Want to usher in 2011 in a memorable fashion? Look to, oh, 1921 for inspiration. Lesley M M Blume reminds us that "there are still plenty of sublime, old-fashioned, glamorous amusements that we can import from bygone eras" to help us ring in the new year. She looks back, and presents the best party ideas of yesteryear on the Huffington Post:
- Champagne glass towers: Talk about a centerpiece. Popular in the 1920s, this round pyramid of stacked champagne glasses is brilliantly simple—champagne is poured into the top glass, which overflows into those in the row below, which do the same, cascading down.
- Punch bowls: Blume calls them the "Lolitas of serving ware." Pink party punch may look innocent, but it packs a mean punch.
- New Year's Day parties: Who said the fun stops at midnight? Host a daytime (or afternoon, depending on how "celebratory" your friends are) buffet lunch.
- Color-themed dinner: Popular toward the end of World War I, Blume cites a "monochromatically red" example that included roast beef with hot beet puree, sliced tomato salad, and raspberry sherbet.
- Royalty-themed dinner: Serve only dishes named after kings, queens, and czars, like Cherries Jubilee (created in honor of Queen Victoria) and Beef Wellington.
Click for more ideas, including
one that's quite sporty.
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