Charades

"Ok: an event, one word, two syllables, first syllable sounds like… Mist?" To get people to guess the word "Christmas" this way you will need to break out your very best charades skills - then again acting like a pine tree isn't all that easy either. Charades is a lot of fun though, and it's one of those great Christmas traditions, too. Here are a few ideas for holiday related terms - and some ways to make people understand what exactly it is you're trying to make them guess.

People

Santa Claus: Try clutching your belly like it were really big and then pretend to be laughing so your whole body bobs up and down, to the rhythm of "ho ho ho". If that doesn't work you can always resort to stroking an imaginary beard, or handing out invisible presents.

Jesus: Lying down like a little baby crying will do the trick when your team mates are really in the Christmas spirit. Otherwise you could always try blessing them, performing a miracle or walking on water. And if that doesn't work, there's always the old flying up to heaven trick…

Books

The Bible: Act like a priest who's reading from the Holy Book to his congregation or hold your hands together so they form a cross - that should be enough to make everybody know the answer!

Hamlet: Your best bet is to go with the "ham" part of Hamlet: most people know the famous "to be or not to be" quote, but not many know any more about the story. Good luck with this one…

Films

Bad Santa: Do exactly what the person did who had to act out Santa Claus before, and then add some finger wagging to it - you know, the gesture you would make to a child that's done a naughty thing. Or lay on your best Moonwalk moves and dance around to the beat of "Bad". Or do the "sounds like" thing (that's where you pull your ear lobe) and pretend to be asleep - you know, "bed". You'll get there…

Casino Royale: Come on, of course you've tried a James Bond face in front of your bedroom mirror, so try that first. When (note that we didn't write "if") that doesn't work, act out a cards dealer, a roulette table, rolling the dice or playing the fruit machines, and then do your best impression of Prince Charles. Points not guaranteed - laughs on the other hand…

Songs

Jingle Bells: Not an easy one, this. Unless you have a tube of Pringles on the table, in which case you could just go "sounds like" and point to the crisps. And then jump up and down like you were hanging from a rope, sounding the bells in a bell tower.

A Few More Ideas for Charades Assignments

People

Joseph, Mary, the Three Wise Men, Michael Jackson, the Queen of England, Robbie Williams…

Books

The Da Vinci Code, Blink, The Tipping Point, Guinness Book of World Records, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Wizard of Oz…

Films

Home Alone, The Polar Express, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Marie Antoinette, Rocky 5…

Songs

White Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Merry Xmas, Angels, Can't Get You Out of My Head…

TV

Friends, Match of the day, Only Fools and Horses, Strictley Come Dancing, Im a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, The Simpsons, That 70s Show....