As an event planner, I’ve been blessed with many opportunities to plan a variety of events, everything from weddings to aqeekas to corporate social gatherings. With each and every event, one thing has always been the main focus; guest experience. The same should hold true for an Eid party.

Ramadan 2015 isn’t here just yet, but that doesn’t mean we can’t start planning for Eid already! Here are a few pointers that will help in making any Eid party a fun and memorable one!

This goes without saying. There are tons of cute Eid specific decorations that you can splurge on to liven up your home/venue. If you’re in Toronto, SalamShop, Modah and Kaamilah Boutique are great places to start. If not, there are plenty of small but fiercely creative shops on Etsy selling Ramadan and Eid specific decor. For example try Path of Light Designs.

You’ve dressed up your home, now it’s time for you to get ready. Be sure to wear a new outfit, or if not new, something that is special to you. Whether you’re throwing an Eid party with a guest count of over 200, or a intimate dinner with just close family, asking your guests to where formal attire will certainly help in creating a festive atmosphere.

This is a great way to get everyone (regardless of age or gender) involved! Ever heard of Secret Santa? The concept is quite similar to that. Essentially, you’ll need to:

     – Set a budget between yourselves. It can be $10, $20, $100, whatever you are comfortable with.

     – Write down the name of each person who’ll be participating on a slip of paper.

     – Fold their names and put it in a bowl

     – Go around the room and have everyone pick a name. This is the person who’ll they’ll be getting a gift for.

     – When everyone arrives at the Eid party, ask all of the guests to put they gifts in a communal area.

     – Once everyone has arrived, you can hand out to each guest the present that has their name on it.

     – The guest first has to guess who got them, but after one guess the person reveals themselves

There is one other variation to this game that you can consider using.

If you wont be able to meet with the guests prior to the party to pick the name slips, you can simply ask each guest to bring a gift that is suitable for anyone to the party. Once all of the gifts are at the party, you can label them all with a number.

Write down the same numbers on a slip and have each person pick a number.

A third option is to use a site called Drawnames.com to draw names and even add a wishlist.

Dates are an essential when opening up a fast, so why not celebrate by making a date cake for Eid? Here is a link to one of my all time favourite recipes; Easy Date Cake. You can even add your own little twists to the recipe by adding ingredients such as toffee.If you don’t want to serve it as part of dessert, you can even cut the cake into tiny bite size squares and give them as party favours. A couple whose wedding I planned recently gave date cakes as a favour to their guests and they were a hit!

We should do our best to help those around us, especially during the holy month of Ramadan. This year, create a new family tradition by making small gift baskets for women and children in need. It’s a great way to give back to your community. You can create small gift baskets for kids by adding a few toys, clothes or (my personal favourite) halal gummies! Blossom & Bean sells them in packets, or you can contact them about buying in bulk if you plan on making quite a few. You can add Pashminas for women, chocolate, gift cards,  etc. Work on them during the month of Ramadan, and then deliver them to shelters on Eid.

What are some of your Eid traditions? How do you liven up your Eid Parties? Comment below and let me know! 🙂