singleanddelightful

Single And Delightful,
the SAD Party

Why not have a SAD Party?

While the words "SAD" and "Party" are in conflict unless we’re talking Irish wake, a SAD Party is fun. The idea was introduced to me by Kathy Lawler. She told me her single friends got together one night and were feeling very put upon because Valentine's Day was coming up. It just was another holiday where couples and families are the focus and, by jingo, there are lots of single men and women in the world. So, to answer their festive needs, they created SAD Parties, which is the acronym for SINGLE AND DELIGHTFUL!

The basic premise is simple. Just have fun. Like the Red Hat Society, there are no rules. Whatever the occasion, be it an official holiday like St Patrick's Day, July 4th or just because, the spotlight is on a gathering of friends enjoying their singularity, so to speak.

Theme or no theme? You decide. If no theme, just play some music and serve some food.

If you want a theme, here are some ideas you might try:

New Year's Eve / Independence Day - Make sparkly decorations from toilet paper tubes covered with gold paper or patriotic-colored metallic gift wrap cut into narrow strips. Staple the strips together, and tape inside the tube. Hang from the ceiling or an overhead light. Serve All-American Apple Pie if it’s July 4th!

Valentine's Day - Serve heart-healthy foods, perhaps a salad bar set up on the kitchen counter. Everyone can vote ahead of time on a favorite love story to watch. It doesn’t have to be a tear-jerker. Men like romantic comedies, too. Don’t forget It Happened One Night with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. It won an Academy Award.

Academy Award Party - Dress semi-formally or even formally. Everyone votes for their favorite movie, actor, actress, etc., before the awards are handed out. The person picking the most winners gets a gift certificate (everyone has chipped in a couple of dollars) to the local movie theater.

St. Patrick's Day - Serve all green food and have an Irish song-sing-along. Watch Going My Way with Bing Crosby or The Quiet Man with John Wayne. Both are wonderful.

Get a Round-the-Ring party group together where the group moves from house to house through the dinner courses, i.e., appetizers at Mary Lou’s place, salad at Freddie’s, entrée at Sally’s and, maybe, dessert at the local Fudge Shop? The parties can be as frequent as the group decides. Monthly like clockwork or whenever someone calls the others and says, “I need a SAD Party!”

Bread Baking Party - Let everyone make their own loaf of bread. The host has the ingredients and a few extra inexpensive loaf pans available along with raisins, cinnamon, sun-dried tomatoes, chopped olives, nuts, etc., whatever works in a tried and true recipe. If you don’t use a bread machine, everyone will get some upper-body exercise by kneading their own dough. Bake the bread and serve hot with melted butter or honey. Have plenty of plastic wrap so everyone can take home a slice of the different kinds of bread.

Cookie Party - Make one or two kinds of cookies as a group, bake and decorate them if desired, and have a cookie exchange where everyone takes some home.

Potpourri Party - Everyone is assigned a scented herb or fragrant oil to bring. Each person decides what mixture they’d like and creates their own potpourri to take home.

Exercise Party - Have everyone wear comfy clothes. Rent a DVD featuring the latest craze in exercize and do light aerobics. Serve healthy food.

Costume Party - All costumes must be created from the Goodwill store!

Walking Party - Day or evening, wear comfy shoes, walk to the nearest park or field and have a picnic.

Dance Party - Teach each other the fox trot or tango. If no one in the group has a clue how to do a specially dance, rent a DVD and learn together. Theme the party around the dance. Play big band music or waltz music accordingly.

Partini - Have the ingredients for several different types of martinis on hand. Don’t forget a chocolate martini. Mmm.

Wine Tasting - Each person brings a different wine, and everyone critiques them.

Show and Tell Your Favorite Childhood Treasure - Each person brings a toy, comic book, doll, etc., and shares their memories of it. It will spark conversation as others remember their childhoods.

Tea / Coffee Party - Serve samples of different flavors. Have a drawing where the winner gets a free mug, tea for one set or gift basket.

Whenever and whatever you decide to celebrate, have a fun and happy SAD Party!

St Raphael is the patron saint of singles.