Your Festive Hosting Style, According to Your Myers and Briggs Personality

The holidays are here, which means it’s time to start prepping for Christmas! Hosting a festive event strikes fear in the hearts of some and cheer in the hearts of others, and where you fall on the scale has a lot to do with your Myers-Briggs personality type. Today, we’re breaking down the holiday hosting style of the 16 types—plus a few tips for being the hostess with the mostest without losing your grip or swearing off the holidays forever.

ISFJ: The Thoughtful Host

The menu, the vibe, the Spotify playlist—you’ve thought of it all. Long before the guests come knocking, you’ve planned everything down to a tee. ISFJs have a talent for remembering the finer details that others may overlook. Uncle Ron’s dairy allergy? Check. The benefits of a flexible seating plan? You have it down. You even remember how much your mother-in-law liked the holiday rum balls in 2023, so they’re making a comeback.

Tips for ISFJ hosts:

• Relax—you’ve got the entire thing under control.
• Remember to pause and take in the festive spirit, rather than tending to everyone else’s needs all of the time.

INFJ: The Experience Creator

The food is one of many items on your to-do list because you, INFJ, are creating an experience for your holiday guests. You tend towards perfectionism, and this shows up when you’re hosting. Your gathering may be small, as you keep your social circle small and tight-knit. But you know it’s not about quantity. You plan a festive event where guests can truly connect with each other, have meaningful conversations they won’t find elsewhere, and make real memories.

 Tips for INFJ hosts:

• Go with the flow. If the guests want to watch the game, let them… before returning to your plan.
• Prioritize alone time. All that socializing is a recipe for burnout; plan for breaks.

INTJ: The Purposeful Host  

As an INTJ, you won’t agree to host an event out of social obligation. You’d rather not volunteer to manage family drama or organize the small, repetitive details. So, when you do choose to host a holiday event, it’s because it feels meaningful and important to you. Your planning technique involves skipping the performative traditions and anything that feels like more trouble than it’s worth. You optimize the experience by focusing on what truly matters: the people who are worth your time.

Tips for INTJ hosts:

• Don’t overthink things. If someone asks why you’ve skipped the three-course meal, say that you’d rather keep things small and simple. 
• Give yourself some credit. You don’t always say yes to hosting and when you do, you know how to make it memorable. 

ISTP: The Smooth Operator

ISTPs are practical and live in the moment. That’s a polite way to say that you won’t have spent the months leading up to the holidays worrying about what to cook. You barely give it any thought until the day before the event, and somehow manage to pull the whole thing off with ease. Problem-solving is your modus operandi. Even if the oven breaks, you’ll be there with a smile and a wrench making sure everything goes without a hitch.

Tips for ISTP hosts:

• Don’t disappear when the party starts. You may be busy fixing things in the background, but you need to enjoy the event, too.
• If a friend or family member wants to help, say yes.

ISFP: The Cozy Curator 

The holidays are the perfect excuse to let your creativity run wild. In the lead up to hosting, you’re busy beautifying your home: choosing the right napkins, bulk-buying candles and picking out the ideal centerpiece. Everything is just so—cozy, festive and inviting. True to your ISFP nature, you’ve kept the guest list small and selective, consisting of people you can’t wait to spend time with. Your chosen-with-care aesthetic extends to your food, and you’ve designed a menu that will satisfy people’s appetite and nurture their spirits.

Tips for ISFP hosts:

• Give yourself some credit! Don’t underestimate your unique talent for hosting special holiday events.
• Say no to last-minute attendees. You’ve kept things intimate for a reason.

ISTJ: The Busy Bee

Attention to detail is your superpower. As an ISTJ, you’re a pro at taking care of every tiny detail without breaking a sweat. Structure is your whole thing, and you have no problem effortlessly planning a holiday get-together that people talk about the rest of the year. From the moment people arrive, they smell the sweet cinnamon in the air (you lit candles in advance) and hear festive songs (“Alexa, play All I Want for Christmas”). 

Tips for ISTJ hosts:

• Avoid being too busy to enjoy the festivities. Your guests value your presence as much as the effort you've gone to. 
• Keep things simple. You don’t have to manage every aspect of the event. Sometimes, the best parties have an element of spontaneity. 

INFP: The Idealist

INFPs are idealistic, and you feel things intensely. You’ve spent the fall season dreaming up the most wonderful holiday gathering, and now you’re ready to make it a reality. You can’t count the hours you’ve spent watching YouTube videos on how to make your own decorations, or the effort you’ve put into your Pinterest board. This can now go one of two ways. Either the party will live up to your expectations and you’ll relish every second of it. Or something will go wrong, and you’ll beat yourself up for making a simple mistake.

Tips for INFP hosts:

• Don’t be hard on yourself. Hosting isn’t easy and not everything needs to be perfect.
• Take those compliments from your guests with grace. (You deserve them!)

INTP: The Innovator 

Imagine your standard holiday party… only a little bit different. As an INTP, your curiosity draws you toward new experiences, and that spirit infuses your hosting style. If you get the urge to try a weird recipe or go with a left-field theme, you can’t help yourself. Your guests have no clue what they’re walking into, but your friend group skews quirky and game for anything, and your family is used to your unpredictable touches. Some will roll with it, some will act puzzled, no one will leave bored.

Tips for INTP hosts:

• Keep things on brand. You can experiment, but don’t lose the festive spirit.
• Have some core features, like the meal and decor, pre-planned.

ESTP: The Care-Free Entertainer 

ESTPs have a flair for spontaneity, so it’s no surprise that you decided to host an impromptu get-together on Christmas Eve. You’re not concerned with the menu—you’ll just order takeout—but you do care about the vibe. You wing almost every part of it, but that doesn’t matter. Your guests show up for the laid-back atmosphere and the chance to just have fun. No pressure, no fuss, and plenty of room to relax.

Tips for ESTP hosts:

• Create a back-up plan. You don’t need to know every detail of the event, but having some ideas is a good place to start.
• Take plenty of pictures. In the buzz of the event, you might forget to document it.

ESFP: The Party Animal

You can’t think of anything worse than sitting around a table for a quiet, traditional meal so when you host ESFP, it’s a massive party. There’s a guest list longer than your arm and a reserve list of people who can drift in and out if they feel like it. The food’s probably chaos, but who cares when the music’s playing and the room is full of friends? Maybe you’ll hit a club after to keep the party rolling.

Tips for ESFP hosts:

• Be mindful of your introverted guests. They may find the crowd overwhelming, so provide a quiet zone. 
• Don’t stress about a formal menu—just make sure there’s something to nibble on when people get hungry. 

ENFP: The Memory Maker 

Hosting is your hobby, and you’ll let nobody get in your way. As an ENFP, you have a lot of really good friends, and the holidays are the ideal time to bring them all together and encourage them to try something new. That could be tasting a new recipe you’ve whipped up, or speaking to someone you just know will change their life! You create the type of events that people talk about.  

Tips for ENFP hosts:

• Stay on track! You might have a new idea halfway through your party, but save it for next time around.
• Share your enthusiasm with your guests—your energy is always infectious.

ENTP: The Convention Breaker

Challenging the status quo is kind of your thing, ENTP, so when it’s your turn to host, you take that literally and plan an event nobody saw coming. Your holiday might involve a Secret Santa gift swap and a round of improv, and nobody’s surprised when dessert turns into a scavenger hunt around the block. The conversation will get hectic, because you just can’t help poking the bear, can you? The night is wired for unexpected twists, and guests know they’re in for a lively ride.

Tips for ENTP hosts:

• Breathe and relax. While you may love a good debate, now is not the time.
• Throw in some traditions—your guests will be expecting them.

ESTJ: The Schedule Sorcerer

When an ESTJ plans a holiday event, everything goes like clockwork. Invitations go out early and everyone knows exactly when to show up and what to expect. There’s a clear plan for everything from the appetizers to the last goodbye. Guests notice how smoothly things run and appreciate the effort, even if you’re the last one to sit down and relax.

Tips for ESTJ hosts:

• Make space for mishaps. For example, if a guest is late, be ready to adapt.
• Learn to delegate. Don’t take on all the heavy lifting by yourself.

ESFJ: The Multitasker 

As more guests knock at the door, you’re taking the ham out of the oven, setting down trays of homemade cookies, and topping up your aunt’s sherry glass. ESFJs are the ultimate party planners and honestly, you make the whole thing look easy. You can even smooth over difficult family dynamics with a quick change of the subject. ESFJs absolutely love hosting and that enthusiasm shows.

Tips for ESFJ hosts:

• Realize you can’t please everyone—so don’t try to!
• Have a plan B in case anything goes awry. That way, you can quickly switch things up. 

ENFJ: The Charming Host

Your charisma is undeniable but it’s not what carries your parties. ENFJs tend to have high emotional intelligence and can always read the room. You get right in the thick of things, pulling quieter guests into the action and introducing people who might hit it off. Before the night’s over, people are swapping numbers and making plans for next time. That’s what good hosting looks like, and it comes naturally to you.

Tips for ENFJ hosts:

• Avoid micro-managing the experience—whatever will be, will be.
• Protect yourself from other people’s emotions. If someone is sad, mad or bad, it’s not on you.

ENTJ: The Professional 

This isn’t your first rodeo, and everyone knows it. ENTJs are natural hosts, with high standards for their parties, and you make sure that you reach them year after year. Guests may forget that this is an informal affair, as you’re such a pro at handling every small detail. Your timing is impeccable and everything, from the meal to the after dinner games, goes precisely to plan… just like it did last year. 

Tips for ENTJ hosts:

• Lower the stakes. You don’t have to improve every part of the event.
• Give yourself permission to switch off and have some fun with your loved ones.