Setting the Stage
Welcome guests to your party while playing the soundtrack for Chariots of Fire by Vangelis.
Hand each guest a wreath made from greenery - ideally from olive branches, but realistically whatever your florist or garden offers that comes close. Olive wreaths were the highly coveted prize of the ancient Greek Olympians.
When you invite your guests, ask them to come dressed in the attire for their favorite summer Olympic sport. Have everyone try to guess what each guest has chosen.
Since the 2004 Olympics are being held in Athens, use blue and white as the strongest colors in your table decorations.
Create simple centerpieces by inserting clusters of international flags into small pots of fresh herbs such as oregano.
Design an appetizer that can establish the theme when guests first arrive. Cover a large baking sheet with foil. Create the five ring symbol of the Olympics with overlapping rings of cold shrimp. Serve shrimp cocktail sauce on the side.
Purchase and decorate with Olympic party goods found online or at your nearest party store. These items may include Olympic torches, Greek or international flag bunting, or sports cutouts.
Create your own bunting of Olympic gold medals by hot gluing 1" wide grosgrain ribbons to large, gold foil-covered chocolate coins. Tie the ribbons with the "medals" on a rope or wire across your entryway. As guests leave your party, untie a medal and present each guest with one to take home.
Activities
As with all sports parties, be sure you have at least one, if not more, televisions in good working order. Make sure there is enough comfortable seating around each television.
Create a ballot that lists the competitors for the events you will be viewing during your party. At the beginning of your party ask each guest to select their first, second and third picks for each event. Award prizes to the winners at the end of the evening.
If your friends are an active group, set up your own mini-Olympics before the games begin. Some possibilities include relay races with flashlights to represent the Olympic torch; a soccer match; or a timed obstacle course that includes hurdles over pillows, crawls through large boxes with the bottoms and tops cut off, and walks across wooden planks that are placed on the ground.
The Menu
Enjoy the delicious flavors of Greece and the Mediterranean at this party with a Greek Dinner Party Menu.
