The Summer Games only come around once every four years, and this year athletes and fans from around the world will flock to London for a chance to win the gold. Even if you can’t make the trip across the pond for the games, here are ways to bring London into your living room.
Step 1: Keep calm and stay full
To make your guests (and you) feel like you’re in London, you need the right food and drink. For afternoon events, organize tea time with a mix of English teas, cakes, and finger sandwiches. After dark, create a pub environment with traditional pub fare like fish and chips or bangers and mash, and of course, British ales. If you want to take your pub service to the next level, try making a traditional pub drink, Pimm’s, a dark liqueur mixed with sparkling lemonade and slices of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Step 2: Sport the flag
Make centerpieces for your table by placing small British flags on a stick into glass jars filled with red, white, and blue marbles or jelly beans. Use the Union Jack in your decorating with streamers, cups, and napkins, like the ones here. You can also hand out flags to guests to wave during events. Keep small American flags handy for the same purpose—the Summer Games are all about showing national spirit, and just because you’re throwing a British party doesn’t mean you can’t show some American pride too!
Step 3: Get in the game
While you and your guests are busy mingling and sipping on tea, don’t forget to watch the games and cheer for your favorite athletes! Encourage your guests to bring cutouts of their favorite athletes’ faces, attach them to Popsicle sticks, and raise them in the air to show support.
Step 4: Talk like the British
Now that you have the proper decor and food, you think you’re all set? Don’t be daft! In order to make your party feel like London, use British terms and phrases in conversation—and don’t forget the accent!
Step 5: Posh favors
Gather British goodies like Cadbury chocolates and Smarties (chocolate-coated candies like M&Ms, sold at many specialty grocers), English breakfast tea and fascinator headpieces for “party bags.” To add a Summer Games twist, buy plastic gold, silver and bronze medals from your local party store and give them to your guests. You can even make a game out of it and award gold medals for “best dressed” or “best accent.” You can even make your own competition by letting guests pick an athlete to cheer for, and if their choice wins gold, they can too.
Now that you’re ready for a London-themed viewing party, sit back, relax and enjoy the games. Cheerio!
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