As we prepare for The Big Game, it’s important to brush up on your Super Bowl party etiquette.
And no, I’m not talking about “salad fork vs. dinner fork” type of etiquette. I’m talking about blatant rules that apply to any Super Bowl party.
While parties may look a bit different this year due to COVID-19, there’s still a set of unwritten rules heading into Super Bowl LVI.
Let’s take a look a the dos and don’ts for your Super Bowl soirée.
5 commandments for your Super Bowl party
Super Bowl LVI is only a month away. On February 13, 2022, as the NFL Playoffs conclude, SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles will host one of the biggest sporting events of the year.
Before you go to your best friend’s or neighbor’s house for the TV-viewing experience, there are a few things you should know.
I’ve been to a few Super Bowl parties during my 26 years on this beautiful earth. And I haven’t gotten bounced from a single one of them. So I speak from experience.
Now, I present to you the five commandments for Super Bowl parties.
1. Don’t come empty-handed
Whenever you’re invited to a Super Bowl party, the host will inevitably say, “Yeah, I have everything covered. Food, drinks and all.” While that’s great to hear, it’s good to bring something to the party.
Try bringing some of your favorite brews, a bag of chips, or maybe even a sweet treat for the guests. Or get creative. Try a new recipe. Master one of your tried-and-trues.
The host will certainly appreciate it, and the odds of Uncle Mike drinking all of the Miller Lites will minimize substantially.
2. Don’t double-dip
This commandment of don’t double-dip doesn’t just apply to your Super Bowl party; it’s common sense for everyday life. Now more than ever.
Chips and dip are undoubtedly going to be on the menu for your Super Bowl party. My personal favorite is buffalo chicken dip. (My mouth waters just thinking about it.)
But anyway, has there been a time when you got to your last bite of a chip and found that you didn’t have any more dip left on your plate? Then, you had the constant urge to plunge that half-eaten chip into the dip to satisfy your culinary needs? Well, don’t give in. That, my friends, is the cardinal sin of double-dipping.
Use a clean utensil to add a dollop of dip onto your plate. Don’t be nasty.
This commandment may be the most important of them all, especially given these “COVID-y” times.
3. Keep conversations to a minimum, except for halftime
During the Super Bowl, I don’t want to hear about how your ex-boyfriend did you wrong or why your manager won’t give you a raise. I’m sorry, I don’t.
However, there is time for these conversations: during the halftime show.
The half-time show is a strategic event during the Big Game for all conversations not related to the Super Bowl. It’s a designated safe space to get whatever it is off of your chest without fear of being ignored or told to be quiet.
Trust me, if you’re not a huge sports fan, your partner will thank you for using the halftime show wisely. This commandment will probably save a lot of relationships moving forward.
4. Don’t touch food with your hands
Serving utensils are there for a reason: to serve and utilize.
If you get to the hot wings and you see that there isn’t a serving utensil, don’t touch the hot wings with your bare hands! Eight times out of 10, you were licking all of that hot sauce off of your fingers and didn’t even wash your hands.
If there’s no serving utensil, get creative and use a fork or something. Just keep your grubby paws off the grub.
5. Not feeling well? Stay home
Last but certainly not least, if you’re not feeling well, stay home.
Each week, we hear about a new COVID-19 variant making its way across the world. If you’re feeling sick, a Super Bowl party could turn into a super-spreader event really quickly.
Please watch the Super Bowl from your own couch if you’re not feeling well. It’s important to have fun while protecting the health and safety of family and friends.
