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One Bar Mitzvah, Hold the Camels
By Gail A. Greenburg
We've all attended, or chuckled at the mention of, bar and bat mitzvahs that the hosts considered ultimate achievements in event design. Hollywood dramas where the bat mitzvah was dressed as Cleopatra and carried to the banquet on a litter borne by slaves; 80s era mega-productions where the bar mitzvah, dressed as Luke Skywalker, fights a choreographed battle with Darth Vader complete with special lighting and sound effects; or the relatively low-key affairs where the theme is simply "football"…but the entertainment is the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.
In the quest to create a memorable event, bat mitzvah parents have hosted medieval jousts, roller derbys, and space launches. They've recreated Vesuvius erupting over Pompeii, Studio 54, and the hanging gardens of Babylon. They've hired troupes of Polynesian fire dancers, Chinese acrobats, robot dogs, Tony Bennett, and the entire touring company of "Grease".
It would be easy to be cruel about all this - the misspent fortunes and misdirected energy. But at the heart of all the excess is a very natural, human, parental desire to make the appropriate fuss, to express what words alone cannot seem to convey. To say…via camels, flaming headdresses, and lightsabers...
This child is ours! And, isn't he simply incredible?!
And rightly so. There are few enough occasions when you can get up and unabashedly declare how proud you are of your kids. Once you're in the teen years, few enough occasions, frankly, when you will even feel like it. This is their moment to shine…and yours to gaze in wonder.
How do you make the most of it and capture all the magic and majesty of this once-in-a-lifetime experience? In the past, there were two schools of thought: Keep it simple, meaningful and sincere…and risk having an event that feels drab, skimpy, and underwhelming. Or - bring on the camels! - adopt an outrageous theme and go to town with the decorating and entertainment. That approach fails in its own way by producing events that are dazzling while you're there, but that digest emotionally like fine pastry. Delicious on the lips, but almost totally lacking in substance, spiritual nourishment and stick-to-your-ribs memorability.
People who consider themselves "religious" have shunned glamour because they think big bashes with themes trivialize and overshadow the bar mitzvah experience. The glamorous folk have shied away from being too religious because they fear it will suck the life out of an otherwise fabulous party!
How happy they will all be to discover there's a new integrated way to go: MitzvahChic, the notion that the "mitzvah"- the good works and the meaning - can be fused with high style. More than just fused. MitzvahChic holds that the meaning and the joy, artfully expressed, are what make the celebration magical. MitzvahChic is a blueprint for how a family can have an amazing bar mitzvah experience and use their emotion to electrify their party.
Anyone can hire a decorator to create some mind-altering backdrop; what makes a bar mitzvah truly wonderful is the way it expresses who you are as a family and how this very special event - already experienced by millions before you - is still somehow uniquely your own. Have an experience that is soul-satisfying and that "works" on every level by being fun, poignant, cool, moving, exciting and completely unforgettable. Enter the MitzvahChic zone and have an absolutely perfect bar or bat mitzvah.
MitzvahChic is the #1 bar/bat mitzvah planning book and website! Visit http://www.MitzvahChic.com and be sure to sign up for FREE planning reminder emails
About the Author
Gail A. Greenburg is a life long writer, editor, and crafts artist. She is the creator of http://www.MitzvahChic.com and the author of the book MitzvahChic
Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/35601.html
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