The Victorian era helped establish many modern day Christmas traditions, including Christmas cards, Christmas trees, and Santa Clause. This year, host a Victorian-themed Christmas party for your family and friends. Decorate with Victorian reproductions and serve authentic Victorian cuisine. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
Invitations
1. Purchase old-fashioned themed Christmas cards.
2. Line each card with a piece of heavy card stock, in either red or green.
3. Use a gold metallic calligraphy pen to fill out each invitation with the party date, time, location and RSVP information.
4. Place each invitation in a red or green envelope and use the gold pen to address each one.
5. Mail the invitations four to eight weeks in advance of the party date. The long lead time is because the Christmas season is generally a very busy time for people, so you want to get on their calendar early.
Decorations
6. Hang garlands of fresh evergreens on doorways and around windows. Decorate garlands with red or white velvet bows.
7. Cover buffet tables and the dinner table with a heavy lace table cloth.
8. Use a small Christmas wreath with a tall pillar candle in the center as a table centerpiece.
9. Place white pillar candles of varying heights around the party area.
10. Decorate a Christmas tree with Victorian ornaments, such as strings of popcorn, garlands of colorful paper, and paper cornucopias.
11. Set the dinner or buffet table with beautiful china, silver and crystal.
Entertainment and Food
12. Purchase candies, frosting and accessories to decorate gingerbread men or even a whole gingerbread house. This will help keep children entertained.
13. Organize a caroling party through your neighborhood or at a local nursing home. If possible, ask guests to dress in Victorian attire, and look like a page out of "A Christmas Carol."
14. Serve guests a variety of popular Victorian Christmas foods, such as fruitcake, plum pudding, and marzipan.
15. Offer guests hot drinks, including hot peppermint-cocoa, spiced teas and gourmet coffee.
16. Send guests home with a fresh orange studded with sweet smelling cloves for an authentic Victorian gift favor.
Tags: authentic Victorian, Christmas cards, each invitation, party date, table with, with Victorian