A Period Party is meant to be a snap shot, a moment in time. The 40's, the 50's, the 60's, sure they all had their short comings (i.e.. Adolf Hitler, Joe McCarthy, Fabian) but they also had their own nuances which make them worth dragging out of the closet every now and again. The point is to celebrate those things which have long since been forgotten. Pick your era, pick your poison, and have a good time.

A Camelot Come Together:

Camelot, the mere mention of the name invokes the thought of knights in shinning armor and damsels in   distress. Anyone who has read a history book on the time period knows differently. The Medieval Period was a basically lawless time when Kings and Queens ruled and the peasants toiled in squalor. Hey, that doesn't sound like much fun, that is unless you are playing the part of one of the Kings or Queens. A Camelot Come Together should be one where every guest should dress in their court best,(Kings Court that is) and prepare to have a slightly more civilized than barbaric good time. As with a toga party, there should be a King appointed for the night. Whatever the King says, goes. This includes when people can go to the bathroom and what they can do for entertainment. The party should have a large banquet as the centerpiece of the evening and this is where most of the fun should be had. There should be no utensils, no napkins, and certainly no manners. Ale and mead are to be a plenty and merriment should be on everyone's mind. If you want to be really authentic read up on the medieval period, especially the part about chivalry. Well, maybe throw that part out, and just have fun.

Atmosphere:Large banquet tables and classical music. Try hanging some tapestries and torches. This will help put everyone in the mood.

Food: Roast meat. Salad is a no, no. As is pasta, and anything else healthy. Of course there should be some vegetables, but only potatoes and beets.(actually we have no idea, use your imagination.)

Drink: Ale, wine and mead. Nothing else.

Pilgrim Party:

Not all the Pilgrims were Puritans. As you should know, the Pilgrims had planned on settling in what was to become Virginia but they landed on Cape Cod. History has told us that the reason for this navigational miscalculation was, in all probability, severe weather. However, history also claims that Christopher Columbus discovered America and that Herbert Hoover was a straight guy. Wrong! The reason the Pilgrims stopped in Cape Cod? Severe weather? I think not! They were out of beer! Yes, we are serious. Water purification was, to put it bluntly, a real bitch. This explains the high concentration of Alcoholics currently residing on the phallic like land to the south of Bean Town.

Atmosphere: Dress like Pilgrims, flog the biggest drunk, and, at the end of the first winter, most of your guests should die of starvation and disease.

Food: The first Thanksgiving was not the feeding trough it is now. Bland, cardboard like food should be served with a small dish of cranberry sauce.

Drink: Ale and wine should be served luke warm. Let's see you come up with refrigeration without electricity.

Civil War Party:

Choose up sides for no particular reason and kill everyone in the room. Hold grudges manifesting themselves in Presidential politics for years to come.

Dress: Rent "Gone With the Wind" and have a blast.

Victorian Party:

The Victorian era was a strange time. Never have so many, denied so often, for so much. Clarification? These people traveled about from social function to social function, always prim, always proper. Emotions were the plaque of the Victorian era. The catch is that despite pretending that sex was as lethal as malaria, a fact that would not become fact until the 1980's, they never wasted an opportunity for a roll in the hay. As reserved as they may seem, the fact of the matter is that these people jumped from bed to bed like nymphomaniacs on pogo sticks. To be truly into this event, the backdrop should be elegant, the atmosphere formal, and the air charged with sexual energy. How? Lingering stares, accidental contact, that type of thing. Under no circumstances should a guest reveal their genitals before the rest of the group. Walk like Kings, off like tramps.

Dress: Elegant. Go to the library, take notes. Rent a copy of " The Remains of the Day." Anthony Hopkins is cool. Wear something resembling a doily.

1920's - A Prohibition Party:

The roaring 20's a time when alcohol was outlawed and women wore hats that looked like shower caps. Despite the best efforts of the Prohibitionists, the 20's were a period ruled by gangsters and crooked politicians. If you wanted a drink there was a place you could get it. Bathtub gin was a necessity at any party and people knew how to live it up. If you've ever seen a Jimmy Cagney movie you know what to expect of the 20's. At least you know the stereotype that the people of now have of the 20's, since most of the people reading this book were not alive in the 20's. If you were alive in the 20's and remember them, then there is no need for us to explain. For the rest of us however there is a need for some sort of explanation. Wild and crazy times. That sums it up. It was a period between World Wars and there was an economic boom in America. It was an age of invention and people felt good about themselves. That is except for the fact that they couldn't drink. We don't have to worry about that, so have fun with this theme. Rent some of the gangster classics and let your imagination go wild.

  Atmosphere: As the phrase goes, " It was the roaring 20's", so live it up. Speakeasy parlors and bathtub gin parties.

Dress: Zoot Suits and Flapper dresses. A quick peek at movies of the time period will tell you all you need to know.

Food: Whatever. We're not talking prehistoric times here.

Drink: Hard stuff was easier to hide. Beer was available, you just need to know how to get your hands on it.

Industrial Revolution Get Together:

Take a sweater, shred it, and then sew it back together until you drop dead. As a variation you can experiment with heavy machinery and the latest in power sources.

Bogart Bash:

When you're truly honest with yourself, you must admit that "Robo Cop3" sucked, as did "Cobra" with Sylvestor Stallone. Do yourselves a favor. Rent "Casablanca". This is a film, a movie, a Motion Picture. It is not a miserable excuse for wasting $7.50 on a rainy Saturday afternoon. This is our 40's bash with a twist. It's perfect, "cannot be rescinded, cannot even be questioned." The style, the flair, it is all truly American. Rent the Movie and do your damnedest to recreate "Rick's" in the privacy and comfort of your own home. As host, you're Bogart, you can't beat that, just stay in character. Don't worry about people showing up, "everybody goes to Rick's."

Atmosphere: Recreate "Rick's" and you're ahead of the game.

Music: "You must remember this..."

Bogart Tip: "To Have and Have Not". Lauren Becall is a gift from above.

"Here's lookin' at you kid."

Location: It's always a good idea to throw one of these parties in a house where you won't be bothered by nosy neighbors, the shades can be closed, and the heat can be cranked to 90°.