Our thirties are a confusing time of adjustment. Just like that, the parties stop, you have no idea where the cool, new bars are anymore and instead of raving, you’re probably only up all night if you have a screaming baby. While navigating this lifestyle transformation, you also have the brave, new world of dinner parties to wrap your head around. It was while I was slaving over a roux one Saturday night with guests about to arrive I realised, at 32, I’d made the leap and turned into my parents.
But, even for those still young and cool enough to be hitting the clubs in pre-pandemic times, none are open now, let alone potentially hazardous restaurants. So, unless we revert back to our teenage years and sit in a park all night, seeing our friends at dinner parties is the only way we’ll be able to socialise in the evenings. But there's a few new rules we'll need to learn first.
Since Monday, we are officially allowed to have friends over for dinner again. But before we can tuck in, remember: it has to be outside; try not to go through the house, no more than six people are allowed and everyone has to sit two metres apart. Yes, sadly the new dinner party rules discriminate against anyone without a garden.
Kathryn Adamson, a director of a communications business, says in New Zealand, where she’s from, the ‘70s dinner party’ has been all the rage since lockdown lifted there on 14 May. She lives in London, but says friends and family report a rise in dinner parties back home as Kiwis enjoy their post-pandemic newfound freedoms.
Unless we revert back to our teenage years and sit in a park all night, seeing friends at dinner parties is the only way we’ll be able to socialise in the evenings. But there's some new rules we'll need to learn first.
‘I have been very jealous to hear of all the dinner parties my sister and friends are all enjoying post lockdown in NZ,’ she says. ‘Everyone wants to see each other but are still wary of the recent crisis. Budgets are tighter and people are more comfortable in each other’s homes rather than in public spaces.’
As lockdown continues to ease over here it seems likely we will follow suit. So, whip out the tablecloth, but make it 2020 and keep it socially distanced. With new rules comes new dinner party etiquette.
BYOC
Forget BOYB (actually don’t, because you’ll need to bring booze too), but bringing your own cutlery and glasses will soon be the new dinner party norm. The less contact you have with your dear host’s potentially perilous homeware, the less likely they are to infect you when they ask you over for dinner.
No canapés allowed
Olives, crisps, dips and bread with oil and balsamic before the meal can be the best bit of the evening, especially if you have the habit of drinking too much before the main course arrives. But these sharable nibbles have no place at a dinner party in the middle of pandemic, because we all know one: the finger licker who goes back in for another Kettle Chip - you might as well offer your guests a bowl of poison. Get cocktail sticks on your shopping list.
Give the guestlist good thought
You know that friend who leans in closer and closer with every drink she has, so that by the end of evening her elbow is practically on your plate? Yep? Strike her off the list immediately. Even if she’s a serious social-distancerby day, who knows what a couple of white wines will do to that overly-tactile space-hogger.
Zoom the rest in
I know, I know, Zoom and Houseparty are sooo two months ago. But as we can only have six guests at our dinner party now, we could always Zoom the rest of our group of friends in. Maybe even join forces with another socially-distanced dinner party elsewhere. Sure, it might feel weird setting up your laptop and video calling after desserts, but has anything about this year been the slightest bit normal?
Bathroom antics
You can be a grade A student when it comes to adhering to social distancing outside, but what happens when you need to use the toilet? Bring hand sanitiser and face wipes to wipe down the taps and door handles. It's 10pm and you’ve done so well up until now. Don’t ruin it all by splashing your face and drying it on the pretty hand towel.
Check the forecast
You never can trust the British summertime, so make sure you check the weather before going to the effort of setting up three separate tables, chairs and tablecloths in the garden, each two-metres apart. For Instagramable tables, check out Setting Pretty, an online store which offers a range of table settings and accessories designed for home entertaining.
Life After Lockdown
Life After Lockdown in Pictures - Grazia
1 of 47New York, USA
The Cafe du Soleil sets up igloos outside for its diners to allow for social distancing.
2 of 47Catania, Italy
Sara, who has just given birth to baby Olivia, wears a protective mask as father Angelo takes a picture of his new daughter through a glass wall.
3 of 47Paris, France
Students exercise outside as they return to school on 15 May.
4 of 47Krakow, Poland
A dental hygienist wearing PPE welcomes patient at a dentist's office in Krakow on 15 May.
5 of 47New York, New York, USA
Social distancing circles are used at Domino Park in Brooklyn, New York on 15 May.
6 of 47Johannesburg, South Africa
Social distancing markers are displayed at a train station in Johannesburg, South Africa on 4 May.
7 of 47Auckland, New Zealand
Martyn Weatherill, principal of Laingholm Primary School in Auckland, hosts an online assembly with students in their classrooms on the first day back to school on 18 May.
8 of 47Berlin, Germany
Bayern Munich substitutes wear protective face masks and maintain social distance in the stands during the Bundesliga match between 1. FC Union Berlin and FC Bayern Muenchen at Stadion An der Alten Foersterei on 17 May. The Bundesliga and Second Bundesliga is the first professional league to resume the season after the nationwide lockdown; all matches until the end of the season will be played behind closed doors.
9 of 47Dallas, Texas, USA
A sink in a public toilet is blocked off in an attempt to promote social distancing.
10 of 47London, UK
An empty Waterloo station shows a sign encouraging social distancing on 18 May.
11 of 47San Francisco, California, USA
A temporary tent encampment for the homeless with tents at an acceptable distance from each other is opened in San Francisco.
12 of 47Berlin, Germany
Markings are placed on the floor at a primary school in Berlin as primary school pupils and tenth graders began returning to school.
13 of 47Krakow, Poland
A sign at the entrance to the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology in Krakow reads, 'Do Not Enter Without A Mask' and 'Keep A Safe Distance.'
14 of 47Paris, France
Gare de nord station in Paris has marks on the ground to show the appropriate social distance between people.
15 of 47Granada, Spain
A zebra crossing sports a sign that recommends keeping two meters away from other people on the first day that Granada begins Phase 1 of progressive return to normal life on 18 May.
16 of 47Alimos, Greece
Beachgoers enjoy the sun and sand at Anavisos beach on 16 May as organised beaches are allowed to be reopened in Greece.
17 of 47Innsbruck, Austria
Hairdressers wash customer's hair on 2 May 2020 in Innsbruck, Austria after hair salons and barber shops reopen after a seven-week lockdown. Customers and employees must wear masks and have to keep as much distance as possible.
18 of 47Tel Aviv, Israel
A young girl wearing a mask plays on the playground during the first day of school on 5 May 2020 after over a month and a half that schools were closed.
19 of 47Hermosillo, Mexico
A doctor from the state health sector speaks to a federal police officer who is supervising the information to prevent contagion amid the COVID-19 pandemic at Hermosillo International Airport on 2 May 2020. Hermosillo International Airport is operating normally while taking preventive measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.
20 of 47Venice, Italy
Demonstrators in Venice asks for the restrictions around bars, restaurants and other commercial activities be lifted on 4 May 2020.
21 of 47Shanghai, China
Shanghai Disneyland utilises 'social Distancing' queues for its reopening on 4 May 2020.
22 of 47Dusseldorf, Germany
Janine Scholz and Philip Scholz are married in a wedding ceremony at the Autokino Dusseldorf drive-in cinema on 5 May 2020. A total of three couples are marrying at the drive-in with friends and family members allowed to attend in their cars.
23 of 47Munich, Germany
Churchgoers arrive Frauenkirche 'Cathedral of Our Lady' cathedral for evening mass on the first day churches and other houses of worship are allowed to hold services again in Bavaria since March on 4 May 2020.
24 of 47Dresden, Germany
Visitors, only some of whom are wearing face masks, wait to enter the Zwinger palace complex as a poster showing Adam and Eve wearing masks hangs at the entrance on the first day the palace reopened to the public.
25 of 47Athens, Greece
A commuters, wearing protective face masks, sits on a bus on 4 May 2020.
26 of 47Barcelona, Spain
People watch the sunset at La Barceloneta Beach on 2 May 2020. In Spain, lockdown measures have continued to ease and walking with family members and outdoor exercise is now permitted from 6-10am and from 8-11pm.
27 of 47Tel Aviv, Isreal
Year 3 children return to school for the fist time in over a month and a half on 5 May 2020 in Tel Aviv, Israel.
28 of 47Huntington Village, New York, USA
A family receives a delivery of beer from the Six Harbors Brewery, who have trained their two golden retrievers, Buddy and Barley, to deliver beer to customers during the pandemic.
29 of 47Miami, Florida
Jose Morales sanitizes buckets of golf balls at the Miami Beach Golf Club on 29 April 2020 as the city of Miami Beach partially reopens parks and facilities including golf courses, tennis courts and marinas.
30 of 47Sydney, Australia
Surfers prepare to enter the water at Bondi Beach on 3 May 2020. Currently, 'Surf & Go' measures are in place for weekends and there is no beach access allowed except along designated pathways to the water for surfcraft use only.
31 of 47Wuhan, China
People wear protective masks while practicing dance near the Yangtze River 1 May 2020 as life returns to normal in Wuhan, China.
32 of 47Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Prototype clear acrylic safety shield dividers are tested at a blackjack table at the El Cortez Hotel & Casino, which is currently closed as a result of the statewide shutdown.
33 of 47Gold Coast, Australia
From 2 May 2020, the Queensland government eased lockdown measures to allow people to leave their homes for recreational activities, such as motorbiking or boating, picnics, visiting national parks or going shopping for non-essential items. Social distancing must still be observed and people must stay within 50km of their main residence.
34 of 47Miami Florida
Miami Beach, Florida has partially reopened parks and facilities including golf courses, tennis courts and marinas as it begins easing lockdown restrictions.
35 of 47Naples, Italy
A woman has her temperature taken upon arrival at Naples' Central Station 4 May 4 2020.
36 of 47Auckland, New Zealand
As schools prepare for students up to Year 10 who can't study from home or whose parents need to return to work to return to school, a teacher write Covid-19 instructions on the white board.
37 of 47Miami, Florida
People share alcohol-based hand sanitszer in South Pointe Park on 29 April 2020.
38 of 47Vienna, Austria
Shoppers rush into a clothing store, which has opened for the first time since the government imposed restrictions to slow the spread of coronavirus on 2 May 2020.
39 of 47Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Restaurant Mediamatic in Amsterdam offers what they call 'corona-proof' dining.
40 of 47Bangkok, Thailand
A taxi driver tries to protect himself with a plastic shield after Thailand's lockdown was partially lifted on 3 May 2020 allowing markets, parks, barber shops and restaurants to open with proper social distancing measures.
41 of 47Taipei, Taiwan
Students eat their lunch on desks with plastic partitions as a preventive measure at Dajia Elementary School in Taipei on 29 April 2020.
42 of 47Moscow, Russia
A couple has their temperature taken before their wedding ceremony at Moscow's No1 Civil Registry Office on the first Sunday after Orthodox Easter.
43 of 47Moscow, Russia
The couple shows off their wedding rings to a phone, as currently, relatives and friends are not allowed to attend marriage ceremonies due to safety measures aimed at countering the spread of the disease.
44 of 47Milan, Italy
As the lockdown ends in Italy, the government has allowed bars and restaurants to reopen exclusively for take-away food.
45 of 47Krakow, Poland
A kiosk worker wears a protective face mask as he speaks to a customer from inside an electronic point covered with plastic inside Kazimierz Shopping mall on 4 May 2020.
46 of 47Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Surin Nguyen, wearing protection gear, works on the nails of a customer at Allure Nail Bar in Atlanta, Georgia on 21 April 2020 after Governor Brian Kemp eased restrictions allowing some businesses, including hair and nail salons, to reopen in the US state of Georgia after a four-week lockdown.
47 of 47Bozeman, Montana, USA
Kurt Smith wears a mask while helping a customer at the recently reopened Schnee's Boots, Shoes and Outdoors on 4 May 2020.