There is nothing like celebrating the Christmas season in London! I got my first taste of this as a teenager when we went overseas to visit relatives for the Holidays. We had actually planned on sightseeing, exchanging gifts and getting home in time to celebrate Christmas at our house. Unfortunately (or I should say fortunately), Mother Nature had other plans and we were unable to fly. This led to our annual trek to London and to our discovery of the best Christmas parties in London. There is so much to see and do and the air is full of the festive holiday season.

When I think about my childhood growing up in the states, one of the things that I associate with Christmas is the story "a Christmas Carol", which is, of course, set in London. Who hasn't heard of Tiny Tim or said "bah humbug" at least once in their life? One of the things that I highly recommend that you do in London at Christmas time is to catch a show of "A Christmas Carol", which isn't hard as you can find it playing anywhere from big theaters to local playhouses to street performers. One of the best Christmas parties in London that I ever attended was themed for "A Christmas Carol". Everyone came dressed in appropriate attire, we had a band that sounded like the just stepped out of the period and we enjoyed eating food associated with the era.

If you are planning a Christmas party in London, my advice for you is to start as early as possible. There are many venues to choose from, but the best venues tend to get booked early. Sometimes they are actually booked more than a year in advance, so you would not want to wait until fall to start planning. Once you have decided on a date and secured a venue, we recommend that you mail your "save the date" cards ASAP as there are so many Christmas parties and celebrations to attend that time of year. This can be a simple card that people can use to mark the date on their calendar and then you can send the more formal or extravagant invitations at a later date.

If you are visiting London around Christmas and are not planning to either host or attend a Christmas party, there are still many festive events tied into the Christmas season. Some things that you must do include visiting the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square, going ice skating in one of the many rinks in London, attending one of the Christmas Fairs and visiting Father Christmas at Harrod's Department Store. You can also create an impromptu Christmas gathering with family and friends. Consider having friends over for some hot toddies and then going door to door caroling and spreading Christmas cheer. After all, the best Christmas parties in London don't have to be big galas that cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Simply bringing the spirit and love of the season to each other is really what Christmas is all about.