Easter traditionally marks the end of winter and celebrates the start of spring. An Easter party is a fun way to ring in the new season. With just a little imagination, party planners can create an Easter event that both adults and children can enjoy.
Easter-Themed Decorations
Decorate the home using traditional symbols of the Easter holiday. Baskets filled with brightly colored eggs make great centerpieces. Put out bowls of mini-chocolate eggs for guests to snack on. Strategically place stuffed bunnies around the home to create a fun atmosphere, or use mini-sized bunnies as party favors. Fresh-cut spring flowers, such as tulips, daffodils and daisies in pastel-colored vases make beautiful accents. The colors of spring are light and lively, so think yellow, lavender, pink, green and light blue when accessorizing the party decor.
Traditional Easter Food
Historically, a roast lamb dinner is a very traditional Easter main dish, dating back to the first Jewish Passover. In North America, ham is generally the most popular choice for the Easter table, along with side dishes such as scalloped potatoes and green bean casserole. Deviled eggs make a great appetizer for any Easter party menu.
Classic Deviled Eggs Recipe
Ingredients
- One dozen hard-boiled eggs
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon minced onion or shallot
- 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Peel eggs.
- Cut eggs in half lengthwise and scoop out yolks, placing in a separate bowl
- With a fork, mash yolks and add mustard, mayonnaise, onion/shallot, Tabasco, salt and pepper
- Arrange egg white halves on a serving platter
- Spoon yolk mixture into egg white halves and sprinkle with paprika
Don't forget about the candy: classic sweet Easter treats include jelly beans, chocolate bunnies, and Marshmallow Peeps.
For a full Easter dinner menu, read this article and get recipes for Roasted Easter Ham, Classic Scalloped Potatoes and Green Bean Casserole.
Easter Games
There are many fun Easter activities for guests to enjoy. Games are ideal for livening up an event and creating interaction between guests.
Easter Egg Hunt
A traditional Easter activity with a modern twist. Fill plastic eggs with prizes, such as candy, coins, brightly-colored beads or small toys. Strategically hide eggs, and let guests start hunting. Alternatively, hide one giant golden egg and award a prize to the lucky finder.
Easter Egg Decorating
Ask guests to bring about six to a dozen hard-boiled eggs each, preferably dyed. Create egg-decorating stations and have them stocked with markers, stencils, glue, glitter, beads, stickers and any other fun items appropriate for decorating. Encourage guests to get creative by turning it into a contest and awarding prizes for the best decorated eggs.
Guess the Jelly Beans
Fill a bottle or large glass jar with colored jelly beans and have guests try and guess the number of jelly beans inside. The person who comes the closest gets to keep the jelly beans.
Easter Trivia
Some interesting Easter tidbits to share with guests:
- The word Easter comes from Eostre, an ancient Anglo-Saxon goddess, originally of the dawn. In pagan times an annual spring festival was held in her honor.
- Easter always falls between March 22 and April 25.
- From ancient times, the egg has been considered to be the most important symbol of rebirth.
- Chocolate bunny eating: approximately 76% of people prefer to eat the ears first.
- Red jelly beans occupy the top position of kids' favorite Easter foodstuff.
- Why is ham often served for Easter dinner? Before the days of refrigeration, hogs were butchered every autumn, and their meat was prepared for curing, a process that generally takes six to seven months – about the time when Easter takes place each year.
- Pretzels were originally associated with Easter. The twists of a pretzel were thought to resemble arms crossed in prayer.
Incorporate some or all of the above ideas and guests will be sure to enjoy a fun and successful Easter party!
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