Invitations for st andrew's eve

St Andrew's Eve, the night of 29 November, is a long-standing tradition in parts of Continental Europe — Poland above all, where it is known as andrzejki — built around playful fortune-telling games. The best-known is pouring molten wax through the eye of a key into cold water and reading the shadow it casts, but there are many others, all in good fun and all hinting at what the year ahead might bring, especially in matters of the heart. The custom is little known in Britain, but it makes a wonderfully original theme for a late-November party, and an online invitation is the easiest way to gather a group for it.

The format is a relaxed, sociable evening with a difference. A party at home or in a hired space with food, drinks and a programme of fortune-telling games; a themed night among friends curious to try a tradition from elsewhere; or a community or cultural gathering marking the custom properly. Numbers usually sit between eight and thirty. In our experience the charm lies in the games, so it helps to plan a few in advance — the wax and key, paired shoes 'racing' to the door, slips of paper drawn at random — and to give guests a word on the tradition so newcomers know what they are in for.

A good invitation carries the name of the party, the date (29 November or the nearest weekend), the start time, the venue, and an outline of the evening — the food, the drinks, the fortune-telling games. A short note explaining the tradition is a lovely touch for British guests meeting it for the first time, and a word on anything to bring — a particular shoe, a question for the wax to answer — adds to the fun. The RSVP counts the heads for catering. A warm, slightly mystical template fits the playful, fortune-telling mood.

The digital format suits a themed party well. The link goes out by WhatsApp, email or an Instagram DM, the RSVP counts the heads, and the explanation of the tradition sits right there in the invitation so nobody arrives baffled. A Google map guides everyone to the door, you can update the details in a tap, and the unusual theme makes for an invitation guests will remember and want to share.