Loading ...Tips to Transform a Dinner Party Into an Arabian Night
Hosting a dinner party for friends or family can sometimes feel like a chore.
Perhaps you’ve hosted so many buffet parties or cocktail evenings that you’re not looking forward to doing the same in the near future.
Rather than avoiding a hobby that you previously enjoyed, you may want to spice up the theme for your next party.
Hosting the same type of party in the same style can get old quickly, but having a themed party is the best way to refresh the entire experience of entertaining those you love.
Below are some tips that will help you transform your next dinner party into an unforgettable Arabian-Nights-themed event. It is important to note that Arabian Nights themes are often stereotypical and not representative at all of Arab Culture. This is simply an article about the theme that many people consider to be Arabian Nights and was written by a third party.
Henna Tattoos
A great way to change up how you spend time with your friends is to invite someone to your home to give everyone henna tattoos. If you do some research online you should be able to find a highly rated henna tattoo artist you can hire for a few hours in the evening.
Applying henna is challenging, especially if you’ve never done it before. Unless one of your friends or family members is an expert, hiring someone is the best way for everyone to have a great experience. You can all get matching henna tattoos, which usually wear off in a few weeks.
Set Up a Tent Outside
When you think about Arabian Nights in movies or other media, you’re probably imagining people sitting on the beach under a red tent. Such imagery is almost synonymous with the theme, which is why setting up your party outside may be a great idea.
Even though you can’t bring the beach to your backyard, you can certainly set up a tent with a large red cloth on top to recreate the Arabian Nights aesthetic, which you can continue with themed cutlery and other accessories to enhance the outdoor ambiance.
Grill Shawarma
One of the reasons why the Arabian region is so famous around the globe is its cuisine. Arab, Middle Eastern, and North African cuisine is among the best in the world, and you may want to bring some of those elements to your dinner party.
Aside from your Arabian Nights decorations, you can also extend the theme to the food by having a shawarma station. You may have to invest in some gear to set it up, but you can easily store the equipment in your garage for the future.
A shawarma station will be so much fun for everyone at the party, as they can marvel at the meat being cooked in such a unique way. Your guests can sip their drinks while chatting and catching up with each other, before they eventually get to tuck in to the delicious meat.
Dress Up Appropriately
There are two possible options for dressing up for an Arabian-Nights-themed party. If your friends or family are adventurous, you could have everyone wear belly dancing attire, as this is synonymous with the region, and would be a fun way for everyone to experience the party. If some of your friends or family are uncomfortable showing so much skin, you can suggest some other fun clothing options that are a little more suitable.
For example, rather than going with belly dancing attire, you could have everyone wear floaty and glittery tops with decorative embroidery, along with yoga pants or other loose, casual, long pants. The men can join in by wearing traditional Arabian clothing if they wish.
Use Some Scents
How can you ensure that everyone knows about the theme of your party as they are walking into your house? Decorations will help, and setting up outside is also a great idea. Another step you can take is to burn lots of incense inside your house, while also placing some incense sticks or candles outside.
You can easily buy oil burners or incense sticks that have traditional Middle Eastern or Arabian smells. Then you can have your entire house smelling like a scene from one of those legendary Arabian Nights stories that everyone read while growing up.
Add a Shisha Bar
Another aspect of Arabian culture that you may want to add to your party is a shisha bar. The use of hookah or shisha is very common in the Middle East and other parts of the world.
Even though you may not want to encourage everyone to smoke, you can always buy shisha or hookah without too much flavoring, which is much healthier. You can also set the station up outside in your backyard, ensuring that whoever wants to avoid it doesn’t feel awkward for doing so.
Fig and Date Appetizers
Adding more foods from the Middle East to your party is a great idea. You can always come up with themed cocktails with ingredients from the region, as well as serving your guests appetizers that they can enjoy while waiting for the main meal.
Ideas for Arabian-themed appetizers include figs and dates, which are mainstays in the Middle Eastern diet. You can easily find great figs and dates at any major store, while you can also visit specialist Middle Eastern or South Asian stores to get these items.
Hire a Fortune Teller
Want to go all-out for your party and amaze your friends and family? Hire a fortune teller to come and read everyone’s fortune at the end of the evening, just as the party is winding down. With everyone happy and full from eating all that great food, and perhaps even a little tipsy from the cocktails, they will enjoy having their fortunes read.
Hiring a fortune teller is a lot more affordable than you would imagine, and no one needs to take it seriously. By having some fun and doing something you would not normally do, everyone will remember your party for all the right reasons.
Please note that this post was written for by a third-party and does not necessarily reflect the views of Arab America or its employees. These posts help allow Arab America to produce our wonderful original content, thanks for your understanding.
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