toga party

planning a roman or greek themed party

Class Up Your Toga Party

In true Roman or Greek tradition, a toga party can be subdued or bawdy, casual or sophisticated, depending on the party themes and, of course, the guests. Base your party theme ideas on the age group, budget, and time of year.

For an “Animal House” theme, simply serve beer and chips and invite guests to show up in old sheets! For anything more authentic, just a little planning will transport your guests to the days of an ancient civilization.

Send out party invitations on parchment and specify the toga attire, along with directions for tying a toga. During the cooler months, guests can don wool togas, which was the authentic toga material used in Roman times. Of course any plain sheet works just fine, as long as the color is close to white or cream.

Enlist helpers to work the party and wear bright purple togas to mimic military dress of the time. Guests can dress up in ancient characters from Greek and Roman mythology or historical figures such as Julius Caesar or a Roman slave.

A Centuries-Old Party Theme

For Roman and Greek-era party decorations, adorn the toga party’s area with grapevines, oil lamps, and ivy garlands. Keep the lighting soft with candles to set the atmosphere for hedonistic revelry. Anything colored gold or white adds to the party theme, such as inexpensive gold plastic cutlery, white tablecloths, spray or fabric paint, and gold package ribbon.

For delicious toga-era party food, base your ideas on the traditional harvests of ancient Greece and Rome. Spray paint large foil platters with gold or silver and serve everything Mediterranean: olives, figs, grapes, fresh cheese, loaves of crusty bread, and olive oil. If you have a grill, skewer some chicken and lamb and serve with pita bread. Robust wine will complement the toga theme and this spread very well.

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