What's the Occasion?

Ever find yourself itching for a party but missing an excuse to celebrate?  We’re here to help! We’ve researched the top “holidays” that always fly under the radar and never receive the proper recognition that they deserve. More importantly, however, we’re trying to give you more occasions to celebrate and keep the party going all year ‘round.

Let’s start with a somewhat neglected holiday that is never all that exciting but still has the potential for celebration. Every February 2^nd, America anxiously waits for Puxatony Phil to grace us with his presence and give us a sure sign of whether or not we’re in for an additional six weeks of winter.  Celebrating this holiday could go either way for you. If Phil reveals that Spring is coming, use Groundhog day to signify a “Coming of Spring” Celebration!  Conversely, if you’re thrilled about the prolonging winter, use that as cause to celebrate as well. 

Either way, have a few friends over and celebrate your favorite season. A catering tip: choose your hors d’oeuvres, appetizers, and main courses based on which season you’re celebrating. Serve heavier, comfort foods for a celebration of winter, opt for lighter fare if you’re celebrating the coming of warmer months!

 This next one is a product of Germany. I’m sure everyone’s heard of the infamous Oktoberfest and has maybe even held one of their own- although probably not to the caliber of the Germans. “Fruhlingsfest” is a German festival which roughly translates to Sprinfest in English and is known to be Oktoberfest’s little sister. A traditional German bier fest held from the middle of April until the beginning of May is a celebration of what, exactly? You guessed it, the spring season. You may not be able to persuade your guests to dress in the traditional dirndl and lederhosen typically worn by festival goers, however you could create your own biergarten with picnic tables and serve up steins of Bavarian beer and traditional Bavarian fare- weinerschnitzel, pretzels, sauerkraut and brawtwurst. Basically, think of a traditional Oktoberfest but instead you’re celebrating the arrival of warmer weather. 

Although the Summer Solstice is observed by most people, why is no one bothering to celebrate it? The longest day of the year and the start of the summer and we never hear of any great celebrations to recognize this awesome day. It’s tough in New England to think that weather patterns will actually obey the laws of nature and that June 21^st will in fact be a beautiful day, but more often than not we do get lucky on this day.  If you’re near the beach, gather up friends and family and throw a cook out and take advantage of the lasting daylight. Alternatively, host a backyard barbecue and relish in the fact that there are many more beautiful summer nights to come. Typical summer foods such as burgers, hot dogs, barbecued chicken, corn on the cob and pasta and potato salads are ideal choices for serving your guests.

We’re all familiar with the saying “Beware the Ides of March”, and of course George Clooney’s  2011 film, “The Ides of March” but until some extensive google searching, I think I can speak for more than a few people when I say I really had no idea what the Ides of March even was.  Well, behold the answer: The Ides of March is on March 15^th and is an extremely significant day in Roman history- it being the supposed date of Julius Ceasar’s assassination and a huge turning point in the Roman Empire. Thus, March 15^th marks the first day of the Roman New Year. This is the perfect excuse to turn a new leaf in your life if you haven’t exactly lived up to your New Year’s resolutions. Treat the Ides of March as a New Year celebration round 2. In the middle of a dreary March, everyone could benefit from an excuse to celebrate, especially if it means starting fresh once again.  An awesome idea I witnessed at a New Years Eve party was a “Resolution Jar” in which everyone makes an anonymous resolution, puts it in a jar and the hosts go through and chooses their favorite one and the author of the resolution wins a party favor such as a bottle champagne. It’s a fun idea to get all your guests involved and the resolutions people come up with are incredibly entertaining. A great way to try and stick to your New Year’s resolutions months after you’ve already forgotten about them…

So remember if you ever need an excuse to celebrate something, look into one of these overlooked holidays and start planning!