What day is it? It’s a meaningful day for many people for many reasons; it encompasses weddings and birthdays, celebrations and trials. The main reason we celebrate this glorious day is not for any of these reason, it is for a much grander and nobler reason. It is to celebrate the pride and independence of the United States of America.
The 4
th July marks the date when 13 colonies separated from Great Britain in 1776 and declared American to be a separate state. Since then that day has always been a cause for celebration and an excuse to party, especially for our American brethern. Over 200 years later that has not changed at all; the British and the American are both known to celebrate with good food and games and thrilling displays of spectacular fireworks.
Such a momentous occasion is usually best celebrated with friends. As such it makes life to do something less structured so that you can relax into the party and go where the evening takes you. Barbeques are good as they help to embody the American passion for steaks and burgers as well as helping you make the most of the summer.
Creating An American 4th of July Theme
As the polite people we are, use British folk do enjoy a good party and helping the Americans celebrate their independence is just the right thing to do. So whether you’ve got American friends or members of your family originate from the good ol’ US of A, there’s plenty of reason to throw a good 4
th of July party.
4th of July Venue Decorations
They say that with food, the first bite is with the eye. When people are attending a party, the first impression is the decoration and styling of the venue.
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Scene Setters – Amercians like everything big and bold. Bring this logic to your party with our Star Spangled scene setters. These are amazing, bright and bold backdrops that will immediately set the scene as soon as people enter the room.
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Banners & Bunting – creating an American party theme is relatively straightforward. And how far you want to go depends only on your budget and enthusiasm. There’s a range of American and star spangled banner style bunting, flags and table cloths to choose from.
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Red, White & Blue – no Independence Day party would be complete without red, white and blue decorations – balloons, tissue balls, flags and stringers – all of which will help add to the theme.
The nice thing about it being such a relaxed event is that you are free from having to rigorously stick to a theme. Once you have put up a few
American flags and bought some
appropriate tableware to serve up all of your delicious char-grilled morsels, you are most of the way to a great time. A few more theme specific items should round it off nicely without too much unnecessary effort.
Independence Day Fancy Dress
Fancy dress for an American Independence Day party can be as simple as a star spangled banner hat or a
Barack Obama face mask or a you could encourage guests to go even further with big in-you-face fancy dress costumes that Amercians would love. Our range of
Independence Day Costumes includes everything from Captain America outfits to Rocky boxing gloves and larger-than-life ‘Uncle Sam’ gear.
Encourage guests to choose their own fancy dress costumes or help them along with ideas and suggestions.
American Party Decorations and Accessories
Here are some good ideas to make your life easy and add that extra detail to your independence day party:
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Flags picks – These are a great and inexpensive way of adding a bit of patriotism to the food you are serving. American Flags are great to go in hors d'oeuvres such as cocktail sausages or mini burgers.
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Buffet Style – This will help to keep it obviously American and will save you washing up if you go down the disposable route. People can also get as much food as they would like and you can continue having fun while they sort themselves.
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Fireworks – Great fun if used safely. People always like a good show and if you take a bit of time to plan your display it will look fantastic. Try finding red, blue and white fireworks to add to the patriotic party.
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American dishes – Find some American food that is not commonly eaten over here. Peanut butter and Jelly sandwiches are an American classic that are easy to make and a bit of fun for people to try. Popcorn is also good party food and goes down great during the fireworks as well. Hot dogs are also a favourite but make sure they are partnered with a good American mustard for authenticity.
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Drink a flag – A mixture of a party game and serving drink. Make a drink of each colour in the flag and move your way through the flag. If you really wanted to push the boat out, then put out plastic cups in a rectangle and fill them to make with different colour drinks to make a flag. Simple yet effective and a great combo decoration and way of serving drinks. Just make sure to keep them cold.
Looking the part is also a good bit of wholesome fun. Accessories are usually better for crowds as you don’t have to worry about getting things to fit. Hats and bowties should fit everyone and are nice and easy to give to people as they enter the festivities. They also make group pictures much better if you were think of saving some happy memories.
Independence Day Food
Once again, bigger is always better and Americans are known for loving their food. If you’re hosting an Independence Day party then the choice of finger food is probably instantly obvious – burgers, hotdogs, meatloaf, macaroni cheese are common main dishes but other popular foods might include fajitas, beef jerky, popcorn, apple pie and more. Obviously you could cut down the hassle by ordering in takeaway – pizza is an American classic favourite and will easily prove popular among guests.
So, that’s a small list of suggestions for how to throw a magnificent American Independence Day party. Let us know in the comments if you have been to any 4
th of July party and what really worked (or didn’t).
