INVITATIONS

Try www.evite.com instead of Facebook. You can customize your invitation with seasonal graphics and personal comments through e-mail without offending any unwanted guests and potential Facebook stalkers. “It works really well. I got updates every time someone RSVP’d with their reasons for coming or not,” said Staci Oliver, English graduate student. “It’s similar to Facebook, but the evite invitations are so much cuter. Plus, it had party planning ideas that were really helpful.”

DATES:

Christmas Dec. 25

Hanukkah: Dec. 22 to Dec. 29

Kwanzaa: Dec. 26 to Jan. 1

DECORATIONS

Christmas:

Turn your Christmas decorations into a game by providing guests with paper and scissors to create paper snowflakes. Have your tallest guest hang them on string from the ceiling or tape them to the windows creating a winter wonderland scene in your apartment. Seasonal scrap booking paper with Christmas symbols or white paper can be found at Hobby Lobby, where it is usually on sale.

Hanukkah:

Silver Stars of David hanging over entryway, blue and white lights around windows, blue and white tablecloths, and of course, the menorah as a centerpiece provide a classy touch to your Hanukkah party. “All Jewish holidays symbolize something, so I think that the colors blue and white represent the nation-state of Israel and its flag,” said Helene Guenther, meteorology sophomore. “It’s a representation of the nationality.” Try blue and white floating candles in small bowls of water with pieces of gelt (pieces of chocolate covered in foil to resemble coins—used in the dreidel game) surrounding the Menorah. You can find gelt at Target, or any store that sells chocolate.

Kwanzaa:

Decorate your apartment with streamers in traditional red, green and black. It’ll make your guests cry “Habari gani!” which basically means “What’s the news?” in Swahili, and is traditionally asked at the first night of Kwanzaa. Red, green and black are the colors of the Pan-African flag. Creativity and art are also important aspects of Kwanzaa, so remember to feature any African prints, masks, sculptures, pottery, etc. To display your Kwanzaa set, arrange pillows around a low table or spread a red, green and black cloth on the floor and arrange your Kwanzaa candle holder (kinara), seven candles, unity cup, ears of corn (which symbolize children) and Kwanzaa gifts. Kinaras can be found on eBay, or you might check a party supply store such as Party Galaxy on Alameda.

FOOD AND DRINKS

Christmas:

Tantalizing your guests’ taste buds can be expensive, but you can easily remedy this.

Haley Spradlin, communications senior, recommends an easy-to-assemble spinach dip for holiday parties. Spradlin’s family favorite recipe is found on the back of Knorr’s soup mix, which can be found at any grocery store for about $2.29. Combine Knorr’s soup mix, mayonnaise, sour cream, frozen then defrosted spinach as directed on the back of the Knorr’s soup mix package.

“It’s fast, easy and my favorite at holidays,” Spradlin said.

Also try: Holiday Punch Crock Pot Cider

Combine 1/2 gallon apple cider, 3 cups cranberry juice, 3 cups water, 1 fresh orange, 3 cinnamon sticks, 1 whole grated nutmeg, 2 pieces crystallized ginger chunks. Combine all ingredients in crock pot; heat on high for 2 hours, then keep warm on low; Just before serving add 3 cups apple schnapps or 1 cup butterscotch schnapps.

Hanukkah:

Foods that are fried or baked in oil are central to the Hanukkah meal, as they represent oil found in the Temple of Jerusalem. David Marcus, environmental design senior, suggests serving his holiday favorites, potatoes latkes, matzah balls and kugel. “Don’t forget the wine,” Marcus said. “Jews love their wine.”

To flip your guests’ yarmulkes and to add a variation on tradition, try serving cool blue martinis before dinner—the blue color keeps with the Hanukkah theme: (makes 1 serving) 1 fluid ounce vodka, 1/4 fluid ounce sweet vermouth, 1/4 fluid ounce Blue Curacao. Fill a mixing glass with ice, pour in vodka and sweet vermouth, stir (or shake) and strain into a martini glass; splash with blue Curacao.

Kwanzaa:

Kwanzaa feasts usually feature African-American flavors with unusual spices. Try this easy recipe for zucchini bread. You’ll need 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 3 cups sugar, 1 cup vegetable oil, 4 eggs, beaten, 1/3 cup water, 2 cups grated zucchini, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour.

For another treat with an unusual flavor, try coconut biscuits. You’ll need 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2-1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, 1/4 cup butter or margarine (cold), 2 eggs, 1/3 cup milk. Preheat oven to 450°F. In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and coconut. Cut in the butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Combine the eggs and milk, and then fold it into the dry ingredients until moistened. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and pat gently into 8 inch circles (about 3/4 inch thick). Cut the dough into eight pie-shaped wedges. Separate the wedges and place them onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Before baking, let the uncooked biscuits rest 10 minutes. Bake for 13 to 17 minutes, or until golden brown.

MORE RECIPES

For another treat with an unusual flavor, try coconut biscuits. You'll need 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2-1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, 1/4 cup butter or margarine (cold), 2 eggs, 1/3 cup milk. Preheat oven to 450°F. In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and coconut. Cut in the butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Combine the eggs and milk, and then fold it into the dry ingredients until moistened. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and pat gently into 8 inch circles (about 3/4 inch thick). Cut the dough into eight pie-shaped wedges. Separate the wedges and place them onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Before baking, let the uncooked biscuits rest 10 minutes. Bake for 13-17 minutes, or until golden brown.

Also try: Potatoes latkes (similar to hash browns)

You'll need, 1 pound potatoes, 1/2 cup finely chopped onion, 1 large egg, lightly beaten, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil. Preheat oven to 250°F, peel and soak potatoes in cold water 1 to 2 minutes, then drain. Spread grated potatoes and onion on a kitchen towel and roll up jelly-roll style, wringing out as much liquid as possible. Transfer potato mixture to a bowl and stir in egg and salt. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a skillet until hot. Spoon 2 tablespoons potato mixture per latke into skillet, spreading into 3-inch rounds with a fork. Reduce heat and cook until undersides are browned, about 5 minutes. Turn latkes over and cook until undersides are browned, about 5 minutes more. Drain latkes on paper towels and season with salt.

ACTIVITIES

Christmas:

If you need a game to spice up the conversation and get wallflowers to participate, have each guest bring a $5 white elephant gift and play dirty santa, or try this variation: have guests sit in a circle holding the gift that they brought and tell a story involving directions while speaking slowly enough for gifts to be passed. Every time the word ‘right’ or ‘left’ is said, everybody passes his or her gift in that direction. Guests keep the gift they end up with.

Hanukkah:

Hanukkah is steeped in tradition, so why not play dreidel? You can play with gelt or with cash for a more ‘grown-up’ party. To play, before each spin, each player puts a coin into the middle. After each spin, the symbol facing up determines how many coins the player has to put in or take out. When a player loses all their coins, or gelt, they’re out. Play ends when no coins are left in the middle. The player with the most coins/gelt wins.

Kwanzaa

For Kwanzaa activities, invite your guests to perform dances, poetry readings, art and songs that celebrate the themes of unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith are all in keeping with the Kwanzaa spirit. Or if you would like to have a more hands on approach, provide your guests with African beads and string to make into necklaces. These can be added to the Kwanzaa set, or given as gifts.