a couple of friends or family over for drinks and chatter and in those circumstances I might produce a couple of snacks in addition to drinks. But nothing that rises to the level of a full-on party.
In general I don’t get a thrill by putting those things on.
We’ve done a xmas-eve soupfest for my family for 12 consecutive years. Small, intimate gatherings with another couple or two we host a few times a year. Maybe once every other year we will host a spontaneous party after a group kayaking trip.
Every so often we talk about getting married at home, mostly so that we can have a crazy-big party. We have musicians chosen, the caterer and menu picked, etc. Never gotten past the planning stage, though.
I am sooo jealous. That’s the BEST way to enjoy the lighting ceremony. Sure beats being down there with the crowds. Thats probably why those apartments cost what they do. We only did that once at a law firm which had its offices down there.
Please let me know if you could use an extra friend.
We’ve been in our house just over 15 years. In that time, we’ve had one housewarming, one family Thanksgiving, (both of those in the first year) and one party just for the heck of it about 3 years ago.
Not quite-I’ve got to do the setup, the tear down and the clean up. In between I’ve got to throw a party that lasts from Thursday or Friday morning until Sunday or Monday night(depending on length of convention) for from hundreds to thousands of fans. And I love doing it.
The convention picks the celebrities and guest speakers, and while they regularly pop up in the hospitality suite and mingle with the hoi polloi, they actually get their own little gathering place called the Green Room. It is a lot quieter and calmer, a place where the pros can relax with each other.
When I was married with a family I did. So I guess the last one was towards the end of last century, so not very often. But who knows, maybe sometime in the next 20 years I may host another.
We had a housewarming party after we had moved in to our current house and got settled. That was 6 years ago. Nothing since. I’ve had people over for football games and such, but I’d never describe that as a “party.”
We host New Year’s Eve and Saint Patrick’s Day parties every year for 25-30 people. We usually host one other party each year for some non-repeating event, like a kid’s confirmation, a major birthday, etc. Those parties are for 40-45 people.
We used to host regular dinner parties for a group of families but we found that we didn’t like one of the families so we stopped having the dinners rather than dealing with the drama of not inviting them.
Less and less as the years go by. Most started with a few friends over some event or day and became annual without the intention of making them annual. As folks moved away or passed away we just never replaced the “people in the party” and just let those parties fall by the wayside. I guess we have two left – New Years Eve and a small gathering in the summer – and that is about it.
We have a large pool, so we’re kind of obligated to host parties. We’re having our last pool party this weekend, due to the holiday. Now begins college football season. We typically host around 3 or 4 parties a season to watch LSU. Around 5-6 couples and their kids are invited. Everybody brings something to eat and I’ll make either jambalaya, red beans and rice or gumbo. And a lot of beer.