Host a Bright, Festive Easter Celebration—No Bunnies Required!

Not only does Easter signify rebirth and the promise of spring, it’s also a terrific day for entertaining. Ana Sofia Peláez, the blogger behind hungrysofia.com, counts it among her favorites. “There’re not the pressures of Christmas or travel or the other anxieties” that inevitably accompany many other holidays, she says. Here, Peláez offers suggestions for hosting a festive Easter brunch.

1) Go all out with color

In choosing a palette, Peláez looks to traditional Semana Santa processionals for inspiration. “They’re so beautiful and vibrant . . . it would be wonderful to bring those colors into the table that you’re setting.”

semana santa img via shutterstock

Start with a basic solid tablecloth, then incorporate an array of rich, vivid hues through the use of tissue and crepe paper crafts, such as papel picado. Show off your dyed hard-boiled eggs with a white platter or ceramic egg rack, like the one here (Rachael Ray egg tray, $34, kohls.com). And don’t forget spring flowers. You can even use edible ones as garnishes. “It really feels like Easter when you’re bringing that onto the plate, as opposed to just as a centerpiece,” says Peláez.

2) Use palm fronds

“When I think of Semana Santa, I always think of the palms that you get on Palm Sunday,” says Peláez. Incorporate the fronds into your Easter décor by weaving or tying them into napkin rings, or use them in a centerpiece. If your brunch is adults-only and you’d like a more sophisticated feel, start with a simpler table setting and use the palms as accents or display them in one dramatic arrangement. “It’s very minimal, but
I think it brings that element of the holiday and the experience of it leading up to Easter,” says Peláez.

3) Serve traditional dishes—or not

Menu planning for Easter can be fun because it doesn’t have predetermined dishes that are always expected. Feel free to experiment with your personal savory and sweet brunch favorites, as well as familiar standbys, depending on your background—whether that means torrejas, torta pascualina or mona de pascua. For a nonalcoholic drink option, Peláez suggests aguas frescas. Whether guava, passion fruit or flor de jamaica, “they bring a lot of color to the table,” she says.

4) Plan activities for pint-size guests

After a morning spent gorging on chocolates, amped-up kids will need somewhere to channel their energy. Put them to work hanging decorations and coloring place cards. Organize an egg hunt, or make or buy cascarones (hollowed-out eggs filled with confetti) to keep them busy. For a special treat, Peláez likes to offer bottles of French sparkling lemonade (try the Lorina brand, which comes in eight varieties including pomegranate-blueberry and blood orange; 12 for $26, gourmetfoodworld.com). Kids love it because the wire bale top pops like a champagne cork when it’s opened.