Hi Claire
The military seasonal parties were always the best, from th Mess ""Kid's Christmas Party" (funded by the "Cuss Can" and a few "minor" fundraisers or outright transfer of profits)...the rental of a really "fine" Santa Suit, with a long and lean Sgt Major, (appropriately "padded" to a Santa shape)...on one occaision made "convivial" somewhat "artificially", to where one "youngster", having received her gift, returned to "mama's" lap and stated, emphatically "Mommy, Santa Claus smells like RUM!" (Poor old Les, he died of the cancer some 20 years ago, and just loved it, "pocketful of gold" and all that the little ones would "bestow upon you"!)
The New Years Eve thrashes, followed by the New Years Day Levy's, the Moose Milk, the Clam Chowder (always "Manhatten", always made by the Pipe Major!), the hosting of friends, families, celebrities, and "messmates" in the very frigid temp's of the Cdn Prairies...
The early years of marriage, and blending personal friends, your new wife's friends, work associates, neighbours, etc, in a "gigantic" "at home" on one night, so carefully planned to work out with the "social calendar"!...and a milling throng of people through the modest house, and how to get them to "know" each other?
We instituted a "game", where, when a "guest" came through the door (we did the same to ourselves!), he/she reached into a bowl of "chits" with a "name" on it, and had it taped to his/her back, without being able to view it...
Some "names"..."Tom Thumb", "Lady Godiva", "Winston Churchill", "Mickey Mouse", "John Lennon" (okay, showing my age!)...anyways, you had to ask each other guest ONE question, and one question only....that could be answered by "YES or NO"...for instance, am I "male"..."Am I a fact as opposed "fictional" person"..."Am I still Alive" "Of this Century"...well you get the idea...and this was the very best "mixer" we ever encountered, as all were anxious to rid themselves of that hatefull chit from their backs, and so introduced themselves to any and all...
That's a night where chili buns pickles etc are the main meal (its not expensive!), and countless paper plates, plastic cups and eating irons are the rule of the day...a "punch" for the drinkers another that is "virgin" for the designated drivers...a bunch of beer (compliments chili!) and winding up to some "fun" games ala "mensa Club" to wind up the night...
Again, in the "early years" of marriage, where I'd be driving 100 KM on Christmas Day, from home to in-laws, to parents, to grandparents, back to inlaws for "early" dinner, back to parents for "late" dinner...and the year that siblings on both sides decided they wanted their own Christmas at home...so we invited both sets of parents to our place for dinner, and the day...their first time of not cooking in many years...
As it turned out, the rest "chickened out" at the last minute, and sort of "appeared on our door step"...unfortunately, I wasn't that well off, nor that good a cook, to have laid in all the extras...out came the held back ham...but discovered that after a demand for French Toast at brunch...I was out of bread, so no "stuffing"!
I resourcefully used the "All Bran" with my remaining bits of bread to stuff the turkey, used all the potato's, every veggie in the house, etc...and managed to get through it, but leftovers were few and far between! Very fortunately, a "rich Aunt" who I love very dearly invited us to an "at-home" at her place on the 26th, so informed the wife and kids that the buffet was "supper"...just don't be too "obvious" about it...
On return to our empty fridge (well, at least on the 27th, I could buy groceries!), there were any number of calls from my somewhat obnoxious BIL, complaining that he had eaten three helpings of my "Bran Dressing" and had been "chained" to the "porcelain" for the past 18 hours, and whatever in the heck had I done to him...
I still feel "warm and fuzzy" over this memory, even if its over 20 years ago....
Lifter
PS Claire...
Is this the sort of thing you had in mind?