Talking openly in public can be nerve-racking. When you’re approached to make holiday toasts at your office or a friend’s gathering, the pressure increases even more.
It’s a special event, so you need to give your crowd a warm feeling, but it’d be preferable not to get corny. You should employ stories, genuine emotion, and sincerity. In this post, I’ll show you my seven go-to ways of delivering a perfect Christmas dinner toast. Let’s see!
In a Hurry? Here’s a Quick Summary
- Avoid clinking your glass: Simply raise your glass during a toast instead of clinking it with a knife because the glass may potentially break.
- Raise your glass: Don’t raise your glass directly upwards to the ceiling. Lift it until you can barely see the toastee.
- Give thanks and gratitude: Show appreciation to everyone listening to your toast.
- Do it early: Start your toast as soon as everyone arrives.
- Keep it short: Keep it as short as two to three minutes. You can go shorter, but never go longer.
- Add humor: You can also add in a touch of humor, but just make sure that it’s not something offensive. Entirely abstain from humor in official parties.
- Consider your audience: You have to be familiar with the crowd you’re dealing with. Be aware of what they like and dislike.
- Be prepared: If you’re having trouble remembering speeches, it’s ideal to bring an index card and add in bullet points on what to say so you can be prepared.
1. Avoid Clinking Your Glass
Try not to hit your utensil into the side of the glass or plate. Why? Well, this is quite unsophisticated and potentially dangerous. Whistling isn’t appropriate, either.
The most ideal route is to speak up. Stand up while holding your glass and say, “Ladies and gentlemen! May I have your attention, please?”
Allow a couple of moments for everybody to stop what they’re doing and direct their attention towards you.
2. Raise Your Glass
Adopt a relaxed, cheerful persona while speaking. Lift the glass until you can barely see the audience over the highest point of your glass. After finishing your toast, pull the glass back toward your lips and take a sip.
Traditionally, the host gives the first toast to welcome the party’s guests. Others can speak during the dessert.
3. Give Thanks and Gratitude
Everyone should be acknowledged and appreciated during your toast. If you’re a visitor, make sure to thank the host for opening their home and for the abundance of the feast. If your group is small, mention every individual separately.
If you’re toasting in a corporate Christmas dinner, thank teams or departments that have worked hard and succeeded in certain projects. Thank your colleagues and partners, especially if they’re sponsoring your organization’s celebration.
4. Do It Early and Keep It Short
Toasting is a great way to kick off a Christmas party, so do your toast once beverages have been served. It’s also important to consider choosing a time when the visitors are generally quiet. That way, you won’t have to yell over the crowd to get your guests’ attention.
The ideal toast duration is three minutes. Going any longer may bore the guests, especially if there are numerous speakers still to come.
5. Add Humor
A safe alternative for fun is some light teasing of your audience. Think of funny things that will make the room grin and smile. Raise interesting events where they were silly yet adorable and lovable.
Remember, you should always abstain from using foul language telling humiliating stories that will embarrass anybody.
If you don’t feel great about joking, it’s alright to begin by saying something about how you appreciate that everybody is here to partake in this festival with you.
6. Consider Your Audience
Think about who’s in the room and how much detail individuals need to know. Try not to let your toast become a giant inside joke that only a couple of people understand.
This is a critical component to remember regardless of what you’re writing. Who are you toasting for? What’s the room like? Are the individual’s gathered as friends or just business partners?
Knowing what your crowd anticipates, likes, doesn’t like, and wants to hear will assist you with composing a good toast.
7. Be Prepared
Although toasting is intended to be improvisational, you can still have a plan. As Mark Twain once stated, “It usually takes three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.”
If you want to give your toast without planning, you should at least have some famous toasts in mind. A few weeks beforehand, gather your thoughts and decide what you will say. Practice your toast a couple of times until you feel that it’s recognizable and comfortable. Get a friend or relative to tune in while you practice.
If you’re not a fan of memorizing word-for-word, writing down some key points on index cards can assist you with remembering everything you want to say.
Here are some famous quotes to try:
- “I have always thought of Christmas as a good time; a kind, forgiving, generous, pleasant time; a time when men and women seem by one consent to open their hearts freely; and so I say ‘God bless Christmas.’” —Charles Dickens
- “Christmas isn’t a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.” — Calvin Coolidge
- “The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.” — Burton Hills
Conclusion
Remember that your toast is a demonstration of love. The greatest gift you can give another person is sharing your affection for them openly. It respects them, it honors your relationship, and it shows others you’re pleased to have them in your life. So don’t only have an alright toast, have a great one.
May your festival and your New Year be loaded up with laughter, energy, and generosity!
