The Fifth of May Might Be Tomorrow, but it’s Never Too Late To Throw a Party
If you’re wondering when your next excuse to throw a party is, Cinco De Mayo is right around the corner.
Cinco De Mayo is a Mexican holiday celebrating the defeat of the French in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.
Now it is celebrated all over the states, mainly as an excuse to get drunk and buy a piñata.
Throwing a Cinco De Mayo party, or any party for that matter, can be stressful, so make sure as the host/hostess that you are prepared.
Make a guest list. It’s not really a party if nobody is there, so make sure to give your guests enough time to RSVP.
I cannot stress enough how important food is at a party, especially one where massive amounts of alcohol will be consumed.
If there isn’t enough food, well, you might want to get the bucket and the mop out because you will be cleaning up after some very drunk guests who can’t hold their liquor without something else in their stomach.
I would suggest investing in a wide variety of chips and dip (i.e. sour cream, salsa etc).
This is a relatively cheap food choice, plus – who doesn’t like chips?
If you want you could even make your own salsa and guacamole.
If you are more of a gourmet type person, and you like to cook, make a few quesadillas and cut them into individual triangles or make a taco buffet with meat, lettuce, cheese, and tomatoes so your guests can build their own tacos.
If you are on the less culinary side of the spectrum, tear open a box of frozen taquitos and pop them in the oven.
The next important thing to keep in mind is decorations.
A piñata is a must; I mean come on, who doesn’t like beating a paper mache animal with a bat while candy falls out of it?
Don’t forget the music.
Make a mix CD of Latin music to really get into the mood.
Nothing says party time like getting’ your groove on and shakin’ that thang.
Just make sure nobody shakes anything too much and ends up breaking your favorite vase or knocking over your favorite plant.
In fact it would probably just be a good idea to clear the general area of furniture, valuables, and other knick knacks.
After all – safety first.
Lastly, and probably one of the most important elements of throwing a Cinco De Mayo party, the alcohol.
If it’s a pretty casual party, buy a variety of different alcohols and mixers, and set them up on a table where your guests can mix and match their own drinks.
Another great idea would be to make a pitcher of margaritas for everyone to share.
Don’t forget lemons, limes, and salt for all the shot takers and the beer drinkers.
Personally I am partial to a squeeze of lemon juice in my beer and a wedge of lime with my tequila.
Mind you, beers like bud light and lemon do not mix – just in case you were wondering.
If you want to be a super great host or hostess make sure your guests are also drinking plenty of water to avoid “mishaps” that may happen later into the night.
As your party comes to an end, make sure everyone has a safe way home, and that you have plenty of friends to clean up the inevitable mess after throwing a Cinco De Mayo rager.