5 Virtual Party Ideas Inspired By World Holiday Traditions
Sometimes people move away, and sometimes we miss a plane or train or just live too far to be with our loved ones for holidays, birthdays, and other party occasions. When we have to connect over the internet, it can be hard to make our favorite traditions work.
Whether you need some new traditions for digital holidays or are just looking to spice up a regular virtual gathering, here are five ideas inspired by holiday traditions from around the world:
1. Rap Battle
Inspired by: Mari Lwyd, Wales.
You need: your ‘A’ game, an app that can order alcohol, an optional horse mask, and the ability to drink legally.
Mari Lwyd (pronounced Mar-ee Loo-wid) is a Welsh tradition that involves a horse skull on a pole. This horse skull represents Mari Lwyd, translated as "Grey Mare," or "Grey Mary."
In some parts of Wales, you might look out around Christmas time to see this terrible specter at the window. If you do, you can expect to open your door to a group of revelers singing a rhyming song asking for entry to your house. Mari Lwyd, is puppeted during the song as though she were singing, trading “rude rhymes” with the owner of the home.
If Mary Lwyd wins, she is allowed to enter, stealing things and drinking the homeowner’s booze, but also granting good luck to the household for the next year. This tradition takes place during the winter and is all about sharing warmth and getting out a little pent-up energy by being rowdy.
For a virtual take on the tradition, and to get out some rowdiness of your own, you can try a rap battle, but with a twist: whoever loses the round owes the other a drink. These can be tallied until it’s finally time to pay up using an alcohol delivery app, like GoPuff or Drizly. If you aren’t able to send alcohol, you can always turn this into a drinking game instead, with the loser of each round doing the drinking.
If you need inspiration for your rap battle, try making the raps about why participants should or shouldn’t drink, depending on how you’re playing the game. You can also spice things up even more by having one person play the terrifying Mari Lwyd by wearing a horse mask or using a Snapcam filter.
If you need help destroying your friends with amazing rhymes check out different youtube videos related to writing quality rap and for lyrical inspiration.
2. Topiary Decorating
Inspired by: Spiderweb Trees, Ukraine.
You need: Decorations and a wire topiary frame or something else to decorate.
In some parts of Ukraine, you may see Christmas trees decorated not with ornaments and a star, but with artificial spiderwebs. This tradition pays homage to a piece of Ukrainian folklore: the story of a family too poor to decorate their tree with ornaments, who woke Christmas morning to find their tree had been decorated by generous spiders.
This begs the question: why do most of us decorate trees with ornaments? For that matter, why only at Christmas? In fact, my friend decorates a fabulous Halloween tree every year. It is lovely. And you can participate, too! Just find some streamers, paper cut-outs, string, scarves, paper scraps, wire, and even ornaments, and decorate a topiary frame!
Topiary frames are wireframes typically used to shape plants, but they're also used in holiday crafts all across sites like Pinterest. They typically don’t cost very much and can be found in a variety of shapes, from a traditional tree-like cone to a candy cane to a football. Just hop on a video call with your decorations and wireframe at hand and have fun showing off your decorating skills.
You can even make your own cone-shaped wireframe:
3. Veggie and Fruit Carving
Inspired by: Night of the Radishes, Mexico
You need: Fruits or veggies to carve, a sharp paring knife, steady hands, and a kitchen you can video call from.
This activity's a bit more dangerous but can really help you with the presentation of party dishes you might make in the future.
According to Atlas Obscura, La Noche de Rábanos, or The Night of the Radishes, is a tradition from Oaxaca, Mexico that dates back to the 1800s, when vegetable sellers would carve their wares into eye-catching shapes to make extra sales.
Inspired by this tradition, you and your friends can try making your own incredible shapes out of fruits and vegetables with the help of tutorial videos like these:
If you're feeling confident, you can try some more shapes:
Or try a strawberry rose:
Try having everyone make the same shape and see who can come closest to the video. Typically participants in The Night of the Radishes are competing for a big prize, which you and your friends can also arrange if you’d like to get a little competitive.
4. Remembering the Lost
Inspired by: El Día de Los Muertos, Mexico
You need: your best stories, perhaps a favorite drink or food.
El Día de Los Muertos, or “The Day of the Dead,” is a two-day festival originating in Mexico in which the dead come back to celebrate with the living. It begins at 12 am on November first and continues until the end of November second. Over these two days, celebrations are held to welcome the dead, who are said to come back to visit during this time.
"The Day of the Dead is a holiday to remember loved ones by sharing a meal with them as one would when they were alive,” says a website dedicated to the holiday.
Although anyone with Latin American roots likely celebrates El Día de Los Muertos already, it’s important to honor the people in our lives we’ve had to leave behind, even if they haven’t crossed over to the other side.
For a new holiday tradition, try honoring lost friends and family, including just those who’ve moved away or are absent from this gathering, by telling stories about the wildest or sweetest things you’ve done together while you and your friends share a meal. There are additional benefits to trying out this new tradition: according to Mental Health America, sharing memories of those we've lost can help us work through grief.
One of my favorite things to do after a story is to toast and drink together; knocking one back at the same time makes it almost feel like you're all drinking in person. If you happen to be partying with people you don’t know that well, be sure to preface your story with who this person was to you so everyone can get invested and learn more about each other.
5. Book Sampler
Inspired by: Jólabókaflóð, Iceland.
You need: a book and a means to send it.
Jólabókaflóð, or “Yule Book Flood” is a yearly Yule-time happening in Iceland; each year, on Christmas Eve, many Iceland residents will receive a book as a gift. The tradition, according to NPR, is to open your book on Christmas Eve, and then spend the rest of the night reading.
In fact, maybe thanks to this tradition, Iceland was reported to be the third most literate country in the world as of 2016, according to a study published in the Washington Post.
The bulk of Iceland's book sales come between September and December, in anticipation of Jólabókaflóð.
If you’re wondering how to pronounce the name of this incredible phenomenon, take a peek at this video:
To translate this virtually, you’ll want to assign each person another partygoer to buy and ship a book for. Plan so that everyone has time to receive their book before the party, then open them together!
Once all books have been opened, you can do a little sampler by having each person read a few pages from their book. This way, everyone can add any book they like to their reading list (or update their wishlist for the next Jólabókaflóð)!
Don't be afraid to use fun voices; reading aloud over Zoom is one of my favorite things to do with friends, and the voices are what really make it!
Now go have fun with your friends on the internet! Happy partying!
Opinions and Perspectives
The mix of traditional and modern elements in these activities is really clever.
Never thought virtual parties could feel so personal and meaningful. Great ideas!
These activities really help bridge the distance between loved ones. Exactly what we need right now.
Already planning to incorporate several of these ideas into our next virtual gathering.
The spiderweb decoration idea would work great for Halloween too!
Think I'll combine the storytelling with some photo sharing to make it more visual.
Going to suggest the book exchange for our next family gathering. Much more meaningful than random gifts.
These traditions really show how people worldwide find ways to connect and celebrate.
Started practicing my rap skills for the Mari Lwyd battle. My family wont know what hit them!
The veggie carving could make a great team building activity for our remote office.
Love that these ideas work for any celebration, not just specific holidays.
Just ordered my first wire frame for decorating. This could become addictive!
Think combining the book reading with some storytelling about loved ones could work well.
Really impressed by how these activities maintain cultural significance while being fun.
The rap battle idea brings back memories of poetry slams in college. Time to dust off those skills!
My kids would love the topiary decorating. Much less messy than a real tree too!
These ideas really show how technology can enhance rather than replace traditions.
Started ordering books for our virtual exchange. So excited to see what everyone picks!
Wonder if we could create a virtual Mari Lwyd using those video filters everyone uses now?
The storytelling tradition would be perfect for reconnecting with distant relatives.
Never realized virtual parties could be this creative. Usually we just do basic video chats.
The Icelandic book tradition seems so peaceful compared to our usual hectic holidays.
Just tried a practice run of vegetable carving. Lets just say I wont be winning any competitions soon!
Love how these ideas help preserve cultural traditions while adapting them for modern times.
The rap battle concept is hilarious. My rhyming skills are terrible but that might make it even funnier.
Our family started doing virtual celebrations out of necessity but now we actually prefer some of these activities.
I'm totally using the book exchange idea for my birthday this year. Better than regular gifts!
The radish carving competition sounds intense. Maybe we should practice on potatoes first?
Really appreciate how these activities encourage actual interaction rather than passive screen time.
Making a shopping list for the topiary project now. This could become our new holiday tradition!
Anyone else think the Mari Lwyd tradition would make an amazing video game? Just saying...
Think I'll suggest the storytelling tradition for our next family zoom. We have so many great memories to share.
The spiderweb decoration idea is brilliant. Much better story than regular Christmas decorations.
We did the book exchange last year. My aunt in Australia sent me an amazing novel I wouldnt have found otherwise.
Love how these ideas blend old traditions with modern technology. Makes virtual gatherings feel more meaningful.
These activities seem great for introverts like me who prefer virtual gatherings even without restrictions.
Tried fruit carving following a YouTube tutorial. Not as hard as I thought but definitely requires patience.
The rap battle idea would be perfect for our upcoming virtual family reunion. The older folks would get such a kick out of it.
Our book club switched to virtual meetings and the reading aloud part is actually better online. Everyone can hear clearly!
Just ordered some wire frames online. Planning to surprise my family with a virtual decorating party next month.
The remembrance tradition sounds beautiful. We often forget to share stories about those who arent with us anymore.
Wonder if we could adapt the Mari Lwyd tradition for kids? Maybe without the drinking part obviously.
Never thought about decorating a topiary frame instead of a tree. Perfect for small apartments!
Combining books and Christmas Eve is genius. Iceland really knows how to do cozy holidays right.
My cousins in Mexico do the radish carving. The pictures they send are amazing. Takes serious skill though!
The Ukrainian spiderweb story is so heartwarming. Definitely sharing this with my kids.
Been looking for ways to make virtual gatherings more engaging. These are great alternatives to just staring at screens.
The rap battle idea sounds fun but maybe we could make it more inclusive for non-drinkers? Perhaps losers have to do silly dances?
I appreciate how these activities help maintain connections despite physical distance. Really needed these suggestions.
The tradition of Mari Lwyd reminds me of wassailing. Seems like many cultures have similar customs of singing for drinks!
Anyone else think combining multiple ideas could work? Like doing rap battles while carving vegetables?
Reading aloud over zoom is surprisingly fun. We did this for our kids during lockdown and ended up continuing even after.
Tried a virtual rap battle at our last party. It was hilarious especially after a few drinks. No horse masks though!
I'm definitely trying the spiderweb decorating idea this year. Sounds much more budget-friendly than buying expensive ornaments.
My grandmother would tell stories about loved ones during holidays. The remembrance tradition really reminds me of her approach.
Love how these ideas take traditions from different cultures and make them accessible for virtual gatherings.
Those delivery apps do require ID verification. I've sent drinks to friends before and they need to show ID when receiving.
The veggie carving competition sounds fun but maybe we should start with something easier than radishes? Like watermelons maybe?
I've done Jólabókaflóð with my book club for the past two years. We add hot chocolate and cozy blankets to make it extra special.
My family's been doing virtual celebrations since COVID and honestly getting a bit bored. These ideas are exactly what we needed!
The spiderweb trees from Ukraine have such a beautiful story behind them. Much more meaningful than regular Christmas decorations.
I host weekly virtual game nights and might incorporate some of these ideas. The rap battle sounds perfect for our group!
Has anyone actually tried ordering drinks for friends using delivery apps? Wondering about age verification issues.
A horse skull on a pole singing rude rhymes? Welsh traditions are wild! Love it though.
The Day of the Dead tradition really speaks to me. We often forget to share stories about loved ones who've moved away or passed on.
You can find wire frames at most craft stores. I got mine from Michaels for about $10. They're usually in the floral section.
I tried fruit carving once and nearly lost a finger. Maybe I'll stick to the virtual book club idea instead.
Never heard of Night of the Radishes before. Just looked up some photos and the carvings are absolutely incredible. Makes my jack-o-lanterns look amateur!
The rap battle sounds hilarious but I'm terrible at rhyming. Would probably end up owing everyone drinks!
I've actually done the book exchange thing with friends last Christmas. We all lived in different cities but it worked great. Everyone loved discovering new books!
The topiary decorating idea sounds fun but where do you find wire frames? Anyone tried this before?
These are some really creative ideas for virtual celebrations! I particularly love the rap battle concept inspired by Mari Lwyd. Never knew Wales had such an interesting tradition!