An Edwardian Easter Party

An Edwardian Easter Party - Edwardian Easter Hostess
Easter Hostess (San Francisco Call, 1904)

‘The smart Easter hostess will inaugurate a new idea in entertaining, one that she has copied from her English sisters over the sea. She will send out invitations for an Easter breakfast party, bidding her most congenial friends to assemble at her hospitable board. Comparative strangers in whom we have not the slightest interest are invited to our houses for luncheons and dinners, but when a person is bidden to breakfast, then the honor is doublefold, and an evidence that their society must be very agreeable, indeed.

Breakfast may be served at even, half after, or high noon, it is merely a question to be determined by the hostess.

Typical breakfast or luncheon dainties may be served, and, of course, ’tis needless to say that fresh laid eggs served in various palatable ways should be given careful consideration. As many of the dishes or parts of the ingredients should be prepared the day before, especially where there is but one maid, so that things may move along easily and without attendant hurry and flurry on Easter morning. There should be fresh fruits and vegetables, delicious greens and everything added to make the repast as attractive and spring-like as possible.

An Edwardian Easter Party - Table Decoration With Flowers

ATTRACTIVE TABLE DECORATIONS

With such a wealth of inexpensive flowers at hand, the Easter hostess may fashion charming decorations without delving too deeply in her purse. Should she have in her possession a gracefully shaped fruit basket, one with a tall handle preferred, let her paint it a pretty shade of willow green or gild it with paint. Fill in the centre with moss and into this thrust white and yellow tulips, jonquils or daffodils, or these combined, besides some delicate greens. Arrange these gracefully in irregular heights. Add a wreath of wispy greens about the base with flowers placed at intervals.

Twine green and flowers about the tall handle and surmount the whole by a dashing bow of yellow ribbon, ombre green or yellow tulle. Scatter greens and flowers gracefully over the cloth or place a small bouquet to the right of each cover. Bouquet tied with narrow yellow ribbon. A silver or crystal basket of good size, filled with white nnd yellow roses and greens, also makes a charming centrepiece. Nothing could be handsomer and more appropriate than a tall silver or crystal vase of Easter lilies.

ARRANGING GROWING PLANTS

Growing tulips or hyacinths placed in a decorative dish in the centre of the table with similar decorations at the ends makes a pleasing alternative from the cut flowers. Placques of cut and growing flowers are quite fashionable for table decorations. One of the sketches shows a placque of yellow straw filled with white, pink and blueish hyacinths. A little basket is shown that may serve as a decoration for the end of the table or as favors. Several size baskets and attractive devices in straw and wicker range from 25 cents to 50 cents apiece, and are filled with various kinds of spring flowers.

Placing little bouquets of spring flowers on the backs of the chairs and typing them with ribbon streamers is a distinctive and original way of offering favors, and the effect thus produced is very attractive.

An Edwardian Easter Party

INVITATIONS, MENUS AND NAME CARDS

The invitations may be worded in the same manner as any formal luncheon or dinner, and engraved or written by hand. Or a hostess of an inventive turn of mind may get up her own invitations, wording them in droll fashion and decorating them with hand-painted chicks or other suitable embellishments. In fact, the invitations, name cards and menus may be of home manufacture.

A pretty little menu is in the form of an Easter lily, the petals are pulled back and the menu is revealed in gilt letters. One or more Easter lies with their tall stems arranged on one side of the card is another pretty suggestion.

A quaint name card which the amateur could copy shows a wee yellow chick just emerging from a shell that is realistically cracked. In the lower opposite corner there are two other innocents abroad. The name of the guest is placed in gilt letters in the centre.

A name card that is finding much favor is a most natural looking chicken of tender age placed upon a bit of green card. From the youngster’s neck dangles a little egg-shaped card on which the name of the guest appears. Chickens of this size may be had for 5 cents apiece, the rest is easy.

Many French and German favors are seen and are really quite beautiful, both in drawing and coloring. A number of festive postal cards are being called into play for all sorts of purposes.’ (Los Angeles Herald, 1906)

12 thoughts on “An Edwardian Easter Party

  1. I love all your detail about who would come and how they would feel doubly honored, what to serve. <3 Pinned to my Holidays board for you! Fun!!! Also, have you met Laura at Decor to Adore?? You and she would get along nicely since you both create fashions from the past.

    Happy St. Patty's Day to you, Lina!
    Barb 🙂

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