Parties are fun, but you know what’s even more fun––a themed party. If you’re planning a party and would like to make it memorable for your guests—that is, make it a talking point for years to come, consider having a theme. Themed parties are gorgeous and are often planned around the season or preference of the host, something that is meaningful to them. So if you’re planning a party any time soon, or sometime in the future, and would like to try out a themed one, here are some suggestions to help you along.
- Colour Theme
You can simply ask your friends to wear all-white or all- green outfits to match whatever colour theme you have in mind. This is typically what a colour themed party entails. You can take it a step further by decorating the event venue to match the theme, which would of course include lighting, seatings and general hall décor. Party favours are something else that can be incorporated into a theme. Ensure to make the items stand out by being original with your selections. Don’t forget to make the event fun by playing good music, and throw in fun games and activities for guests to engage in.
- Mardi Gras
Believe it or not, Mardi Gras has its roots in Christianity. Celebrated during the carnival beginning during or just after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany and culminates on Ash Wednesday. Historical facts aside, this party theme is as colourful as it is fun. Purple, green and gold are the traditional colours for Mardi Gras. So, you’ll have to incorporate these colours in some form into the party. For example, the tablecloths, napkins, cutlery, and even the food can all be represented by these colours. The colours purple, green, and gold are actually symbolic because they represent justice, faith, and power respectively. Have fun with these colour blasts, and have your guests talking about your party forever.
- African Safari
African Safari themed party is just that, African Safari. It entails animals and other items seen in the jungles of Africa. Incorporating this into your party will be fun. You can get inflated animals found in the juggles like the king of the jungle, zebras, giraffes, and elephants are a fun addition due to their huge size, and will stand out in the space. Tall artificial trees can also be introduced. Placing artificial carpet grass on the ground will totally transform the space and look of your party. Your guests will walk in and have the feel of being in the jungle. You can also have some of the guests dress up as Tarzan, or other fictional jungle characters–like The Lion King characters Timon and Pumba. And of course, the cake should be a replica of these jungle animals. Although this theme is popular with the younger generation, there’s no rule that says adults cannot have fun with this party theme.
- Chinese New Year
Chinese new year is a celebration commemorating the start of the new year. It’s usually celebrated at a different time of the year from the rest of the world. You need to be mindful of when and how you incorporate this theme into your party due to cultural appropriation concerns, as it’s essentially a cultural practice of the Chinese. However, if you have dealings with the Chinese, say, a partner, friend, or even relatives who share this culture, you can incorporate some of the themes like the dresses and the rituals without fear. It should make sense if the party is planned around the time of the actual Chinese new year celebrations, and be prepared to host friends and family to some of the Chinese practices––which includes lots of food, symbols, and the traditional colours of red.
- Christmas in July
If you’re like me, you’ve probably heard of Christmas in July but aren’t exactly sure what it’s all about. Typically, this party theme is about celebrating Christmas in the month of July, on the 25th to be precise. But it isn’t that simple, although a typical decoration for a Christmas in July party theme would include a melted snowman–made of out cotton balls, black buttons for eyes, etc. The celebrations are most likely to take place on a beach, or somewhere similar. If you choose an indoor venue, though, the usual traditional Christmas colours of green, red and gold can be used to decorate and spice things up. Go all out on this one if you can, and then when the real Christmas comes along in December, you can easily throw another Christmas party with a frozen snowman this time around. Who says you can’t have two Christmases in one year!
Gladys Christian | Staff Writer
