Tag Archives: Independence Day

How To Decorate For A Boston Tea Party

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Celebrate independence by throwing a Boston Tea Party complete with old-fashioned Boston Tea Party recipes such Boston Harbor Chowder, Boston Cream Pie and Red and White and Blue Independence Trifle.

The original Boston Tea Party, which actually took place on a crisp December evening was a protest against taxes. In fact the slogan “Tea, Not Taxes!” might make a nice moniker or slogan for your Boston Tea Party celebration. At the original Boston tea party ships were invaded and 340 chests of tea were pitched overboard in protest of high taxes on the delicious beverage. This incident of course led to the entire American Revolution.

At your party, which is best held around tax time or in December during the end of the year, a nice touch would be to have a complimentary. document shredder on hand, should anyone have any documents that pertain to the government that they would like to get rid of for good. This would be symbolic of the hauling of the “old regime” overboard to make way for the new.

As the Boston Tea Party was an occasion that celebrated freedom and the rights of hard working, ordinary people, red, white and blue is a perfectly acceptable color scheme for this party. You can also encourage individuals to dress casually but also include these colors in their dress. A nice touch would be to encourage your guests to dress casually but then hand them a scarf decorated like the U.S. flag as a party favor to wear however they want at that party.

It is also suggested that the music be American, and very home grown. Artists such as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Janis Joplin would be perfect for a modern day Boston tea party.

On your menu will be the three kinds of teas that were thrown overboard during the original Boston Tea party.

English Breakfast Tea – This is a heavily caffeinated blend made with a smokey fine grade Keemun.

Earl Grey Tea – This is the famous Assam tea that is scented with delicate and tangy traces of the fruit bergamot.

Darjeeling Tea – This lack tea from the Darjeeling region of India. Darjeeling tea is treasured for the rich golden liquor and unique muscatel flavor.

Of course you should include your entire menu on your party invitation —

English Breakfast
Earl Grey Tea
Darjeeling Tea
Boston Tea Party Popcorn
New England Revolution Crudite Tray (simply a tray of cut vegetables such as radish roses and cucumber fans on a revolving Lazy Susan)
Ham and Cheese Scones
Shrimp Cocktail
Broiled Lobster Tails
New England Crab Melts
Boston Harbor Chowder
Boston Baked Tea in A Kettle
Boston Cream Pie
Independence Day Trifle

Notice how the menu includes selections that are both antique and modern and there is some choices on the menu that dislike fish. Ham and cheese would be a traditional mainstay of Boston tea parties.

How to Decorate With Cinco de Mayo Crafts

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The holiday of Cinco De Mayo is celebrated with what are called cinco de mayo crafts. These crafts include tissue paper flowers for the hair, jewelry, flag making, hand-made instruments and paper mache pinatas. Cinco de Mayo takes place on the 5th Of May and commemorates the victory of the Mexicans over the French army at The Battle of Puebla in 1862. The Cinco De Mayo holiday is not, as many people think, Mexico’s Independence Day, which actually takes place on September 16.

Cinco de Mayo is a time to celebrate and dress up. Although most Mexican jewelry is made of silver and set with precious stones such as amber and turquoise you can make a facsimile of a silver Mexican bracelet by cutting a slit in a toilet paper roll so that it fits over your child’s arm like a silver cuff. You then wrap the cuff in aluminum foil or tin foil and glue colorful dried beans and sequins to it. You can paint the dried beans a sky blue to resemble the actual turquoise gems. This is one of the many easy cinco de maya crafts that you can find directions for on the Internet. This glittery project is sure to delight adults and children alike.

Maracas and rattles are also a big traditional part of Cinco de Maya festivities. During the celebration, the rattles are shaken to welcome generous spirits and drive away the unhappy spirits of the past. A very simple rattle can be constructed out of a Popsicle stick, a brightly decorated toilet paper tube, a few beans and some masking tape.

Really gorgeous Mexican Maracas can be constructed out of blown up balloons that are used as the forms for paper mache. Handles are attached to the paper mache bulbs and their receptacles filled with dried beans. Directions for creating this musical instrument and other sophisticated crafts can be found online.

Paper Mache is a large component of many Mexican crafts, particularly when it comes to making piñatas. Piñatas are typically animal shapes that are filled with candy, hung from a tree and then beaten with a stick by children until the piñata breaks open and spills its contents. You can find a great recipe for homemade paper mache paste as well as designs for animal armatures everywhere online.

The “Ojo de Dios” or God’s Eye symbol is also traditional among Cinco de Mayo crafts. This diamond shaped square made of green, red and white yarn is an ancient symbol that was first made by the Huichol Indians of Mexico. It is used to ward off evil spirits or the “evil eye.” You can make very large Ojos out of tree branches or tiny ones out of toothpicks. This is a perfect project for you to do with children.