The Middle East: One of the Most Culturally and Geographically Beautiful Regions
The Middle East covers a diverse area both in geography and people groups, so while it isn’t possible to include every unique culture and custom in one party theme, we can touch on some similar generalities shared across the region. One notable feature is fantastic hospitality. Middle Eastern hospitality is warm, generous, and deeply ingrained in society. If you are from the USA or someplace similar, you’ll note that Western hospitality doesn’t even compare to what you’ll find in the Middle East. And that same remarkable hospitality is the spirit with which to host a Middle Eastern themed party! Let’s dive into some fun ideas to celebrate the delightful people and places of the Middle East.
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How to Throw a Middle Eastern Themed Party
1. Create a Mesmerizing Scene with Middle Eastern Decorations
Turn your home into a vibrant mecca with plenty of Middle Eastern-style décor. Use a lot of soft textures that invoke that hospitable warmth and comfort. You want your space to feel comfortable and inviting, so that guests feel as though they could collapse into a pile of colourful cushions.
There are several ways to create this vibe. Drape long sheer fabric across the ceiling from the walls to the center to create a billowy canopy. Invest in high-quality floor furniture from the Middle East which you can enjoy long after your party, such as this gorgeous set complete with a Turkish rug, U-shaped sofa, cushions, and ottoman (available in various combinations and thickness options). Or spread out a Persian rug with plenty of inviting throw pillows and cushions. You can cover plain pillow inserts in blue Turkish kilim pillow covers available in multiple patterns or other Turkish throw pillow covers also available in multiple patterns.
Cast a warm, pleasant glow by using soft lamps instead of harsh overhead lighting wherever possible, and illuminate cosy nooks with an elegant silver ball lantern light strand, a beautiful crescent moon and star light strand, or a Morocco-themed paper lantern (different region but with equally striking similarities to Middle Eastern style).
Invite guests to rest their drinks on these adorable Turkish carpet coasters. Serve refreshments with handsome Turkish patterned plates, cups and napkins and string up a matching Turkish banner. Or opt for pretty Persian patterned plates, cups and napkins and matching Persian banner. Maybe string up a playful ‘Ya habibi’ banner and hang a beautiful star decoration.
Wall Art
Wall art can also make quite a statement, and you have many options here. This stunning traditional Palestinian Bedouin embroidered wall hanging is a perfect decoration to display, both for its high quality craftmanship and design, as well as its texture. There are also plenty of prints/posters that capture snippets of the Middle East, such as this stunning Arabic architecture/domes wall art. Check out more below:
- ‘Doors of the Levant’ wall art print
- Persian architecture poster
- Set of 3 posters of Erbil architecture
- Set of 3 posters of Syrian city
- Set of 3 Arabic-patterned prints or more Arabic-patterned prints
2. Prepare Middle Eastern Food and Beverages
If we’re honest, you know some guests will really be there for the food. And who could blame them! Middle Eastern cuisine is simply the best. Your menu is where your Middle Eastern hospitality can shine! So don’t disappoint: offer the spread that everyone’s hoping for – whether you provide all dishes or have others pitch in!
The food of this region is not only some of the most delicious in the world, but it is always plentiful when entertaining guests. Go big with a delicious spread including such staples as kababs, dolmas, tabouli, pita bread, hummus, and other mouthwatering fare. If you can’t spare the time to prepare food but can spare the price, find a good restaurant that caters. Many may not advertise a catering service but are happy to arrange for a special event if you ask.
Alternatively, you could make it a potluck and request that everyone brings a Middle Eastern dish to share (you’ll still need to provide a few staples, of course). This is perfectly acceptable, especially if time and/or money is tight, and most people are happy to contribute. But always communicate this when you initially invite guests so they know what to expect before they RSVP. And, depending on you and your guests’ grocery options, there are often Middle Eastern foods available in the frozen section – not as amazing as freshly cooked but, depending on the dish, usually pretty decent!
For drinks, Arabic coffee and plenty of delicious tea is a must (include water-decaffeinated options for anyone who doesn’t need all the extra caffeine). Brew a large batch of sweetened mint tea (go heavy on the sugar – but also prepare an unsweetened batch, too) and impress your friends with genuine Turkish coffee prepared with an ibrik.
Here are some recipes for popular Middle Eastern dishes:
- Tabbouleh (Middle Eastern salad)
- Chicken Shawarma
- Spicy Arabic rice
- Mussakhan (Palestinian roast chicken with sumac and red onions)
- Hummus
- Middle Eastern pita bread
- Kafta bi bandora (Palestinian ground meat patties in tomato sauce)
- Baba ganoush (Middle Eastern fire-roasted eggplant dip)
- Salata Falahiyeh (Palestinian salad)
- Turkish baklava
- Turkish delight
3. Set the Ambience with Middle Eastern Music
There are so many music options spanning the Middle Eastern region, far too many to even list. You could opt to play instrumental background music such as Andrew Atef Mories’ enticing tunes. When it’s time to dance (and at a Middle Eastern themed party, there will be dancing!), turn up Egypt’s Amr Diab hits or an Arabic party songs playlist. You’ll also find both danceable and chillaxable music from Lebanon’s Yasmine Hamdan or her former band Soapkills. For rock lovers, play Pakistan’s Junoon. There is no one-size-fits-all – your Middle Eastern audio choice depends on your taste. Just make sure you plan your fun playlist with some thought!
4. Add Evocative Scents
We covered some of the sights, some of the flavors, and some of the sounds of the Middle East. Now, consider the scents! To truly immerse your guests in a Middle Eastern themed party, engage the evocative sense of smell by burning any of these scented candles:
- Tonka and oud candle
- Oud and hibiscus candle
- Medina candle
- Arabian nights wood wick candle
- Oud candle or this other oud candle
5. Plan Middle Eastern Themed Party Games or Activities
Maybe everyone’s tired out from dancing. Or maybe it’s late and time to wind down and relax before sending them home. In either case, interest your guests in Lebanopoly! A Lebanon-themed Monopoly game. Or maybe try their culinary knowledge with Middle Eastern food trivia (printable download) or challenge them to carrom, a popular game in the Middle East and much of Asia. Games aren’t required to make a great party, but they can add a fun variety of activities!
6. Establish Guest Participation
Guest participation is optional and involves how you’d like your guests to participate or contribute to your party. As mentioned above, if you request that guests bring a Middle Eastern dish to share, communicate this expectation when you initially invite them. Same goes for any other type of participation – such as BYOB, encouraging Middle Eastern-style dress, etc.
Of course, always choose your guests mindfully and with their interests in mind. Prioritize friends who would most enjoy a Middle Eastern themed party. But don’t shy away from others who may not know much about the region. You never know – they may get bitten by the travel bug, hop on a plane before you know it, and fall in love with it (it’s hard not to)!
Checklist of Items You Need
Now that we’ve covered what you’ll need to do for a Middle Eastern party, here is a list of tangible items to acquire for it:
- Middle Eastern décor and party supplies
- Middle Eastern refreshments and ibrik
- Middle Eastern music
- Middle Eastern-inspired scented candles
- Middle Eastern themed party games
Preparation Checklist for Your Middle Eastern Themed Party
Most of these steps for party preparation apply to any type of party you host. So while we covered Middle Eastern-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 (Middle Eastern-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 awesome Middle Eastern party!
2. Then, proceed with the fun planning
Once you have your 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 will notice). 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)
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 in a Middle Eastern-inspired party outfit
- Once everything’s ready, take the time to do any preferred self-care activities that get you in a good headspace if you aren’t already. This is first and foremost important for you so that you can be a happy host. It is also important for sharing genuinely warm Middle Eastern hospitality! To not be stressed, take some time to first rest.
All Set to Host a Fabulous Middle Eastern Themed Party
Every part of the party planning process is meant to be enjoyable – from planning the amazing menu to putting up inviting décor. At the end of the day, all that really matters is that you and your guests 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 Middle Eastern party will be a splendid event that everyone will remember. Yalla!
