Ideas for a Libyan Themed Football Party
The
Maghreb region of northern Africa includes
Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya, and all include certain common cultural influences. In fact, at one stage the first three were
one nation. For the sake of throwing a great party, I hope nobody will take offence if we "blur the boundaries" a little...
Libya has a rich cultural history. The first known inhabitants were the Berber tribesmen, since which time there have been major influences from the ancient Greeks, ancient Romans,
Arabs bringing their culture and Islam,
the Spanish, the Ottoman Turks, and the Italians, each leaving behind a little of their culture and cuisine.
Libya Party Decorations
Decorate yourself and your room with Libyan shirts, flags and scarves (see links, right).
If you're serving food, search for green or red table covers, napkins, plates, cups and
cutlery on our general
Football Party Decorations Page
For bunting, flags, balloons and more
Libyan Party Decorations Ideas,
visit our
African Football Party Decorations Page
As for colour schemes, in addition to the above ideas, anything else you can find in green or red will help create the right atmosphere.
Food for a Libya Themed Party
Libyan cuisine is often very simple, and certainly not as spicy as that of nearby
Morocco. Key ingredients in Libyan cooking are olives and
olive oil, dates, couscous, breads, dates and milk. Eggs and fresh local vegetables are used in abundance, and the dish
Chakchouka
or
shakshouka is as popular here as it is in neighbouring
Algeria. When meat is eaten, lamb, mutton and chicken are the most available
and affordable options. Rich soups and stews - including
tagines (see our
Morocco and
Algeria pages)
- can form the main course of a Libyan party meal. Couscous is popular here, as it is throughout North Africa. However, Libyans eat more rice than their neighbours, so we've included an idea for a Libyan rice recipe below.
Try some of these next time Libya are playing:
Starters
Libyan Salad
Libyan Spinach & Bean Soup*
Main Courses
Chakchouka - Ratatouille Style Vegetables with Egg
Libyan Rice with Nuts & Dates
Libyan Fish & Potato Stew
Libyan Lamb Casserole
* This recipe can be made either as a soup, or a more substantial stew.
Drink for a Libya Themed Party
The sale of alcohol has been illegal in Libya for decades, although apparently locally distilled spirits are available there on the "black market".
The most popular drink is black tea, which is often quite strong. Also popular is
Green Tea with Mint
.
Theming your Libyan party
Here are some photos of a Moroccan party we threw. The design ideas are largely suitable for a Libyan party too.
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Deck the room out with lots of fabrics - hang some from the ceiling or drape them across the room from curtain poles etc.
Colours can be any "'warm" colours, e.g. golds, reds, oranges, browns, purples. Use some to decorate the table as well.
Click the picture (left) for larger image.
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Decorate the table with lots of candles and glass objects that will reflect the candle light - coloured glass candle holders (even jam jars painted red and gold)
really help to create a good atmosphere.
Click the picture (left) for larger image.
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