‘Hawks for the holidays

The Seattle Seahawks have one of the loudest stadiums, some of the best fans, and many of the great traditions in the NFL.

But what if you can’t make it to the sold-out game around the holidays? Host a football party during one of the biggest holidays of the year! There are two perfect opportunities for an amazing Seattle homegating experience this year.

The Seahawks rarely play on Thanksgiving, but this year they host the surprisingly good New York Giants on Oct. 30, and they play the Kansas City Chiefs in one of the Christmas Eve morning games. These are perfect opportunities to cook, decorate, and dress up for your team! One or both of these could end up being pretty meaningful for the season, and everyone in the Pacific Northwest will appreciate being somewhere warm and festive in the winter months.

October

Seattle has an incredible color scheme and nearly endless possibilities for costumes. The Hulk, any kind of feathered creature, even the Broccoli Guy have all been seen at Lumen Field. Encourage everyone to throw on more than just a jersey, and see if you can get your party looking like front row at the stadium!

Since the Halloween game is against the Giants, the food theme is obvious. Think tiny!

Lil’ Smokies - Like a hot dog, but smaller! Plus it’s acceptable to eat 20 of them!

Miniature Caprese Sticks - Take a grape tomato, tiny ball of mozzarella and a solitary leaf of basil, and boom! Incredible. Don’t forget the basil.

Tiny Croissants - Get these from Pillsbury, and they’re available at most grocery stores. So cute.

Bagel Bites - Like a pizza, but smaller! For these, eating 20 might be a little less acceptable, but feel free to fill the plate.

Basically, if it’s anti-Giant, be about it. Fans will love the commitment and it’s an easy way to get people extra hyped even before kickoff.

December

The last time Seattle played Kansas City was in 2018, resulting in an incredible 38-31 shootout win for the Seahawks, with moonballs aplenty. This time the rematch is on Christmas Eve, so give your guests the gift of an incredible football party.

If you’re doing a football squares-type game, consider a little twist! Do a White Elephant exchange during halftime, with each other’s score predictions. Each guest chooses to keep their prediction or steal from another!

If people are going to dress blue and green to support the Seahawks, that’s great, but an ugly sweater football party might be a unique opportunity for most. give it a try. Maybe someone will try to bring one of their 1970s throwback jerseys and claim it as their sweater.

For food, pull out all the stops for a holiday football brunch.

Cinnamon rolls are always a huge hit, and they can be loaded with pumpkin if Thanksgiving only left you wanting more. Egg-and-potato casserole is easy and will provide that hearty component to the food selections. Any kind of bread — as long as there’s cranberry in it somewhere — is a must: scones, pie, crumble, oat bars; it’s all good. If French toast or pancakes are a staple among friends, get crazy with it and buy some cookie cutters for an “S” or a Seahawk shape.

And remember, at either party, to cover both football and the holiday in your decorating! For on Oct. 30, put spider webs on the Seahawks banners. On Dec, 24, drop a Santa hat on the foam finger.

Gatherings are fun because of friends, and football is fun because, well, it’s football! But it’s also much better with friends, so combine the two for the best at-home experience this year and cheer on the Seahawks!