Greek Themed Party: A How to Hosting Guide to Opa!

Go Greek and Celebrate!

Greece is an enchanting place full of rich history and amazing culture. From the beautiful scenery to the mouthwatering cuisine and everyone and everything in between, it’s a place many of us only dream of. So if you find yourself missing Greece, or wanting to visit Greece, or simply loving Greece, host a Greek themed party! It’s an awesome way to liven up everyone’s day with a dose of fun, Greek-style.

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How to Throw a Greek Themed Party

The Greek island of Santorini: a view of many white buildings on the cliffside on a sunny day — Pixabay; Emily Geibel

Scenic ocean view with Greek flag erected from a white exterior wall in Thera, Greece — Pixabay; Emily Geibel

1. Create a Greece-Inspired Scene with Greek Themed Party Decorations

Your best colour scheme for decorating is blue and white, the country’s most iconic colours as well as its flag colours. Drape billowing sheer white scarves or mesh fabric from windows and doorways to create a breezy look. With such a vast coastline, nautical touches are also fitting. Traditional emblems like the evil eye or national flag are classic decorations for a Greek themed party, but if you want to incorporate some ancient Greek décor, check out more classical finds in the toga party post. Of course, the classic Greek key pattern is a prominent style in Greek-themed décor as well.

Here are some great Greek decorations to turn your home into a proudly Greek abode:

2. Prepare Greek Food

A plate of Greek salad topped with halloumi cheese drizzled in olive oil rests next to a glass of wine, a delicious dish to serve at a Greek themed party — Loes Klinker

Here is the best party of a Greek themed party: Greek food! Tasting delicious, well-made Greek food is second best to actually visiting Greece. There are so many amazing dishes to share, but if you want to keep food costs down and/or spare yourself the time required to cook multiple platters, make it a Greek potluck and request that guests bring a dish to share. Most people are happy to contribute, but make sure you clearly communicate this when you first invite them.

Below are several recipes for Greek goodies. It is by no means exclusive; there are plenty more Greek dishes – too many to list – but these will get you started. For drinks, serve the Greek classic: ouzo! Include plenty of wines and sparkling grape juice as well.

Spanakopita
Greek salad
Greek potatoes
Greek chicken rice bowl
Vegetarian Greek stuffed peppers (yemista)
Greek halloumi, vegetable, and quinoa bowls
Easy sheet pan Greek chicken
Creamy Greek orzo salad with crispy chickpeas
Baklava
Kourabiedes (Greek walnut sugar cookies)
More Greek recipes from Cook Me Greek food blog
Greek coffee and engraved copper briki (Greek coffee pot) or this solid copper briki to make it
Ouzotini
Mykonos martini
Santor-tini
Vodka grape sparkler

A cup of rich Greek coffee rests on a wooden saucer on a wooden table next to a potted palm. Greek coffee is a must at a Greek themed party — Cihan Yüce; Rob Wicks

A blue and white-striped bowl filled with freshly made taramasalata (Greek dip made with smoked cod roe) rests on top of a blue and white tablecloth nearby other out-of-focus food items for a Greek themed party — Cihan Yüce; Rob Wicks

3. Turn the Music Dial to Very Greek with the Perfect Greek Party Mix

Unless you and your friends are painfully shy (and that’s okay – there’s nothing wrong with that!), you must incorporate dancing in your Greek themed party. Even if nobody knows any traditional Greek dances, it’s still fun to try or to at least dance regardless. With good Greek music, it’s hard not to! Whether you prefer traditional music from the region or modern hits, there is plenty to choose from. Here are a couple of playlists for inspiration:

4. Add Evocative Scents

We covered the sights, the flavors, and the sounds of Greece. Now, consider the scents! To truly immerse your guests in Greece, engage the evocative sense of smell by burning an aromatic Greece-themed candle:

A picturesque scene of white stucco exterior walls nearby a blue domed Greek orthodox church — Pixabay

5. Plan Greek Games or Activities

If guests are tired out from dancing (or if they haven’t had enough ouzo yet to start dancing), consider challenging them to Greek food trivia (printable download) or play a card game with Greek playing cards. Maybe they would enjoy Greece bingo (another printable download).

Another fun way to engage people is storytelling. If any guests are from Greece or have visited Greece, invite them to share their favourite things about it and what most stands out to them. This is a fun way for others to learn about the country and maybe even pique a new interest in someone!

6. Establish Guest Participation

Guest participation is optional and involves how you’d like your guests to participate or contribute to your party. If you want guests to bring a Greek dish to share, establish your Greek themed party as a Greek potluck when you initially invite them as mentioned above. Of course, you should always still provide at least a few tasty and filling dishes (in case others’ don’t measure up!) and be mindful of any guests’ dietary restrictions so you can make sure they have good options, too.

A white ceramic bowl of fresh Greek salad with red onion slices, feta cheese cubes, halved cherry tomatoes, green olives, and lettuce seasoned with Greek dressing rests on light coral placemat - a delicious dish to serve at a Greek themed party. Next to it is a glass of water with a lemon slice. — Farhad Ibrahimzade

Another fun way guests can participate is how they dress. You could make it fancy and invite everyone to dress up. Or just keep it casual/optional. Maybe you invite everyone to wear blue and white, which are easy enough colours – most people have crisp blue jeans and a fitted white tee-shirt! Again, as with other types of participation such as potluck and BYOB, make sure you communicate this information when you initially invite guests.

Checklist of Items You Need

Now that we’ve covered what you’ll need to do for a Greek themed party, here is a list of all the tangible items you may need to acquire for it:

Greek party decorations
Greek food and bevvies
Greek music
Greece-inspired scented candles
Greece-themed games
Blue and white outfit (optional but required if inviting others to wear the same)

A wall of blue and white ceramic plates in various sizes, patterns, and shades — Jannet Serhan

Preparation Checklist for Your Greek Themed Party

Most of these steps for party preparation apply to any type of party you host. So while we covered Greek-specific details and ideas above, below are basic party planning guidelines to neatly order each step of the process (you can find more thorough details in the Best Party Practices posts):

1. First, confirm that people can come on any chosen date

Choose party date/time, and preferably alternative date(s) as well
Choose guest list and establish minimum number of guests you’d like (to make it worth your effort)
Six weeks out, confirm guests’ interest in the party and availability on chosen party date(s). The only details you’ll need to share at this time include what type of party it will be (Greek-themed); any requested participation; party date and general time of day; and your address (or other location if elsewhere)
This first step is just to get people to confirm that, barring unforeseen circumstances, they are able and willing to attend and will save the date to do so. If your preferred minimum number of guests confirm interest and availability, have them secure the calendar date for your fabulous Greek party!

2. Then, proceed with the fun planning

Close-up photo of Greek themed party fare: a Greek salad seasoned with Greek dressing and including lettuce, sliced red pepper, red onion, crumbled feta cheese, herb-soaked green olives, and fresh thyme — Pixabay

Once you have your Greek party date established, you first need to get out your calendar and map out when you plan to do every step of preparation. This means you schedule time for each preparation activity that you’ll need to do. If you don’t schedule time on your calendar early enough, you may find yourself overwhelmed and unprepared the day of the party. Don’t do that to yourself! Check out the How to Be a Good Party Host post for more clarification on exactly what you can do to be confident, prepared, and ahead of the game. Party planning isn’t rocket science, but it naturally requires some thought and effort (which people notice and appreciate). Here’s a general overview of what you can expect to do leading up to the party:

First, sit down and schedule time on your calendar for each step of party prep as listed below
Create invitations with all the details and send them out 4 weeks before the party
Order any party supplies and decorations 3 weeks out (so they arrive in time to set up)
Shop for any party supplies/decorations you don’t order online, as well as non-perishable food/drinks
Acquire perishable food/drinks early enough in advance to prepare in time
Set up decorations
Prepare food/drinks (depending on how long things keep)

Several glasses of various shapes and sizes all hold a bright blue beverage in front of a yellow-hued stucco wall — Jill Burrow

3. Day of Party

It’s very important to get as much party prep done far enough in advance that you have some time to yourself to relax come party day, especially if you’ve been busy. So be sure to plan your day-of-party preparations early enough to have that time and space to yourself as well. Within those amply planned/set-aside time slots, you can expect to do these preparations during the day of your party:

Complete any last-minute food/drink prep that are too fresh to do any earlier
Set up any quick/easy last-minute supplies and decorations (if not up already)
Prepare ambience (music, candles)
Get dressed with plenty of time in your favourite Greek party outfit
Once everything’s ready, take the time to meditate or do any preferred self-care activities that get you in a good headspace if you aren’t already. This is in your own and everybody else’s best interest. You want to be a relaxed, energized, and happy host!

Part of an ancient Greek temple in Athens is seen against a cloudy blue sky — Jimmy Teoh

All Set to Host a Fantastic Greek Themed Party

And there you go. You are ready to invite everyone to Greece – à la your home! Remember to have fun while planning and put in good effort but don’t stress over things. Except for the food. Stress over the food because that’s most important – but in all seriousness, every part of the party planning process is meant to be enjoyable, from planning the menu to putting up decorations. At the end of the day, the goal is for you and your guests to have an awesome time – even if that looks different than you envisioned! As long as you put thought and care into party preparation and keep a flexible mindset that allows grace for when things turn out differently, your Greek party will be a terrific time everyone will enjoy.