Luau is a traditional Hawaiian or Polynesian festival.
The tradition began in the year 1819 when a Hawaiian king decided to hold a feast to break a religious taboo.
Luau party planning is very easy as there are many readily available items and ideas around.
The important thing to create the right ambiance is to pay attention to details.
Here are essentials to include in a luau party theme.
Luau Party Attire When sending invitations, inform your guests of the luau theme.
Encourage them to wear Hawaiian attire.
Men can wear tropical shirts and shorts.
Women can wear a modest halter top with a colorful print skirt.
If you can get anyone to wear a modestly attired grass skirt, well, that will surely bring laughs and add zest to your party.
Leis Leis are string of flowers or shells typically worn during special occasions (such as wedding) or to welcome guests.
Greet each guest with an Aloha and lei to make them feel truly welcome.
This is also a great way to set the mood.
You can use fresh flower or plastic leis.
Smaller leis for the ankle, wrist, or head will help heighten the Hawaiian feeling.
You may be able to buy these locally, but if not there are sources you can find on the internet.
Luau Party Decorations To create the desired island ambiance there are many readily available and inexpensive items you can use to transform a place into a tropical paradise.
You can strategically place tropical plants.
Inflatable plastic trees can help re-create a tropical island scene.
Add tiki torches, tiki masks, foil decorations like flamingos, and wooden parrots (if you can't find real parrots), and you're a step closer to wowing your guests.
Hang colorful paper lanterns to add to the festive feeling.
Ask your friends if they have boats, oars, or grass skirts you can borrow.
Decorating your buffet tables is another great way to heighten the luau atmosphere.
Scatter sea shells at the center of the tables.
Use fresh flowers (such as gardenia, lilies, and birds of paradise) and candles floating on bowls of water as centerpieces.
Use bamboo placemats and surround serving plates with purple dendrobiums (a genus of large orchids).
Also, fresh coconut and pineapple boats can be used as centerpieces to add a tropical touch.
Luau Party Food In a traditional luau, roasted pig (roasted in imu oven or underground pit) is the central feature.
Depending on how authentic you want to give your party, you can roast a pig on an imu oven, underground pit, or on an open pit.
If that's not practical, you can search for places that ship fully roasted pig.
Even if you just cook on a barbecue grill or in the kitchen it won't spoil things that much.
Poi (made from taro) is another constant in traditional Hawaiian luau.
This traditional Hawaiian dish is made from taro leaves.
Look for restaurants that specialize in Hawaiian dishes to provide you with luau party food.
Or try the internet and have some things shipped to you.
Other Hawaiian dishes that would make an excellent addition to your party menu are: ono ribs, rice, lomi lomi salmon, shrimp ono, and macadamia coconut cake.
For pupus (appetizer), shrimps, mangos, and pineapples are great.
Luau Party Cocktail Mai tai, blue Hawaiian, and Island Punch will put everyone in the mood.
Frozen daiquiris, chi chis, and pina coladas are wonderful options.
Don't forget garnish with fresh fruits and tiny colorful umbrellas.
Luau Party Activities There are many fun activities you can include.
Bring out a limbo stick, play a Don Ho song, and see how low everyone can go.
Ready some grass skirts and coconut bras for some hula dancing.
Bring out hula hoops and see who is the best spinner or the most creative.
You can also hire a hula dancer to teach your guests how to hula dance.
Luau Party Music You can play Don Ho, Beach Boys, and Sarfari songs, or some traditional Hawaiian songs.
With the right essentials, you and your guests can all get into the warm Aloha spirit regardless of the time of the year or the occasion.
Just imagine tropical Hawaii and you can come up with a million ideas to re-create that authentic luau feeling.