For lovers of freedom, bright emotions and fiery dances, we invite you to organize a Cuban party. In this unusual way you can celebrate a birthday, a corporate party, a children's party, and for the most daring, even a wedding day.
- Invitations
- Dress code
- Decor
- Menu and drinks
- Competitions
- Quests
- Cuban party at Zavodila's
Sun, beach, palm trees, exotic fruits, colorful Cuban bars, refreshing cocktails, African-Spanish music, joyful people dancing the rumba right on the street... A dream, right? You don't have to fly to Cuba to do this! A Cuban-style party will take you to a tropical island, where the atmosphere of celebration and lightness reigns, and your dream may well come true.
Invitations
The organization of any holiday begins with inviting guests. Pay attention to developing bright invitations in the Cuban style to tell guests all the necessary information, as well as to intrigue and surprise with an original presentation.
Party invitations can be made with your own hands, for example, in the form of a Cuban flag or a portrait of Ernesto Che Guevara, a famous revolutionary in Cuba. It can also be colorful leaflets with images of exotic fruits, palm trees or a dancing girl in a carnival costume.
In addition to the date, venue and dress code, we advise you to come up with and write an interesting invitation text on the card (on the back side) that will inform the guest about his involvement in the holiday.
Example text.
Che Guevara:
"Men! Come and join the squad of fighters for the freedom of drinking rum, smoking cigars and hot dancing!
Women! Come and surrender to the freedom fighters!”
In the city N in the Wild West
If you decide that the action will take place on the territory of cowboys, then let's remember all the associations from Westerns, which can be reviewed during the preparation process:
- Tavern (saloon): characteristic doors, signs, Wanted posters and buffalo skulls on the walls, whiskey and gin.
- Street: wooden facades of houses, cacti, horses, cows, villagers.
- Cowboy attributes: hats, spurs, bandanas, revolvers and lasso.
- Sheriff's attributes: sheriff's badge, mustache.
All these elements can be used in decoration. For example, a cowboy hat can not only be placed on a cowboy's head, but also hang on a hanger or on the wall. If the party involves alcohol, design the drinks serving area as a saloon, and for agility competitions, make it a street area.
You can buy some of the equipment, and do the rest yourself. For example, many party props stores sell inflatable cacti, but you can make your own by gluing several balloons together. Saloon doors are very easy to make from cardboard.
A wall with “Wanted” posters can become the focal point of the design. Find a poster template on the Internet in advance and make each of your guests a dangerous criminal by coming up with a nickname or adding cowboy attributes in Photoshop.
A good basis for the style would be regular country, so if you have a choice, go for it. It is better to decorate the TV and other overly modern items.
Dress code: looks and costumes for men and women
To maintain the Cuban beach vibe, let your guests know about the dress code that will be in effect at your party. A uniform style of clothing is also important for photos that you will probably want to share on social networks. Moreover, a Cuban party does not require expensive dresses or suits at all, because bright beachwear can be found in every wardrobe! So, what should the outfit be?
Invite girls to wear a light summer dress or sundress. Colored skirts, short denim shorts, and tops are also suitable. Accessories include headbands, voluminous earrings, beads, bracelets. Straw hats and sunglasses would also be appropriate. You can wear flat sandals on your feet, and if the party is planned on the beach, then you can completely forget about shoes.
For men, everything is also very simple: a bright shirt, shorts or breeches are perfect for a Cuban party. You can wear a white T-shirt, complementing the look with accessories - suspenders, a hat and dark glasses.
Girls can also experiment with makeup and hairstyle. Cuban style allows it! A traditional head decoration for women is a turban, which you can make yourself from a scarf, decorating it with artificial exotic fruits or flowers.
Venue and decor
A Cuban-style party can be held in any room (bar, club, cafe, home, etc.), but the best option would be an outdoor area. To do this, you can rent a country house or, if possible, organize a holiday at your dacha, in your backyard. A beach or a boat is also ideal for hosting a Cuban party - it will immediately create the right atmosphere.
Wherever you hold the party, you definitely need to take care of the appropriate decor, the task of which is to turn any place into a tropical island.
Bar
Perhaps this is the main place where Cubans spend their leisure time. You will need to place several tables and also organize a bar counter with soft drinks. Now it's down to the details:
- cover the tables with traditional Cuban linen tablecloths or burlap;
- for additional ambience, hang hats, guitars, printed posters with American retro cars, rumba dancers, tropical views of the Cuban capital, Havana, on the walls;
- use pottery, plates with tropical or marine patterns;
- attach printed Cuban flags to skewers for dishes, and hang portraits of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro on the walls;
- Decorate each table with mint bouquets, lime slices, and exotic fruits;
- hang a garland of fresh or paper-cut flowers on the ceiling;
- add wooden boxes, green plants, cacti in pots to the interior.
Cuban cigars
Be sure to organize a location with famous Cuban cigars. If your budget allows, we recommend buying real ones. They can then be used as prizes for winners of competitions. Place the cigars on a beautiful tray or in a wooden box and place an ashtray next to it.
Decorate the area with green robelini leaves, similar to palm trees, aspidistras or monsteras (the leaves of these ornamental plants can be bought at a flower shop). Also order the inscription “CigarBar” from plywood or write it yourself on a slate board with chalk. Complete the location with details of your choice: exotic fruits, sand in transparent containers, a hat, a retro-style lighter, etc.
Photo zone made of colorful ribbons
What would a Cuban party be like without some colorful photos? We suggest making a photo zone from multi-colored ribbons - this is a fairly simple and budget option, the production of which will not take much time. The photo zone can also be used as a stage on which the main actions will take place.
Lounge area
The recreation area should reflect the carefree and easy life of Cuban life. Instead of seats, use haystacks on which you place colorful rugs. A wicker rocking chair with a cozy checkered blanket can also be a good attribute.
Be sure to hang the Cuban flag.
If the party is held outdoors, you can use animals for decoration. For example, you can place several chickens in a quickly organized mesh pen. By the way, Cubans themselves really love chicken.
Cuban party: entourage
Decor. Let's imagine that we find ourselves in Cuba with our friends, family or colleagues and the first thing we do is go to a bar. Therefore, the place of our “party in Cuba” needs to be turned into a Cuban bar - street, beach or indoor. The choice will depend on where we are holding our party. To create a cafe atmosphere, you need to place several tables and organize something like a bar counter (in an apartment, even a window sill can serve its function).
Let's start with the table or tables. Traditional Cuban tablecloths are off-white or khaki. If there are no such tablecloths, we buy new bags, cut them, and cover the table.
Let's buy brown napkins, roll each one into a tube, tie it with gold thread (or thread it into a napkin ring). You will get “cigars” that we will put next to the plates.
Dishes can be decorated with skewers with miniature Cuba paper flags attached to them.
If you have dishes with a marine or tropical theme, we use them. If not, you can use earthenware (or earthenware-colored porcelain).
Decorate the table, dishes and dishes with slices of lime (or lemon) and mint leaves.
Place a transparent container or box of cigars (or cigarillos) in the center of the table or on a separate small table. These may not be Havana cigars, because the main thing is to create the surroundings and mood, and not to reproduce all the details exactly. These may not even be cigars, but dummies
The room where the party will take place can be decorated with banners and posters related to Cuba. For decoration, you can also take a portrait of Fidel Castro, a Cuban flag, straw hats, maracas, palm trees and little palms, khaki caps with a red star.
Menu for a Cuban party. Cubans' favorite dish is rice with black beans . This dish can be served as a side dish.
It is also worth making salsa sauce and serving it with large chips. Using chips, like a spoon, you scoop up a little sauce and put it all in your mouth.
Grilled meat or fish are perfect for main course . Snacks – vegetable, fruit and seafood. In Cuba they love grilled shrimp and asparagus .
As for drinks, the highlight of the program should be the famous Mojito cocktail , whose homeland is Cuba. This cocktail is beautiful and tasty in both classic and non-alcoholic versions. Cuba is also famous for its rum and fruit liqueurs.
Non-alcoholic drinks include cold sweet coffee with ice cream, as well as a variety of tropical fruit juices.
Outfits for a Cuban party. It will be easier for party participants if you outline the dress code and indicate possible options.
This can be “beach” or “resort” style : women in light dresses and sundresses, short skirts and tops, shorts and T-shirts. Men in short-sleeved shirts and light-colored hats. Or in shorts, T-shirts and Panama hats.
You can set it to "vintage Havana style" . Women come in cocktail dresses, and men come in light trousers, shirts and hats.
It is also possible to simply “Havana” or “Cuban” style . Let everyone come as they please: some in the costume of a rumba dancer, some in the guise of a Cuban revolutionary, and some as a typical tourist in Cuba.
Menu and drinks
Food in Cuba is varied and includes African, Spanish, and Mexican dishes. Cubans love to eat, especially meat - this is something that should definitely be on the tables at your party. It is best to grill meat along with vegetables: asparagus, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes.
As a side dish, offer your guests the traditional Cuban dish “Moros y Cristianos” – rice with black beans.
traditional dish of Cuba Moros y cristianos
For a snack, prepare several types of sandwiches with a variety of fillings. A popular Cuban sandwich is called the Mixto, which consists of a few simple ingredients: buttered bread, roast pork marinated in orange juice, thinly sliced ham, pickles, mustard and hard cheese.
Cuban Sandwich Mixto
To make guests feel the passion of Cuban nature, we recommend preparing spicy Mexican Salsa sauce.
Salsa and its serving
For the classic version you will need the following ingredients:
- hot pepper – 2 pcs.;
- tomatoes – 500 gr.;
- garlic – 2 cloves;
- medium onion – 1 pc.;
- juice of 1 lime;
- cilantro leaves;
- salt (to taste).
Peel the garlic and onion, cutting it into 4 parts. All vegetables, including tomatoes and peppers, must be fried in a frying pan or grill until browned (this will take about 10 minutes). Let the vegetables cool. Cut the hot pepper and remove the seeds. Place all the vegetables and herbs in a blender, add salt, sprinkle with lime juice and blend to the consistency you require. Serve alongside potato chips.
Speaking of drinks, the mint-lime Mojito cocktail is, of course, associated with hot Cuba. Surprise your guests with an original presentation! Take a large metal bucket (clean and sterile) and prepare the drink directly in it. Use a mug and pour Mojito into guests' glasses directly from the bucket.
Cuba libre cocktail
In addition, you can serve freshly squeezed tropical fruit juices and iced coffee. Of the strong alcoholic drinks at a party, rum would be appropriate, as it is considered to be of the best quality in Cuba.
Also make sure that there is an abundance of different fruits on the tables, especially exotic ones. They will not only please your guests, but will also be an original table decoration.
What can you make Hawaiian beads from?
As mentioned above, Hawaiian flower beads are called leis. This is an integral part of the local folk costume and a necessary attribute of a Hawaiian holiday.
Nowadays, real Hawaiian leis are made from fragrant flowers and leaves. Previously, much more terrifying materials were used to make them, including the hair and teeth of enemies!
What can leis be made from in our conditions? From whatever you can get your hands on: you can make a Hawaiian necklace from napkins, corrugated paper, artificial flowers, fabric, satin ribbons and even candy wrappers!
The needlewoman’s tools also don’t look too impressive:
- scissors;
- needle and thread (strong and thick, preferably synthetic);
- cardboard (not always);
- main material;
- additional elements (beads, shells, beads - optional).
Gold necklace (go to SUNLIGHT catalogue)
Competitions, games and entertainment
The island of Cuba is endless fun, dancing and music. Make this party memorable! Zavodila.com suggests preparing in advance an interesting scenario with a variety of games, competitions and activities.
To host a Cuban party, we recommend choosing two people who will act as hosts. It would be great if they could dress up as Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. The task of the hosts is to welcome, entertain and amuse the guests, so they should be sociable people with a good sense of humor.
Master class on Latin American dances
In Cuba, everyone dances, even the shyest introverts. Invite your warm-up guests to take part in a Latin American dance master class. To conduct it, you can invite a professional dancer, or you can learn a few moves yourself and invite your guests to repeat after you to the rousing music. The master class can also be conducted by presenters.
Quiz “Believe it or not”
The well-known game “Believe it or not” will take on a new meaning if all the questions are united by the Cuban theme. Participants will be offered statements that they can believe - say “Yes” or not believe - say “No”. The game can be played among all guests. Those who believe, let them raise their hands, those who don’t, let them raise their feet. It will be much more fun this way! This activity will help guests get active and also expand their knowledge of Cuba.
Statements can be varied and relate to climate, political and economic structure, interesting facts and local traditions on a tropical island. Examples of such statements:
- Do you believe that almost all Cuban houses have no glass in the windows - instead people use blinds? (Yes it's true)
- Do you believe that until 2008, local residents in Cuba were prohibited from using mobile phones? (yes, guests will be right if they raise their hand)
- Do you believe that medicine is very expensive in Cuba? (no, all medical services are free for Cubans)
- Do you believe that Cubans hate rain so much that in bad weather they do not let their children go to school, and they themselves do not go to work? (Yes its true)
- Do you believe that the favorite sparkling water in Cuba is Coca-Cola? (no, this drink was banned until recently)
- Do you believe that the national motto of Cuba is “Let freedom live!” (no, actually the island's motto is: "Fatherland or death")
- Do you believe that the winter temperature in Cuba is 30 degrees? (those who answer “no” by raising their feet will be right, since the average temperature in winter on the island is 23 degrees)
- Do you believe that Cubans face 5 years in prison for unauthorized access to the Internet? (Truth)
- Do you believe that advertising is prohibited on central Cuban TV channels? (this is true)
- Do you believe that Fidel Castro, as a little boy, wrote a letter to Roosevelt, the President of the United States at that time, asking him to send him 10 dollars, since he had never held such a bill in his hands before? (this is a true fact)
- Do you believe that people in Cuba like to play Monopoly? (no, all copies of this board game were destroyed after Fidel Castro came to power)
- Do you believe that Christmas was not celebrated on the island until 1997? (Yes)
- Do you believe that hitchhiking is illegal in Cuba? (not true, moreover, government cars will happily give you a lift if they see you voting on the road)
- Do you believe that education is free on the island of freedom? (Yes its true)
- Do you believe that Cuban applicants entering university do not have to take any exams? (no, you need to pass three exams: Cuban history, mathematics, Spanish)
- Do you believe that Cubans don't know who the Virgin Mary is? (they know, they even consider her the patroness of the island)
- Do you believe that an island resident cannot have more than one SIM card? (absolute truth)
- Do you believe that Christopher Columbus discovered Cuba? (right)
- Do you believe that Ernest Hemingway wrote his famous work “The Old Man and the Sea” on the island? (true fact)
- Do you believe that there is a centralized hot water supply in Cuba? (no, there are even problems with drinking water on the island)
Cuban Dance Marathon
You can arrange a whole dance marathon, which consists of several rounds. To do this, invite couples to the dance floor. Each round is a new task. The couple that wins the most rounds will receive a prize. For example, the task for the first round could be as follows: men take their partners in their arms and dance a fiery rumba for as long as they can stand it. The couple that lasts the longest wins.
Assignment for the second round: partners press their backs against each other as tightly as possible in order to squeeze a lemon or orange between their bodies. The task is not to drop the fruit.
Third round: While performing the dance, the couple must burst the inflatable balloon (hands are not allowed).
Fourth round: the couple dances on the newspaper for a certain time or until the end of the music. The winner is the couple whose newspaper is in the worst condition - torn and crumpled.
Fifth round: The men put on their hats and the couples begin to dance. As soon as the music stops, the men put their hats on their partners as quickly as possible and freeze in that position. The pair that did it faster than their opponents wins. If several pairs completed the task at the same time, the round can be repeated between them.
The dance marathon is won by the couple with the most points in all rounds.
"Watch out for the crocodile!"
Everyone can participate, but there must be one less men than girls. The music turns on and everyone starts dancing. The presenter shouts “Crocodile!” At this time, fleeing from a fictional predator, all the girls must have time to jump on the back of any man. Those who don’t have time end up in the mouth of a real alligator, or simply drop out of the game. One man must leave with her so that there are again fewer men than girls. And this continues until the winner, or rather the winner, is announced!
"Rain season"
In Cuba, the weather can be changeable - you need to be prepared for this. While the couples are dancing, the leader shouts words in random order: “Wind”, “Heat”, “Rain”. Each word is a specific signal for a man. When the word “wind” is said, the guy must hug the girl. As soon as the word “heat” is heard, the guy should wave his hat in front of the girl’s face like a fan. The word "rain" - a man puts a hat on a woman as quickly as possible. Each time the presenter complicates the game by pronouncing words faster and faster, trying to confuse the participants.
Competition for the best cocktail
As you remember, the most famous cocktail in Cuba is the Mojito. In this game, each participant will be able to feel like a real bartender.
Prepare the necessary ingredients for making a cocktail: white rum, sugar syrup, soda, lime and mint. Give participants a time (eg 40 seconds) in which to prepare the cocktail.
Then the jury members can evaluate the prepared Mojito, not only on taste, but also on appearance, giving appropriate points. The winner who made the best cocktail is awarded a prize.
Game "Chicken Run"
Cubans are cheerful and simple people. But sometimes trouble can happen to them too. For example, their chickens ran unnoticed into their neighbors' yard. What to do in this case? Of course, return the lost item home.
Invite your guests to play a game of “Chicken Run”, in which the main participants will be live chickens kept in a pen in the lounge area.
The rules of the game are very simple. At a minimum, you need 4 chickens (but the more, the merrier, the main thing is an even number). Tie a red ribbon to the leg of half the chickens, and a blue ribbon to the other half. And you actively drive them out of the pen to walk around the territory. It is advisable for the chickens to scatter in different directions.
At this time, the guests must split into two teams. Each team chooses its own color: red or blue. Can you guess what will happen next? The teams' task is to return all their chickens to the pen as quickly as possible, guided by the color of the tape on their legs. The team whose chickens are all in the pen first wins.
Believe me, this game will definitely not leave anyone indifferent! Guests will run around and have a lot of fun.
Miss Cuba contest
Preparing for the party, the girls carefully selected the image, thought through hairstyle and makeup. The Miss Cuba competition will help evaluate their efforts.
All girls who wish to participate in the competition for the main title are invited. In a few seconds, each participant must demonstrate her image: parade to music that she can choose herself or entrust the choice to a DJ.
You can evaluate the image of the girls and assign the status of “Miss Cuba” using the method of universal voting or select several jury members who will fairly assign points, evaluating the participants according to several criteria. The winner can be awarded a crown or ribbon with the inscription “Miss Cuba”.
Quest for a party in the country and on the street “12 hives”
Quest for a street, a country house “Helping Mikhalych”
Incentive prizes
Don’t forget to prepare prizes for all participants and winners of competitions that will be a keepsake for guests from your amazing party. This could be postcards with picturesque views of Cuba, a bottle of rum, cigars, Cuban coffee, etc.
Now everyone run to the group photo! Oh, this Cuba...
Disposable tableware and decor for holidays, birthdays, parties in the style of Hollywood, Oscar
Hollywood is a great idea not only for a party or birthday, but also an unusual holiday option for a prom or an original wedding ceremony. Hollywood is associated with gold stars, awards and the red carpet. The glitter of gold and silver, red and black colors will help create a solemn festive atmosphere, and zoning will create the effect of an open stage. We bring to your attention several ideas for a Hollywood-style party that will help you create an unforgettable holiday easily and simply.
1. Invitations. For any official ceremony, a list of guests and invited stars is compiled. Sign the invitations with original signatures, for example: invited ...... for an award for the best role in a film, to the premiere of a film ......, etc.
2. Decorations for a Hollywood-style party For decorations, we recommend choosing red, black, yellow, gold and silver colors. Create a decorative backdrop like the night sky with white and gold stars so your guests can imagine themselves in California looking out over the Hollywood Hills. Gold silver black and red pompoms, garlands, garland pendants, gold and silver stars, red carpet - bright decorative accessories suitable for a festive Hollywood atmosphere.
3. Any social event in Hollywood is incomplete without access to the red carpet and photo shoots. With the help of a curtain, draperies, a carpet and a few photo attributes, you can arrange a real stellar photo shoot. We suggest using the following set: feathers, top hats, large glasses, as well as photo props in the form of cardboard elements on sticks: bowties, ties, hats, jewelry and glasses - all this will help in creating photo images.
4. To treat guests, you can set a buffet table and a bar with sweets. Cupcakes with themed toppers and colored wrappers, boxed popcorn and other treats with original inscriptions, for example: best actor, best director, sweet prize, best voice, etc.
5. For table setting, choose disposable tableware and napkins in solid colors: red, black, gold, silver and white; if desired, they can be decorated with themed colored stickers and complemented with tableware with Hollywood-style designs. Disposable tableware is a practical and convenient option for festive events. Disposable tableware does not need to be washed, it does not take up much space - it is lightweight and practical to use, and its modern design and trendy colors allow you to choose the ideal option for your holiday.
You can hang large stars with the name of each guest as decoration - a copy of the star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame - this will be a pleasant surprise and a symbolic gift for the memories of this day.
If your cheerful group loves transformations and costume parties, invite all guests to dress up as their favorite characters and add suitable accessories to your party, perhaps it will be something from Westerns or films about superheroes.
