Holiday Parties: Bring On The Bizarre

CELEBRATIONS | by ALEXANDRA SMITH

IN NOVEMBER OF 2007, HELVETICA ― yes, the font ― celebrated its 50^th birthday and my friend Shannon threw it a party. We watched the titular documentary, dined on red velvet cake topped with a plastic ‘H’ and downed Helvetica cocktails, a potent mix of Grand Marnier and coffee.

This was not the first or only non-traditional party I’ve attended. In the next two months alone, I’m looking forward to a “second-helping” Thanksgiving dinner (we adulterate leftovers into hybrids like pumpkin stuffing) and a Gatsby-themed gathering closer to Christmas. Sadly, I couldn’t attend my L.A.-based friend’s camp-themed End of Summer party back in September.

It seems my fellow twenty-somethings have a real knack for finding silly things to celebrate. We might have seen it coming back in 2003, when “The OC”’s Seth Cohen introduced the world to Christmakkuh. Then came the rise of ugly-sweater parties and crock-pot dinners, both of which represent a co-opting of convention whereby embracing the ‘square-ness’ of mom and dads’ ― or grandma and grandpas’ ― traditions makes them instantly un-square.

It’s funny. We often dread the onslaught of activity this season brings: the awkward family gatherings, forced gift exchanges and corporate cocktail hours. Perhaps that’s why non-traditional parties, those that buck or bend convention, are so appealing. They’re a chance to spend time with friends and loved-ones in a low-pressure situation where we needn’t worry about bringing the right dessert or finding an office-appropriate cocktail dress. Best of all, these gatherings provide an opportunity to celebrate our creativity, our quirks or our obsession with something as random as a type font.