South Africans and Manitobans share a relatively significant societal threshold: at the age of 18, you become both a legal adult and earn the right to drink alcohol.
Most of the young people I know rang in this momentous day at a bar of their choice with an entourage of friends, slurping down rows of shots and enduring an endless parade of free drinks.
The emphasis of the whole shebang is on the booze, not the transition it marks.
One of the loveliest South African traditions I have discovered thus far has been how they celebrate a young person’s transition from child to adult.
Yes, it legally comes at age 18. And yes, South Africans party hard for their 18th.
The thing is, they look past the drink. They keep in mind that this time in life ushers in more than just the legal freedom to throw back doubles. It also marks a person’s first steps into in adulthood. They lovingly take the time to celebrate that fact a few years after the tipsy landmark of 18 -- during 21st birthdays.
I would compare the South African 21st birthday party to the notion of a Debut Ball. It usually carries a central theme that dictates dress and decoration, and the guest list includes friends, family, family friends, and old teachers, coaches, etc.
I’m a bit of a sap, so it should come no surprise that I love the idea of filling your 21st birthday venue full of the people who helped you along the way to that big day.
And there are speeches!
Normally the parents, siblings, and best friends stand up in front of everyone and say a few words about the guest of honour and wish them well in their future.
Admittedly, it is a bit like having your wedding day early... but minus the whole legal commitment/bride/groom thing.
I think it is a really sweet way to take pause and be thankful for the gifts of friends and family. I don’t think we do enough of that back home.
Tarryn’s 21st party was an absolute smash.
She chose to have a Halloween theme which was brilliant considering it is not widely celebrated here. Many of her guests had never been to a Halloween party in their life, so the chance to dress in costume and enjoy a night of ghoulish fun was relished.
We went all-out with the decoration. Cobwebs and “Danger” signs on the gates, scary music in the entrance (don’t forget the welcome jello-shot topped with gummy fangs!), pumpkins, a graveyard complete with a walk-way of bones crunching underneath, a hanging severed head, zombies in the garden, bats on the walls, blood-stained sheets covering the furniture, a tower of orange and black cupcakes, bags of candy and popcorn, home-made creepy (but yummy!) treats... it was a lot of work, but well worth it!
The speeches that came from her Dad, brother, and two best friends were both hilarious and full of love. Tarryn was even on the receiving end of two slide shows about her life.
Needless to say, the only created by her parents was a “little” more PG than that from her besties. It managed to include photos of her peeing on a neighbour’s lawn and drunkenly shoving 11 cherry tomatoes in her mouth at once, while the one from her family was full of baby pics and special family moments.
It was a pleasure to help Tarryn out with her special day and I have to thank everyone who lent a helping hand by sending me recipes and party ideas.
I hope you enjoy seeing what we pulled off!
2 comments:
Looks like you had a much more entertaining halloween then I did. the decorations and treats look awesome!
Well done! Looks like a fantastic time (I especially liked the lady fingers. Reminded me of elementary. Remember when we decorated the music room (?) in grade 6 as a haunted maze thing?)
Halloween looks much more pleasant in South Africa than it was here. Veeeeeeeeery cold. I was working outside. Not fun. Yours looked fabulous and very successful. Congrats! I know how much work you must have put into it.
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