The holiday season is here, which means that holiday celebrations, events, and parties are in the planning stages by many busy hosts across Chicagoland.

Hosting a holiday party can certainly be stressful — no matter how long you’ve been doing it. There are a lot of things to consider in order to give your guests the best possible holiday party experience.

When all else fails, it helps to fall back on a solid foundation: good food!

Let’s take a look at a few reasons why you might want to consider catering or delivering during the busy holiday season.

Then, even if you’re opting to take on the food aspect of party planning, you’ll want to stick around for our holiday party planning tips — based on many years of helping people throw unforgettable events.

Why You Should Cater Your Holiday Party

Hosting and organizing a party can quite overwhelming during an otherwise joyous holiday season. One of the biggest time and energy sucks of the process revolves around preparing food and drink for your guests.

Here are a few reasons why you should consider catering or delivery for your next holiday party:

• Pre-set menus are available. When you let someone else take care of the big picture, you don’t have to bother with all the minute details of what you need to grab at the grocery store and whether or not you even have the right tools to make your desired menu items! Most catering services offer pre-set menus that can be customized according to specific tastes or dietary preferences.
• There’s no need to join the holiday crowd at the supermarket. The holidays mean other people are also working on their own holiday parties and you can expect empty shelves for key ingredients on the day of a major holiday or at the very least, long checkout lines.
• Full-service catering gives you the type of assistance you need the most. Full-service catering takes care of after-party cleanup in addition to food preparation and delivery, so that you can focus on your guests.

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Christmas traditions are bountiful around the globe, though the way locals celebrate vary from country to country and even family to family.

However, one aspect of Christmas celebrations that is universal, from Japan to the United States, is food. Nothing brings family, friends, and a community together better than food, drink, and warmth.

By taking advantage of our experienced chefs at Catering by Michaels this holiday season, you can have a stress-free Christmas and a bounty of delicious food.

With more than 40 entrees from Whole Roasted Leg of Lamb and Apple Cider Glazed Spiral Sliced Ham to Turkey Tetrazzini and Wild Mushroom Pot Pie, you’ll find the perfect centerpiece for your holiday celebrations.

Then, it comes down to sorting through our ample selection of appetizers and side dishes.

You can dive into the deep end with seafood by nibbling on our Holiday Seafood Spectacular, Grilled Jumbo Shrimp Sampler, or Smoked Salmon Display. Or, you could mix things up with our Winter Panzanella Salad, Vegan Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes, and a Spiced Bourbon Nut Mix.

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The tell-tale gobbles, pumpkins, and harvest season delights are all signs that Thanksgiving is just around the corner. This is the time of year when you can strengthen family bonds and reflect on the bounty brought to your doorstep. Though many families have secret recipes for turkey stuffing or cranberry sauce, the reality of the situation in the kitchen is that there is often not enough time to prepare a Thanksgiving feast without the stress. This year, instead of injecting stressors into your holiday festivities, focus on quality family time with family and let Catering by Michaels take care of your sumptuous Thanksgiving feast.

Annually, Catering by Michaels delivers decadent meals with all your favorites, from a whole roasted free-range turkey and turkey gravy to our cranberry, pecan and feta salad, allowing you to craft your traditional homemade dinner without slaving away for hours in the kitchen. With more than 60 traditional and not-so-traditional options, there will be no problem designing your ideal holiday feast.

A hefty, whole roasted free-range turkey, might be the most traditional centerpiece to your Thanksgiving table, but those wanting something a little different can try honey mustard glazed salmon or mom’s sliced brisket. If you’re catering to vegetarian family members and friends, you can also try the butternut squash lasagna, which comprises sautéed butternut squash, sage, shallots, Parmesan cheese, and nutmeg, layered with béchamel and spinach pasta. Yum!

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Corporate holiday parties are a special type of event unlike any others that happen during the year. They offer companies the chance to reward their employees for their hard work throughout the past 12 months, and an opportunity to let the personality of the company shine through.

Here are some of the elements associated with the best corporate holiday parties.

Branded Event Customization

More so than any other time of year, a hot topic for us when it comes to catering during the holidays is customization. Consider the implications for a corporate holiday party, taking a food item and customizing it with a vessel (think shot glass or guitar pick) branded with the company’s logo. It really takes an event to the next level and guests always take notice. We love customizing parties and are always willing to go the extra mile to help clients create a unique experience at their events.

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Yom Kippur, marking the day of God’s forgiveness, is one of the most important holidays on the Hebcal Jewish Calendar. It closes the “Ten Days of Repentance”, which started with Rosh Hashanah.

The holiday literally translates as “Day of Atonement”, as the faithful ask forgiveness for their sins in the past year and blessing as they begin the New Year.

Yom Kippur, part of the High Holidays, is characterized by fasting and feasting as the members of the community strengthen their bonds. Because the months of the Jewish Calendar follow the lunar cycle, Yom Kippur is not held on the same day of the civic calendar every year, though it usually occurs between September and October.

This year (2017) it will begin Friday, September 29 and ends the evening of September 30.

The feasting starts the day before Yom Kippur, with everyone eating and drinking in abundance. On this day, two celebratory meals are consumed: one early in the day and another moments before the onset of Yom Kippur, as the holiday’s central component is in fact fasting.

Because the fasting period lasts for a little more than 25 hours, after the Erev Yom Kippur meal until the following evening, those who are too feeble, sick, or young to safely fast are not required to do so. However, healthy females from the age of 12 and males from the age of 13 must fast as part of the tradition. Those well enough to do so often add a few minutes to the beginning and end of the day of fasting, which is known as tosefet Yom Kippur.

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