It can be tough getting through the holiday season sometimes. Excessive amounts of family gatherings, telling the relatives the same things you told them a month ago at Thanksgiving, watching the same Christmas movies that have been on repeat this time of year since you were seven… I’m sure you can thing of your own holiday horrors and bores. Well here’s a list of eight handpicked, tried and true drinking games that will lift your spirits and keep you and others in a merry mood this Christmas. Remember to drink responsibly and have a happy holiday!
1) Merry Christmas Pong. Make pong with your friends and family a little more festive this year. Instead of the usual 1-2-3-4 triangle setup, line up two more cups with the middle cups of the last row to form the tree’s trunk. Randomly disperse a few blue solo cups (your “ornaments”) throughout the red beer-filled solo cups and fill with a shot—or two—of liquor. Normal pong rules apply:
2) Santa’s Cup. Just like Kings, but jollier.
Ace: Snowfall! Just like waterfall, except this time everyone forms a circle outside to perform the act.
Two: “Two for you!”
Three: “Three for me!”
Four: Rudolf! Last one to touch their nose takes a shot and is called Rudolph until the next four is drawn.
Five: Guys
Six: Chicks
Seven: Reindeer Antlers
Eight: Secret Santa
Nine: Bust a rhyme, Christmas and/or winter themed
Ten: Christmas categories! (Movies, songs, etc)
The Elf (Jack): Make a rule
Mrs. Clause (Queen): Questions
Mr. Clause (King): Pour some of your drink into Santa’s cup!
3) Naughty or Nice. Lay a deck of cards face down, the first person takes one card from the top of the deck. If the card is red, they drink; if the card is black, they can be “naughty” and choose someone else to drink, or “nice” and pour some of their own drink into a communal cup. The next person then picks a card, and so on. Whenever an Ace is drawn, no matter the color, that person must drink the contents of the communal cup. Play until the deck is exhausted.
4) Reindeer Roulette. Have your friends bring over a variety of different liquors (preferably holiday spirits!) to fill the shot glasses with. Place a copious amount of shot glasses (recommend buying plastic ones) in a circle and grab an empty beer bottle for the spinner. Take turns spinning the bottle. Whatever shot glass you drain you get to choose what liquor replenishes that glass. Some of these shot glasses can, and probably should, be water. Continue playing until satisfyingly inebriated. This one is not for the weak!
5) Twelve Days of Christmas: Pour the number of shots of beer that coincide with each day (example: “Three French Hens” = Three shots of beer, “Two Turtle Doves” = Two shots of beer) for each person. Again, you may need to buy plastic shot glasses. Next, everyone sings the “Twelve Days of Christmas” song! Either take a shot of beer after each phrase is sung, or take all the corresponding shots at the end of each time you sing the song.
6) Spirited Carol Singing. Everyone gathers ‘round with a drink in hand. One person starts off by singing a short phrase of a Christmas song, the person to the left sings the next phrase, and so on. When (rather, if) the song is fully and correctly completed, the person who started the song starts a waterfall. Then the person to the left of the initial starter starts a new song. Whenever someone messes up or forgets the song when it’s their turn, they take a drink!
7) “A Christmas Story” Drinking Game: We all know this movie is basically stuck on repeat from now until Christmas, so mind as well make the 8734th time you’ve seen this movie a more memorable (or potentially forgetful) one. Drink every time:
- Ralphie cries
- The BB gun is mentioned
- Someone says “You’ll shoot your eye out” à Five second chug
- Randy cries, has a tantrum, or freaks out
- The Leg Lamp is turned on à Finish your drink!
- The word “Christmas” is said
8) The Ultimate Christmas Season Challenge: This one is continuous and on-going from now until the 26th. You might need to carry a reference paper for all the rules of this one, but all these rules will ensure you will never have a dull moment! Drink when…
- Someone says they’ll save the used wrapping paper
- A part of the Christmas meal didn’t turn out “the way it was supposed to”
- A pet drinks from the Christmas tree stand
- Someone starts crying—just chug
- An ornament breaks
- You see a horrendously-decorated Christmas cookie
- Someone shakes a gift
- Someone doesn’t know how their gift works or what their gift is
- You see an ugly sweater
- For every hand-made or DIY gone-wrong ornament
- Someone gets visibly jealous of someone else’s gift
- A family member insists on taking a million pictures of you and everyone else sitting around watching TV or mid-chew
- Someone says the present looks too pretty to open
- Your grandparent/s fall asleep at any point during the festivities
- Someone clearly doesn’t like their gift
- You realize you’re still in your pajamas—no shits given, just chug
- Your relatives mix up your name with your sibling’s/cousin’s/parent’s/pet’s name—Drink the number of times they get it wrong
- The drinker of the family takes a sip
- “A Christmas Story,” “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” or any of the “Home Alone” movies are on.
- Whenever you are extra conscious of how badly you want to be left alone