HUG's Holiday Party
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that more than 150 friends jingle bell rocked their way into the most wonderful time of the year at HUG’s Holiday Party. And yes, of course, there were special appearances from the Grinch, a few snowmen, and Santa Claus himself. At HUG, the holidays do not tiptoe in; they make an entrance.
Upon entering HUG’s holiday wonderland, guests were greeted by the smell and sight of a hot cocoa bar, complete with all the toppings. Cheerful faces encouraged everyone to settle in and get cozy in the dining room, or relax while watching Elf and chatting with friends until dinnertime.
To the HUG team’s delight, everyone arrived ready to deck the halls in their finest holiday attire, ranging from perfectly jolly matching sweaters, yes, Javonte and Jazmine, you rocked them, to spiffy red suits and festive pajamas. You also could not miss Zach’s out-of-this-world Santa-themed button-down, and we highly encourage you to spot it in the photos if you missed it in person.
After cozying in and getting caught up, friends and their guests enjoyed a delicious holiday spread with no shortage of turkey, ham, or mac and cheese, which was clearly a fan favorite. Of course, dinner was followed by a dessert table filled with classic sweet treats, perfectly paired with HUG’s famous hot cocoa bar.
HUG’s Florida residents may not be first-timers when it comes to fishing, but the HUG team had the joy of introducing everyone to what HUG likes to call Candy Cane Fishing. Friends raced to cast their candy cane poles into a bowl in an effort to lure stubborn candy canes all the way up. The reward? Their reeled-in prize candy canes of course.
On the contrary, building snowmen is not exactly commonplace in the sunshine state, so HUG found a way to do just that, though in a less traditional fashion. Using teamwork and trust, friends toilet paper rolled volunteers who wanted to transform from human to snowman, completing the look with a HUG cap and glasses. ‘Twas truly a sight to behold!
A gift unwrapping relay unfolded, and each table competed to see who could race to their gift contents the quickest! No worries, every participant enjoyed a sweet surprise found within…. though they were unaware that this was just the beginning of exciting gifts for the evening.
Soon after, an impromptu caroling session commenced, and the whole room came to life. The Twelve Days of Christmas rang out, complete with twelve fabulous dance moves to accompany each verse. A full-fledged unforgettable performance took place that may very well go down in HUG party history.
Someone, namely the Grinch, just couldn’t let the night carry on without a hitch, and decided to make a dramatic appearance amidst Jingle Bell Rock. HUG friends spotted the Grinch attempting to steal cookies from the dessert table, and caused enough of a ruckus that Santa just so happened to overhear.
Santa arrived right on cue with a sack of gifts, putting the Grinch’s antics to an end and saving the day.
Santa and his elves, also known as the HUG team, gifted HUG necklaces and HUG bro hats to each and every HUG friend, with hopes that the wearables would be enjoyed for years to come.
Reactions were absolutely priceless, and reminded everyone of just how much joy is inspired by friendship and community. Cameras began to flash, and it was clearly time to fire up the holiday photo booth! The photo booth souvenir strips indicated that HUG might have some aspiring red-nosed reindeer, thanks to the most popularly worn prop of choice.
As the evening wound down, sugar highs faded, games wrapped up, and friends shared warm goodbyes while catching the end of Elf (everyone’s favorite scene). As everyone parted ways, there was a shared sense of excitement for a year ahead filled with new memories and the most wonderful friends anyone could ask for.
This is what the holidays look like when everyone belongs. Cheers to a wonderful 2025 with HUG!
Written by Sarah Bryan
