With the year-long Canada 150 celebrations coming to a close, there’s no better way to say goodbye to the nation’s sesquicentennial bash than with a Canada-themed New Year’s Eve party.

On top of being a lot of fun, a Canada party theme also couldn’t be easier to plan. With the help of some well-chosen decorations, food, drinks, and activities, you’ll be all set to welcome 2018 in a truly Canadian fashion.

Decorations

Just about every party supply store will have a section dedicated to Canada-themed decoration and you can also make plenty of your own with some basic arts-and-crafts supplies. Here are some decoration ideas to help get you started:

• Canadian flag wall decorations.
• Red and white balloons.
• Red and white streamers and foil swirls.
• Red and white checkered tablecloths.
• Red plastic cutlery.
• Canada flag paper cups and plates.

Food, Snacks, and Drinks

As your party will likely go past midnight, you need to be ready with food, snacks, and drinks for your guests. You’ll have no trouble sticking to your Canadian theme when deciding what to serve. Here are a few suggestions.

• Food:

  Pizza always makes for a great party food and Canadians certainly do love their pizza, especially when it’s topped with bacon. Another good idea is to make sliders and top them off with a miniature Canadian flag toothpick or to use a large maple leaf cookie cutter to make a platter of tasty sandwiches. Finally, you can’t go wrong with serving poutine at a Canadian-themed New Year’s Party.

• Snacks and desserts:

  For a snack or a dessert, your guests will absolutely love Nanaimo bars, a classic Canadian dessert named after Nanaimo, British Columbia. These no-bake bars are easy to make but also easy to find at grocery stores. If you do like to bake, then you can whip up a batch of maple leaf cut-out cookies and decorate them with red and white icing. Consider serving up some strawberry and vanilla ice cream as well.

• Drinks:

  Start off the party by serving Caesars, Canada’s national drink, and offer your guests some local Canadian craft beer as well. At midnight, instead of ringing in the New Year with champagne, serve a Canadian sparkling wine such as a Handsome Brut or a Summerhill Pyramid Cipes Brut instead.

Activities

You can put a Canadian spin on just about any usual party activity. For your New Year’s Party, consider activities such as:

• Canadian board games:

  If your friends and family enjoy playing board games, then put a Canadian spin on it. Many classic board games come in Canadian versions, such as Trivial Pursuit, Monopoly, Balderdash, and even the not-so-classic but uproariously fun Cards Against Humanity.

• Canadian trivia:

  Create your own game by looking up some interesting Canadian trivia and having your guests split up into teams to compete for the most points. Watch out for sneaky guests who may be tempted to Google the answers on their smartphones!

• Canadian music:

  If you’ve got the space for a small dance floor, then blast some of your favourite Canadian artists and welcome the New Year by busting some moves.

• Canadian ink:

  While you’re picking up your decorations, pick up some fake Canadian flag tattoos as well. Guests of all ages will have a lot of fun getting inked.

Amidst all of the excitement, don’t forget to keep your eye out for midnight! Have your guests ready to welcome the New Year with a glass of Canadian sparkling wine so that you can all toast to another amazing year.