Out with The Old - New Year's Effigy Party

Out with the Old in a Big Way
The New Year's Eve Effigy Party
By Cheri Sicard
http://www.fabulousfoods.com/

Looking for a unique idea for your next New Year's Party? Here's an activity that makes for a memorable and meaningful experience and also gives your guests the chance to let their creativity shine. The effigy party has been an annual tradition at my New Year's celebrations for some time now and never fails to be a big hit.

Here's the theme of the party:
Each person invited is instructed to create and bring to the party an effigy to burn. The doll represents the negative energy/traits/emotions etc. that the person wants to be rid of in the coming year. Sort of like a New Year's resolution in reverse. Making the dolls gives the guests something to bring to the party and they make great conversation pieces while on display before the ceremonial burning. If you host this party year after year, you'll find guests really start getting into it and try to outdo each other from year to year.

The dolls (see photos this page) can be made from all kinds of materials. For instance my doll from last year was made of bread dough and sugar frosting as I was trying to curb my carbohydrate addiction. My niece Tracy fashioned her doll out of empty Coca-Cola cans as she wanted to break this habit.

The effigy ceremony can be as whimsical or as serious as each guest chooses and sharing the meaning behind the doll is optional. Most do, but some keep it personal.

Sometimes it can get emotional. One friend ceremoniously burned the business cards and other corporate symbols from a lucrative job that he hated while sharing the realization that the people in his life were simply more important. The whole group ended up in tearful, loving hugs.

Of course, in order to host this party, it is necessary to have a safe indoor fireplace or an outdoor firepit and cooperative weather -- if you live in Minnesota, you might not want to do this party outside. Luckily for us Californians, outdoors on New Years Eve usually works out just fine, except if the weather is dry and the Santa Ana winds are kicking up.

Once you know where the party will be hosted, and the limitations of your firepit, you can better instruct or give effigy creating tips to your guests. For instance, if you have a small indoor fireplace, it is important for guests to bring small sized offerings and to limit themselves to natural materials. This is a good idea in general. Nothing can ruin a successful party atmosphere like the stench of burning toxic plastic fumes.

In past years we have held this party on the beach with a large bonfire, in which case guests were encouraged to bring life-sized effigies. The photo at right shows a collective effort between my friend Mitch and I. We had both had a disasterous year in the area of romance. The doll we made from old clothes destined for the thrift store was stuffed with paper, old letters, photos and mementos from our respective relationships. The "head" of this effigy was made of the dead flowers I had gotten as a last gift from my former beau, before being unceremonially dumped just before the holidays. That was one blaze I enjoyed.

Tips & Precautions

Always have a fire extinguisher, water and baking soda handy.
Never have a fire indoors without a proper chimney and ventilation.
Try to stay to natural materials -- avoid burning plastics.
Be careful of objects on the dolls that might fly off or explode in the heat.
Check local fire ordinances before planning this party.

 

Effigy Doll Material Suggestions
The dolls can be made from almost anything and need not take an
extraordinary amount of time or effort. Use your imagination.
Some popular household items that past guests have transformed into effigies include:

Edible bread, pie or cookie doughs
inedible modeling dough such as Play-Doh®
fabric and yarn scraps
old items of clothing: pants and shirts on a large scale, socks, hats, gloves or mittens on a small scale
old paper towel or toilet paper tubes
sticks and twigs
popsicle sticks
pipe cleaners
paper

Effigy Gallery

Designed by Cheri Sicard, this doll was made from a sock dressed in paper doilies, and the business cards of a recently defunct partnership that ended on less than amicable terms. A dried apple face, leftover from Halloween, served as the head (follow link for instructions ). Inside the doll were symbols of other things wanted to be rid of in the New Year, in this case sugar and butter, representing unhealthy eating habits and a few personal mementos.	Designed by Mitch Mandell and constructed from an old mailing tube, the inside of this effigy was stuffed with personal messages of things to be left behind in the New Year. The arms and hair were made of the same business cards that dressed Cheri's doll (left).	Pam Hughes constructed this chubby but beautiful doll from paper and tongue depressors. Can you guess from the doll's figure what Pam was hoping to leave behind in the coming year?
Tom and Susan Conley created this doll of twigs and a pine cone. Professional magician Tom filled the interior with some creative pyrotechnic effects that dazzled the crowd as it burned (he's a professional, don't try this at home kids).	Sarah Conley created this paper masterpiece from notes from a particulary disliked class. While unfortunately the photo didn't come out, Sarah's brother Nicholas, a UCLA chemical engineering student, took a similar theme for his effigy, creating a geometric paper cube made from class notes.	Tracy Burnes used paper plates for the head of this effigy and rolled up bills (representing debt) for the body. The writing that comprised the mouth of the doll and outlines the edges are personal notes of negativity and bad habits to be left behind.
	Wanting to be rid of debt in the coming year, Tim Holmes fashioned his doll from old credit card bills.

Did you have an Effigy Burning Party?
Share your creation in this gallery! If you have a photo of your doll, you can either email a jpg. or gif. to kimberly@thepartyworks.com

You can also mail your Effigy Doll snapshots (if you want your photo back, please include a stamped, addressed return envelope). Please include your name, email address and any notes on the doll that you want folks to know. Mail to:
The PartyWorks
2221 Heine Road
Chewelah, WA 99109
Attn: Kimberly - Effigy Party Photos

More New Years From
Cheri at FabulousFoods.com
http://www.fabulousfoods.com/holidays/newyears/ny.html