Across America and around the world, New Year's Eve means getting together with friends and family to share wishes for happiness and prosperity in the coming year. Whether you celebrate with an elegant sit-down dinner or take a more casual approach by offering an irresistible appetizer spread, you're sure to have a house filled with happy guests at the stroke of midnight!
Party Tips
- Provide tiaras and party whistles for each of your guests.
- While the adults pop open the champagne, make sure the kids have plenty of noisemakers of their own.
- Have everyone bring an item to include in a scrap book celebrating happy events from the previous year.
- Disposable cameras--or a printer for guests' digital cameras--are a great way to remember the evening and to create fun on the spot.
- Pass the time waiting for the clock to chime with interactive games: charades or classic board games will keep adults and children entertained.
- Balloons and glitter add excitement to any celebration. (And you don't have to worry about the mess until next year!)
- Provide candles or lanterns for each guest to light at the stroke of midnight.
- A beautiful floral arrangement is a sure way to brighten any room, and of course flowers make a great centerpiece at the table.
- Many homes are still decorated for Christmas on New Year's Eve--add a twist to celebrate the night by topping the tree with a New Year's crown or use Christmas lights and garland to decorate the appetizer table.
- Provide each guest with a special "good luck" gift bag--fill it with candies, charms, small bottles of their favorite beverages, and flower seeds to plant in the New Year.
- Decorate paper party hats with glitter, ribbons, crepe paper, and colored markers--don them at the stroke of midnight.
Champagne is a must on New Year's Eve. Oysters on the half shell are also traditional. For safety's sake and for proper handling, see our Champagne 101 article and our step-by-step Shucking Oysters article.
 |
|
New Year's Day Brunch
Many cultures believe certain foods are lucky on New Year's Day. Hoppin' John, or black-eyed peas and rice, is traditional throughout the southern U.S. In Europe, a silver coin, a ring and other charms are baked into cakes for good fortune. The person who finds the coin will find wealth, the one who gets the ring will be married. Crown the New Year's King and Queen: the pair who discover the dried bean and dried pea in the cake are this year's royalty. Include these good-luck foods on your buffet table--and don't forget the fortune cookies!
Want to Save This Article to Your Recipe Box?
It's easy! First, copy the article's web address (Url). Then click My Recipe Box at the top right corner of this page. Click Weblink at the top of your Recipe List and paste the Url in the space provided. (Note: If you get a "Sorry...broken link" message, ignore it! Enter a Weblink Title, click Preview, then Save Weblink. Done!)
What's this?