Host an Open House Brunch for New Year's Day
People have different ideas about how to celebrate the coming of the New Year. There are those people that dress up in their warmest winter gear and spend the evening among millions at Time Square just to see the ball drop heralding in the New Year. Others make reservations at a dinner club while others are happy to host parties at their home.
There are a few disadvantages to having a party at home. It takes a lot of planning, people have a tendency to drink too much and no one feels like cleaning up the mess that night or even the next day. If you would like to host a celebration for the New Year, why not invite friends and family to an open house brunch on New Year’s Day.
Keep the Atmosphere Relaxed
An open house on New Year’s Day makes no stressful demands on either the hostess or the guests. It is a low key way to relax with family and friends to welcome in the New Year. To make the brunch even easier on you, make it pot luck so there will be less demanded of you and you will have a wide variety of delicious dishes.
Keep the hours of the party flexible. Tell people to arrive around 11:00-11:30 AM. This permits you to sleep a little later if you have been out celebrating the night before. Decorations should be held to a minimum. Rely on your Christmas decorations if they are still up and if not, gather some greenery and scented candles to spruce up the décor.
Bar Service
If you want to help the party goer hangover with a bit of the dog that bit them serve drinks such as Bloody Marys, Mimosas and you can even make a light punch. Be sure you have plenty of water and fruit juices on hand for those that don’t want to indulge.
Because it will be buffet style, make sure there are plenty of cozy areas where guests can sit and eat without worry about spilling the spoils on your carpet or flooring. You will also want to make sure there are plenty of open spaces where guests can mingle without becoming too crowded as many of them may not be feeling their best.
Plates and Utensils
To make things even more convenient use paper goods whenever possible. Paper plates, napkins, plastic cutlery and glasses will cut down your clean up time to practically nothing. Even use Styrofoam cups for when you serve tea and coffee. Clean up will be a snap and your guilt for not going green will pass when you think of all the dishes you would have to have done had you not used paper.
Having a New Year’s Brunch makes a lot of sense. People will be more relaxed as they have no definite time they must come or must leave. You will be able to enjoy your own party as you will not have to worry about all the food that is expected to be served because your guests will bring their favorite dishes. The important thing is to have fun and socialize with people you may not see for another year.
