Costumes & Accessories (12) / Party Supplies (31)

Fiesta Party

Table of contents

Introduction

The word "Fiesta" is Spanish for "Party" or "Festival" and is most closely associated with those festivals held in Spanish speaking countries. And, as we all know, the Spanish definitely know how to have a good time. As such we have made a list of all the most important ingredients of a Fiesta to ensure that you have all the help you need in preparing your Fiesta. But first, a little more on different Spanish festivals held throuhgout the year...

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January

In 1812 Lord Wellington freed the city of San Sebastian from the French. To mark the event, the locals of this city, situated in Basque country, celebrated their freedom ever since.

February

Ever wonder where Tapas came from? Well, if so, then wonder no more. The Seville Tapas Fair annually held in February celebrates this uniquely Spanish cuisine as the city is known as the Tapas capital of the world.

March

In Jerez you'll find the Jerez Flamenco Festival; in Valencia you'll find the Fallas de San José. Where the former sees the arrival of Spain's top flamenco artists, the latter will leave you astound with awesome sights of fireworks and burning effigies.

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April

For those planning a trip to Spain in April, be sure to visit Seville, Cordoba, Malaga and Grenada for the Semana Santa fiesta. And, if you have time, be sure to visit Alicante too for the Moros y Cristianos reenactment.

May

May brings with it one of the largest bullfights in Spain. It is called San Isidro and celebrates a number of Spanish cultural traits.

June

For those visiting Spain in June, the Romería del Roci is a pilgrimage of more than 1 million individuals, all traveling to the shrine of the Virgin Mary at El Rocio in Huelva.

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July

Those who've been to Spain in July know that one of the biggest events to be witnessed is the running of the bulls in Pamplona. In addition to that, there's also the San Sebastian Jazz Festival, held in the city of San Sebastian.

August

Be sure to visit Buñol, Valencia, in August as you'll have the singular chance to throw others with ripe tomatoes - and get away with it. Celebrated since 1944, the Tomatina is the world's biggest tomato fight.

September

September is another fiesta-filled month with no less than four different fiestas celebrated across Spain. They include the Catalonia Cava week, the Festes de la Merce, the Fiesta de San Mateo and the Jerez de la Frontera´s Fiestas de Otoño.

 

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October

The 14th of October is reserved for the Día de la Hispanidad, the day Christopher Columbus arrived in America. This day is celebrated nationwide in Spain and will therefore see everything virtually coming to a standstill.

November

During the month of November there is little going on, especially after the busy summer months and to prepare for the busy Christmas season.

December

As you all know, December is the month of Christmas and in Spain it is celebrated over a number of weeks during which celebrations are as plentiful as the different types of food.

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Fiesta Party Invitations

To get you started with the organization of your Spanish-themed party, we’ve made a list of a number of invitations that will be sure to impress the guests. And because the word “Fiesta” also refers to those parties held in Spain as well as in Mexico, you’ll find our ideas for invitations come mainly from those two countries.

 

Should you require any of the items or materials mentioned, just go down to your local Spanish or Mexican merchandise retailer or log on to the internet.

 

Be sure to include the following information with each invitation to ensure that your guests have all the information they nee:

  • Party Name: Give your party a creative name to make it stand out. Think of something like “Juan’s Midsummer Fiesta”.

  • Salutation

  • Date & Time

  • Venue/Location

  • Dress Code

  • Contact Details

  • Additional information…

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Sombrero

To make the sombrero invitation, you’ll need two things:

  1. A sombrero for each of your guests

  2. A self-made or store bought invitation card.

Once you have your invitation ingredients, simply write or print the details listed above on to the invitation in a neat hand or the appropriate Spanish/Mexican font. When you’re done with that, simply slip the invitation into the bowl of the sombrero and deliver it to your intended guests.

The Muleta

Also known as the Matador’s cape, the Muleta will make the ideal invitation to your Spanish-themed fiesta. As mentioned before, if you can’t find these in store, simply have a look online and get a number to equal that of the guests you are planning to invite.

 

Once you have the Muletas, you can either have the invitation details printed on or, if you want to go that extra little bit further, have them embroidered on.

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Fiesta Cactus

This is an elegant and often humorous little invitation that will make the recipients go “Awwww”. For this invitation you’ll need to find the appropriate retailer or have a look online.

 

The idea is to buy a small, potted cactus – one for each friend. In addition you’ll want to buy a number of miniature sombreros and ponchos to fit on each of the cacti. For those with some skill with the needle, this shouldn’t be too hard as you’ll typically just be needing a large, thin blanket and some matted straw.

 

Once you have all the necessary components, dress the cacti and attach a paper-based invitation with all the necessary details to each one.

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Fiesta Party Dress Code

Specifying the dress code on your invitation will be no problem at all as you’ll simply need to state “Spanish”, “Mexican” or both.

 

While Mexican male attire typically includes a sombrero, a collared shirt, a poncho, jeans and boots, the Spanish attire is a bit more specific as your guests can come dressed as Matadors or Flamenco dancers. For females, the dress code typically points to a Spanish blouse, a flamenco or similar skirt and some high-heeled shoes.

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Fiesta Party Decorations

Although the Spanish and the Mexicans don’t necessarily use elaborate decorations for their fiestas, there are certain elements that you can use to make your fiesta party a bit more authentic. These include the following:

  • Sombreros: Placed on strategic places and hung on walls

  • Guitars: Typically those used by the mariachi – hung on walls or leaned against furniture.

  • Piñata: These make great center pieces and can be used for a fun activity later on.

  • Cacti: If you can’t get real cacti, simply purchase a couple of blow-up ones.

  • Streamers & Balloons: Every party needs these!

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Fiesta Party Guest Arrival & Announcement

To announce your guests, you’ll want to put on a Spanish accent while using one of the common English introductions, such as:

 

“Ladies and Gentleman, please welcome Joe & Bonny Smith.”

Fiesta Party Favors

Seeing as “fiesta” is a Spanish word for “party” or “feast”, you’ll want to consider some traditional Spanish or Mexican party favors. If you haven’t used one of our invitations, you’ll be able to use them as party favors. These include miniature cacti, sombreros, ponchos, and Muletas.

 

Whichever you use, be sure to sign it with the name of your party, your guests’ names and the date.

 

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Fiesta Party Activities

Piñata

A piñata, for adults? Why not? This will provide so much fun and so many Kodak moments that you’ll be satisfied for the rest of the year!

 

As you know, a piñata is a bright – usually paper – animal filled with toys and sweets suspended from a tree branch or a ceiling. The object of the game is to blindfold all the stick-wielding participants, and line them up, all of them swinging at the piñata in an attempt to break it open.

 

Now, although piñatas are traditionally made from paper, you might want to consider something that will be a little harder for adults, such as paper mache. Additionally, instead of sticks, a softer ‘bat’ should be used to avoid breaking open the piñata with the first blow.

 

Decide on appropriate treats/rewards to fill the piñata with as to ensure that your guests’ efforts are made worth while.

 

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Fiesta Limbo Dancing

Traditionally a Caribbean activity, limbo dancing will fit in perfectly with your fiesta themed party.

 

To do this you can either make your own limbo set using three sticks or poles, or just have two guests hold a broom or a long stick between them while the other guests bend over backward in an attempt to pass underneath it.

 

The rules state that the limbo stick must not be touched and that the dancers stay on their feet. Those who break the rules, are out!

 

Again, this is an activity bound to cause some excitement, so be sure to keep the camera at the ready.

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Fiesta Bowling

On the island of Hawaii they sometimes go bowling… on the beach. Instead of a bowling ball, they use a hollow coconut. Instead of bowling pins, they use plastic bottles filled with sand.

 

Get these items in place before your party to ensure that your guests have the time of their lives.

 

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Poker

Perhaps more an activity associated with Mexicans than the people of Spain, poker will make the hours fly by without anyone even noticing.

 

Place a deck of cards or two on a table along with chips and a couple of snacks, then dim the lights. Remember, wearing a sombrero will help hide that poker face.

 

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Food & Drink

As for fiesta food and drink you’ll only need to look as the various dishes available in both Spanish and Mexican cuisine. Below we’ve listed a couple of names of some of the more well known foods and drinks to give you an idea which recipes to look for.

 

Foods: Enchiladas, Fajitas, Menudo, Flautas, Pozole, Barbacoa, Flautas, Nachos, tortilla de patata, paella, embutidos, chorizo.

 

Drinks: Tequila, Jarritos, Aguas frescas, Jamaica, Bacanora, Tejate.

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