Have you wondered how to make Columbus Day a festive and fun holiday? Well, I have some great tips for you. I know it can be hard to understand the history of this holiday and why people celebrate it in the first place. But don't worry! You'll find many ways to celebrate Columbus Day while also learning about its origins and culture.
Send Unique Columbus-Themed Invites
Invites should be sent out at least three weeks before the party. So send them in the mail, and make sure that you send them to your guests who are coming to the party, as well as all of your other invitees. You may even want to send them an email reminder about two weeks before the event just in case some people have forgotten about it by then! Your guests will appreciate being reminded they're invited, especially if they haven't received an invitation!
Get Ready for the Party
It's easy to throw a Columbus Day party. Here are some tips and tricks for getting ready:
Pick a date and theme, and get your guest list together.
Food and drink can be as important as entertainment at any holiday gathering! So make sure you have plenty of options available for your guests. It's also wise to keep the food simple to prepare—you don't want anyone standing around in the kitchen while everyone else is having fun!
Pick out some simple appetizers that are both tasty and easy to clean up (think finger foods).
And don't forget dessert! A good rule of thumb is this: if you see someone eating something delicious-looking on their plate, they'll probably like it even better with cookies or brownies thrown into the mix too! If you're throwing an adult party with alcohol at home, consider serving wine or beer instead of hard liquor since it's easier for people who aren't used to drinking much alcohol yet (like teenagers).
Choose Your Destination Wisely
Choose a destination wisely for your next vacation so you can focus on celebrating what makes it unique instead of just being there from one place to another without actually enjoying any part of it!
- Choose a location that is easy to get to.
- A place with good parking.
- A location that is easy to get home from.
- Pick destinations based on themes like foods (like pizza), sports (soccer), nature (beaches), music festivals, etc.
- Consider the entertainment options available at your chosen destination: live music, comedy shows, and more will help enhance your experience!
Keep the Party Focused on the Journey
It's a well-known fact that the journey is more important than the destination, especially when it comes to travel. Sometimes, we can get so focused on our destinations and what happens at them that we forget how much fun it is to actually get there. Columbus Day is an excellent opportunity to take time out of your busy schedule and focus on what you can do with your friends and family without any significant obligations or goals.
Decorate the Space With Maps
Decorate the space with maps of Italy and its neighboring countries where Italians settled after migrating to America. These include France, Germany, Greece, etc.
Maps can be used to decorate the table, walls, and ceiling. You can even use maps on the floor.
Hang ornaments from a string of globe lights around your house (or apartment). They will look like they're floating in space!
Set a Creative Columbus Day Party Table
There are many ways you can set the table for a creative Columbus Day party, but here's one way to make your guests feel like they're eating in a five-star restaurant!
First, set the table with disposable plastic dinnerware. You can get away with just one color per place setting, but if you want to add some variety, consider mixing and matching.
If you're going for a red, white, and blue theme, we recommend using red plates and white plates. However, if you're designing a more modern table setting, then consider using black plates instead of red ones—they'll look great against the white plates and silverware.
Next up: pick out matching disposable silverware! If you're going for the patriotic theme, all-American colors like white or red will work well here, too—but if not, just make sure it matches your plates! Of course, you'll want enough spoons and forks for every guest, but that doesn't mean they need to be identical—mixing up different patterns (like stripes) is an easy way to add some flair without breaking the bank!
Finally, fill each plate with food and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
To set a creative Columbus Day banquet table, use maps and other tools of navigation to decorate. You can also include your favorite food or drinks in the traveling theme; for example, serve hot cocoa with spoons that look like ships' rudders.
For example, We love using a map as our tablecloth because it shows all the places we've come from! The compass points out where we're going (or at least where this holiday takes place). The globe shows us how big our world is—and how small our home country is compared to everything else!
Prepare a Delicious Italian Food
Italian food is easy to prepare and will please everyone at the table. If you want to make a meal that's not too heavy but still delicious, consider making an Italian-inspired meal.
The Top 10 Italian Food Recipes:
1. Meatballs in tomato sauce
2. Spaghetti with meat sauce
3. Chicken Parmesan
4. Lasagna
5. Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli
6. Eggplant Parmesan
7. Tiramisu (Italian dessert)
8. Fettuccine Alfredo (pasta dish)
9. Veal Piccata with Lemon and Capers (veal served with lemon, capers, and butter)
10. Baked Ziti (pasta dish)
For drinks: serve Italian wines or beers, complimenting the food menu items.
We hope that this list has given you some ideas for how you can make your Columbus Day celebration more festive. As we've seen, there are many ways in which you can honor the explorer and his journey to America with food, decorations, and music. And don't forget: if all else fails, there is always pizza!