* find the country's flag and decorate using those colors. Use the common, ordinary, normal, usual decorations you would for any party, just in the flag colors. Make the food of this color. Decorate with buntings of these colors. Decorate with country's flags.
* find out if the country has a national animal, bird, tree, flower, and so on - what other national symbols the country has?
* find out about the country's food culture and plan the celebratory dinner around that.
* find out about the country's music and create a playlist. Use a mix of both traditional and popular music. Use songs sang in the country's official or majority language, even if there was a version sang in an international language. Create a song booklet with easy to sing songs with easy lyrics. Include the national anthem, and other such national songs, if there are any.
* learn to say a couple of sentences in a language spoken in the country
* use the nature of the country as one of the party themes. For example, Finland celebrates its independence December 6th. Finland is in the boreal forest zone, so it's Nordic forests with snow. "Winter Wonderland" is a great theme.
* wear a traditional folk costume, but be respectful about it. Avoid stereotypes and caricatures. Don't get a huge sombrero and fake mustache for Mexico's independence day (which is not 5th of May). Don't go all harem girl on the national days of countries on Arabian peninsula and Middle East. I don't think there EVER was anything like the Western harem girl fantasy anywhere but in Hollywood movies. Just like the wild and free gypsy woman. All fantasy. Remember that folk costumes are (usually) festive clothes for real people. They aren't costumes in the masquerade costume sense. So behave as if you were in your normal festive clothes. The purpose here is to learn about the culture of the country.
* make photobooth props with the country's famous people or typical headwear etc.
* Find movies, tv-series, documentaries, especially travel shows, about the country or made in the country, and watch some of those.
* play trivia games with questions about the country's history, nature, flora and fauna, traditions, culture etc. etc. Use Wikipedia to find the trivia.
* find out if there are some traditional games commonly played in the country, especially party games.
* learn a traditional dance from the country
* is there some traditional activity or ceremony you could replicate at home? In Japan there's the tea ceremony, in Eritrea there's a coffee ceremony. In some countries they paint skin with henna.
* invite an expatriate to celebrate their national day with you
* Are there some typical saying associated with the country? Quotes about the country? Does the country have a motto? Lyrics of the national anthem or other nationalist songs? You can write these in banners, blocks, or calligraphy to decorate for the day
* Is there some activity associated with the celebration like fireworks? Use that as decoration or activities
* Do something specific through the whole day; have an independence day breakfast; either a typical breakfast from the country, or a normal breakfast dressed up with nationalist themes, like colors, symbols and so on. For example, if there is a star(s) on the flag, you can cut the breakfast food into star shapes.
* Textiles are an easy way to bring in some "patriotism" to your home. A couple of cushions and a throw; kitchen towels and potholders, towels in the bathroom. it's enough to have them in right colors, but naturally you can go really way out with this.
* It is nice to decorate some spots in the home for all holidays. Like the mantelpiece, door, any place you have decorated anyway, just exchange the decoration to theme appropriate. It's nice to have some items for these, like
- the personification of the country, like Uncle Sam, Marianne or Mother Svea. Every country has one, even if they aren't as famous. If you don't know and can't find out, take a female, dress her in old-fashioned garb in flag colors and give her the flag and country's coat of arms.
* Decorate the table in flag colors. It is of course appropriate to use the country's national flowers or flowers that originate from the country or are native or common in the country. For example, to celebrate Netherlands, the flower arrangement is of course tulips.
* Use a map of the country as decoration
* use the country's year of independence as decoration; use the numbers as letters
* If there are parades make the kids "parade bags" to keep them happy
* create a scavenger hunt - look out for things typical for the country and Independence Day celebration
* find out if the country has a national animal, bird, tree, flower, and so on - what other national symbols the country has?
* find out about the country's food culture and plan the celebratory dinner around that.
* find out about the country's music and create a playlist. Use a mix of both traditional and popular music. Use songs sang in the country's official or majority language, even if there was a version sang in an international language. Create a song booklet with easy to sing songs with easy lyrics. Include the national anthem, and other such national songs, if there are any.
* learn to say a couple of sentences in a language spoken in the country
* use the nature of the country as one of the party themes. For example, Finland celebrates its independence December 6th. Finland is in the boreal forest zone, so it's Nordic forests with snow. "Winter Wonderland" is a great theme.
* wear a traditional folk costume, but be respectful about it. Avoid stereotypes and caricatures. Don't get a huge sombrero and fake mustache for Mexico's independence day (which is not 5th of May). Don't go all harem girl on the national days of countries on Arabian peninsula and Middle East. I don't think there EVER was anything like the Western harem girl fantasy anywhere but in Hollywood movies. Just like the wild and free gypsy woman. All fantasy. Remember that folk costumes are (usually) festive clothes for real people. They aren't costumes in the masquerade costume sense. So behave as if you were in your normal festive clothes. The purpose here is to learn about the culture of the country.
* make photobooth props with the country's famous people or typical headwear etc.
* Find movies, tv-series, documentaries, especially travel shows, about the country or made in the country, and watch some of those.
* play trivia games with questions about the country's history, nature, flora and fauna, traditions, culture etc. etc. Use Wikipedia to find the trivia.
* find out if there are some traditional games commonly played in the country, especially party games.
* learn a traditional dance from the country
* is there some traditional activity or ceremony you could replicate at home? In Japan there's the tea ceremony, in Eritrea there's a coffee ceremony. In some countries they paint skin with henna.
* invite an expatriate to celebrate their national day with you
* Are there some typical saying associated with the country? Quotes about the country? Does the country have a motto? Lyrics of the national anthem or other nationalist songs? You can write these in banners, blocks, or calligraphy to decorate for the day
* Is there some activity associated with the celebration like fireworks? Use that as decoration or activities
* Do something specific through the whole day; have an independence day breakfast; either a typical breakfast from the country, or a normal breakfast dressed up with nationalist themes, like colors, symbols and so on. For example, if there is a star(s) on the flag, you can cut the breakfast food into star shapes.
* Textiles are an easy way to bring in some "patriotism" to your home. A couple of cushions and a throw; kitchen towels and potholders, towels in the bathroom. it's enough to have them in right colors, but naturally you can go really way out with this.
* It is nice to decorate some spots in the home for all holidays. Like the mantelpiece, door, any place you have decorated anyway, just exchange the decoration to theme appropriate. It's nice to have some items for these, like
- the personification of the country, like Uncle Sam, Marianne or Mother Svea. Every country has one, even if they aren't as famous. If you don't know and can't find out, take a female, dress her in old-fashioned garb in flag colors and give her the flag and country's coat of arms.
* Decorate the table in flag colors. It is of course appropriate to use the country's national flowers or flowers that originate from the country or are native or common in the country. For example, to celebrate Netherlands, the flower arrangement is of course tulips.
* Use a map of the country as decoration
* use the country's year of independence as decoration; use the numbers as letters
* If there are parades make the kids "parade bags" to keep them happy
* create a scavenger hunt - look out for things typical for the country and Independence Day celebration
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