Carnival Theme Party

Celebrate with a Carnival theme party! The official "carnaval" is held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, four days before Easter. This "carnaval" is the hailed as one of the greatest parties on earth. And, if a circus themed party is more your style, see our circus party ideas!

People come from all over the world to see thousands dance in the street parades and to witness the great traditions of Mardi Gras.

You can recreate a glimpse of this spectacular event for your friends by hosting your own Carnival party. Guests can come in outlandish costumes or you can keep it simple with just masks and beads.

Some people enjoy the theme enough to celebrate it any time of year. C.L. of Wilmington, North Carolina, suggested a "Seduction" Maquerade Party Idea with an old-west slant as a fun birthday party theme for adults.

The "Mums the Word" party game is an excellent choice for a party that involves beads. Kay of Chicago suggested this fun party game idea.

Decadence in every fashion is central to the Carnival theme party. Create an easy yet elaborate buffet table centerpiece with exotic flowers; the more outlandish the better.

You don't have to know how to arrange flowers with these exotic beauties:

• birds of paradise
• anthurium
• strich plume ginger

Place 5 to 7 stems of any of these flowers in a vase and you will have an instant arrangement because they are so unique and glamorous that they can stand on their own.

Continue this exotic theme party flair throughout your food presentation. An easy way to do this is to create a fruit platter with a striking pineapple centerpiece. We have a tutorial with instructions and photos on the Pineapple Centerpiece page. Deck out your drinks for this party with ornate fruit skewers or exotic stir sticks.

Our drink of choice for this party is the Caipirinha, an authentic Brazilian drink gaining serious popularity. Simply squeeze one lime into a glass, and add 1 teaspoon of sugar (more if you like). Add ice, and pour 2 ounces of "cachaca" over the ice. Stir and serve.

For this party, Samba music is in order. Intersperse it into your regular party music mix for a taste Brazilian flavor. If you desire, set up a dance floor for those who really like to party!

If your party is outdoors, firework sparklers, also known as wedding sparklers, are a must! They're safe and easy to use and bring the authentic feeling of a true carnival festival. Noise makers, maracas, confetti and paper streamers top off the carnival theme party extravaganza.

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