Christmas, Friendsgiving and New Year’s
Christmas party invitations with a who’s-bringing-what list
Free for one party at a time: the invitation, RSVP, a QR code, the sign-up list and 3 designs to print.
- Guests answer Yes, Maybe or Can’t make it, with how many adults and kids. No account.
- They sign up to bring a side, a dessert or the ice, and you see the list fill in.
- On the night, everyone’s photos go into one album.
Party on Saturday, December 5? Send invitations by Saturday, November 14.
Or get the Papalocal app for iPhone or Android. Same account on the app and the website.
Already on Papalocal? Log in
Real designs from made-up holiday parties.
This year’s dates, and when to send
| Party | This year | Send invitations by |
|---|---|---|
| Friendsgiving (the Saturday before Thanksgiving) | Saturday, November 21 | Now (two weeks ahead was November 7) |
| Thanksgiving dinner | Thursday, November 26 | Thursday, November 12 |
| Christmas party | Saturday, December 5 | Saturday, November 14 |
| Christmas party | Saturday, December 12 | Saturday, November 21 |
| Christmas party | Saturday, December 19 | Saturday, November 28 |
| New Year’s Eve | Thursday, December 31 | Thursday, December 10 |
Send-by dates use a rule of thumb, not a rule: two weeks ahead for Thanksgiving, three weeks in December, when calendars fill up.
Holiday invitation designs
Six designs for a holiday party, and three are free: Evergreen, Gallery and Confetti Pop. Each prints as a 5 × 7 card with an RSVP code on the back, and the same design is your online invitation, which comes out of an envelope the first time a guest opens it.
With the full app: all 6, plus thank-you cards and table signs.
Print two on a letter sheet at home, or take the print-shop file to any print shop. Papalocal doesn’t print or mail cards.
How it works
- Make itPick Holiday get-together, name it (“The Parkers’ Friendsgiving”) and add the date, time and place.
- Add the listSay what you need and how many: 3 sides, 2 pies, ice, folding chairs. Guests put their name down and can take it back.
- Share itSend the link to your group chat, print the QR code, or email it from Papalocal to your guest list (up to 50 people, free).
- See who’s comingGuests answer with how many adults and kids. The day before, a reminder email goes to everyone who said Yes or Maybe and left an email.
Who’s bringing what, on the invitation
No spreadsheet and no reply-all thread. You list what the party needs and how many of each. Guests see what’s still open, put their name down, and can take it back if plans change. You see the whole list on your page.
Not sure of the date yet? Add a poll to the invitation: “December 12 or 19?” Guests vote, and you decide whether they see the results.
Real screens from a made-up holiday party in Papalocal’s test copy of the site. The names are made up.
A reminder the day before
The morning before the party, guests who said Yes or Maybe and left an email get a reminder with the time, the place and a link back to the invitation. With the full app, the updates you post are emailed to guests too.
Also free on your invitation
- Updates you post (“Park on Elm Street”)
- A schedule (dinner at 6, gift swap at 8)
- A wall for guests’ messages
- Co-hosts and helpers
- A playlist
- Add to calendar
- Gift links (for a toy drive or a wish list)
- A website for the party
- Spanish, English or both for your guests
Christmas party and Friendsgiving invitation wording
Copy one and change the names. The first line is your title; the date, time and place print from your details. Put the dishes in the sign-up list, not the note, so guests can claim them.
Holiday open house at the Parkers’
Cocoa, cookies and carols. Drop by any time between 4 and 8, and bring the kids.
Friendsgiving at the Parkers’
We’ll make the turkey. Bring a side or a dessert, and sign up on the invitation page so we don’t end up with six pies.
Ugly Sweater Party
Wear the worst sweater you own. Prize for the tackiest. Sign up to bring a snack.
White Elephant at the Lees’
Bring one wrapped gift, $25 or less. We’ll draw numbers at 8.
The team’s holiday lunch
Lunch is on us. Bring a wrapped $20 gift if you’d like to join the swap. Please reply by December 4.
Ring in 2027
Food, games and a toast at midnight. Please reply by December 26.
Free or the full app
The full app means Citizen Plus (Occasions) or Citizens Unlimited.
| What you get | FreeOne party at a time | Full appCitizen Plus or Citizens Unlimited |
|---|---|---|
| Invitation page, RSVP, QR code, add to calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Friendsgiving and a Christmas party at the same time | One at a time | As many as you want |
| Who’s bringing what (sign-up list) · polls | Yes | Yes |
| Printable 5 × 7 invitation, and the same design online | Evergreen, Gallery and Confetti Pop | All 6 holiday designs |
| Email the invitation from Papalocal | Up to 50 people | Up to 1,000 people |
| Reminder email the day before (to Yes and Maybe guests who left an email) | Yes | Yes |
| Updates emailed to guests | No | Yes |
| Extra RSVP questions: names of who’s coming, allergies or dietary needs | No | Yes |
| Guest camera | Photos only, up to 100 | Photos and videos, up to 6,000 |
| Live photo wall for a TV | No | Yes |
| Thank-you cards, table signs | No | Yes |
| A website for the party | Yes, for your one occasion | Yes, for every occasion |
| Download everything at full size (zip files) | Yes | Yes |
| Storage | The free 5 GB every account has | 15 GB with Citizen Plus. Citizens Unlimited: 45 GB for each adult on the plan, added to your free 5 GB. |
Citizen Plus: $15 a month, with Occasions as the one app it upgrades. Or Citizens Unlimited, the upgrades in all of Papalocal’s apps: $15 a month while we finish building them, then $30 a month for everyone on it. We’ll email you 30 days before that changes.
Same account on the website and in the Papalocal app for iPhone and Android.
Questions
When should you send Christmas party invitations?
A common rule of thumb is three to four weeks ahead in December, when calendars fill up, and two to three weeks for a smaller get-together. This year’s send-by dates are at the top of this page.
Can I do Friendsgiving and a Christmas party free?
One at a time. When Friendsgiving is over, end it and make the Christmas party. Its album stays, but guests can no longer add photos. An occasion also stops counting 30 days after its date. To run both at once, the full app ($15 a month) holds as many as you want.
How does the potluck sign-up work?
You list what you need and how many (“Sides: 3”, “Pies: 2”, “Ice”). Guests who have answered put their name down on the invitation and can take it back. It’s free.
Can Papalocal text my invitations?
No, Papalocal doesn’t text your guests. Copy your link into your own texts or group chat, print the QR code, or email the invitation from Papalocal: free for a guest list of up to 50 people.
Do guests need an account or the app?
No. They answer on your invitation page with their name and sign up for a dish right there.
What should a Christmas party invitation say?
The date, start and end time, the place, what to bring or wear, and a reply-by date. Copy one of the examples above.
Can I print them?
Yes: a 5 × 7 PDF with an RSVP code on the back. Print two on a letter sheet at home, or take the print-shop file to any print shop. Papalocal doesn’t print or mail anything.
Can everyone’s photos show on the TV during the party?
With the full app: a live photo wall for a TV, where new photos appear as guests add them. On the free plan, guests add up to 100 photos to the album, and you can download them all.