If the hostess would like to make her party
rather elaborate, she may give several inexpensive favors representative
of the different months of the year. Three or four assistants
will be needed to help her in the distributing these gifts or
favors. One assistant will be January and will be dressed as
Father Time. A sheet, a string beard, and a scythe made out
of a carpet sweeper handle and some cupboard, make up his costume.
He comes out before the group and takes a deep bow, and tosses
his little pack into the midst of the guests. The favors may
be little pocket diaries for the coming year, or kewpie dolls
to represent the Baby New Year.
February comes out in an impromptu George Washington costume,
and the pack he tosses may contain little boxes of cherry candies.
March is a breezy lady, much beveiled, with an electric fan
behind her to help the breeziness. Her gifts are little bags
which contain balls and jacks for the girls and marbles for
the boys.
April is a grotesque looking creature whose contribution takes
the shape of little novelties one can buy, which either explode
when one opens them, or else pop away across the room into some
nervous girl’s lap.
May is a flower-bedecked lady who throws posies at the guests.
June brings forth a much harassed school teacher who grudgingly
holds out promises of a two months’ vacation.
July is dressed in red, white and blue bunting, and distributes
sparklers which are to be lighted when the grand march into
the dining room is called for a later month.
August represents the agonies of sunburn. Her face and neck
and arms been covered with rogue until they look positively
painful. She makes only the most necessary movements in giving
out promissory notes for ice-cream cones, which notes will be
made good later in the evening.
September is dressed like a policeman and comes striding in
swinging his club as he passes out written notices to the children
to appear at school for nine months’ hard labor. He is
invariably hooted out of the room!
October is a witch and brings the children small bags of candy
corn, with threats of awful punishment if they ever thrown corn
on her windows
November should either be a large person, or should have his
clothes stuffed so that he looks like a very large person. He
struts in a very complacent manner and importantly asks the
guests to follow him into the dining room. They never need a
second invitation.
December is of course, Santa Claus, and distributes toys between
courses while the children are at the table. These toys should
be in every case be mirth provoking.
Each of the assistants who represent the different months may
represent two or three of the months. All costumes should be
impromptu, and the funnier the gifts and favors the better. |
