Best Christmas Party – Russian New Year
Holiday parties are often more of a hassle than they are worth. By the time half of December is over and you’ve gone through a sloppy open bar or three, the idea of leaving the house ever again can be pretty unappetizing. Take the Russians as an example this year: stay at home and have a fabulous dinner party .
In Russia, the New Year – a holiday in which the grandiose party for the friends and relatives. During the Soviet era, public religious celebrations were banned, so New Year’s Eve replaced Christmas as the main holiday of the end of the year . In fact, the Russian New Year is a really entertaining dinner party. Everything happens at the table, and while food is obviously important, what you serve matters much less than how and why you serve it. This is pretty much the pinnacle of party planning, hosting and hosting; every holiday party could learn something from this rich tradition. Here are some of the key elements of a great Russian New Year, any of which you can use for your next party.
Go ahead, show yourself
Of course, first of all, this is a kind of sense of the party, but the Russian New Year really relies on the school of “demonstrative splendor” of holding. Take out the Good China, press down on the tablecloth and polish the glassware and silverware. Your guests deserve the very best.
There are no too many snacks
Ask any non-Russian to tell you about their first dinner in Russia, and you will probably hear the same thing. They sat at a huge, richly set table and literally moaned from sauces , spreads , jerky, salads , pickles , cheese, bread and small snacks , participated in an endless series of toasts with vodka and ate until they could. Unclear. Then, somehow, more food came out of the kitchen — the main course — and the whole process began all over again. This is the goal.
Snacks ( in Russian “appetizers”) are the heart of any good dinner party, so a shortage of them is a disaster. Prepare appropriately: Try your best and don’t let pride get in the way of complementing your purchases. Lots of traditional snacks come from a jar, jar, or crate of delicacies in the Russian market, so stock up on whatever pre-made snacks you like. After you’ve sorted your spread, place everything on the table well in advance of the guests’ arrival, carefully planning the setting to make room for all those snacks. Bonnie Frumkin Morales, head chef at Kachka in Portland, recommends placing your plates so they hang over the edge of the table by an inch or two. (I learned this trick from her excellent cookbook , which is a great gift for the chef in your life. I’m just saying.)
Don’t get hung up on the drinking situation
In terms of dishes, they will need exactly two glasses: a small glass for booze and a large one for water. What is included in the glass depends only on you. Cold vodka – perhaps with herbs or spices added – is traditional, but everything from champagne to really good beer and cocktail in large batches is perfectly appropriate as long as you stick with one option that the public likes and keep flowing. This strategy makes planning and shopping easier, but more importantly, leaves room for more food on the table.
Assign a toaster
You might be wondering why booze glasses need to be tiny. What party is trying to minimize the amount of alcohol you can drink in one sitting? One that lasts all night and has a designated toaster, that’s what.
You need an excuse to get drunk on the Russian New Year, so ask a distinguished guest – ideally someone with a gift for talkativeness, or at least without the paralyzing fear of public speaking – to head the party with a toast before each round of drinks. Toasts can be serious and soulful, or silly and ironic, about the health of the living or the memory of the dead, as long as they give everyone a damn good reason to drink. As the night draws to a close, the feelings behind the toasts become more real, and as corny as it sounds, it can be a powerful bonding experience.
Finish with tea
After eating and drinking continuously for several hours, your guests need two things: a hot soothing drink and someone sober to take them home. The coffee is great and all, but tea is the perfect soothing addition to dessert. Make a huge pot or boil a lot of water and hand out tea bags – and of course your prettiest mugs.
Whether you’re hosting a non-denominational winter party or a Christmas celebration, let the Russian New Year be your source of inspiration. As for the real New Year’s parties, remember this proverb: as you meet the New Year, you will spend it . Do it.