Captain America: Star-Spangled Super-Hero (Independence Day 2012)

O say can you see Captain Steve Rogers hosting his first 4th July party?!

In 2012 , the release of the First Avenger movie triggered the start of a new theme-based approach to our annual Independence Day celebrations. As the quintessential American patriot, the red, white and blue palette provided the perfect backdrop to this traditional holiday.

A Potted History of Independence Day (For Brits)

In early 1776, John Adams put forward a resolution to formally declare the independence of the 13 American colony states from the British Empire. The Declaration would cite numerous grievances against George III and asserted both legal, and natural, rights for the people of the United States. On the 4th July 1776, the Continental Congress approved, and officially adopted, the wording of the Declaration. The Declaration of Independence has since served to set the moral standard on human rights throughout the world, with the words of the second sentence playing a significant part in the abolition of slavery by President Lincoln less than a century later: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Independence Day is now celebrated by Americans on the 4th July every year.

The Food

The centrepiece for our Independence Day party was the star-spangled banner cake, disguised as Captain America’s iconic vibranium shield.

Smaller (Bucky) sidekick disks were also crafted out of indestructible coloured cookie dough.

Jello stars, m&m’s, chip n dips, pretzels and gherkins finish the ‘Marvel’lous spread.

The Invitations

Guests were given a puzzle to inform them of the party details. The task was simple enough: small bundles of lollipop sticks needed to be assembled to form the stars and stripes flag (worryingly, a few failed miserably at doing so!):

The Decor

Holidays Obsession

So why does one from the UK spend so much time joining the festivities of the US, you ask? Firstly, because no-one can deny that the Americans know how to throw a great party, and secondly, because I am always looking for excuses to plan a themed event for friends and family.

The UK is slowly embracing the American obsession with holidays, most notably with the way in which it has adopted Halloween as the unofficial warm-up to the Xmas period. My present goal is to encourage this trend as much as possible, and to seek to inspire others to do the same.

To see our theme for 2013, check back in July! Happy party-planning!!