Organizing the party
Late summer from August to September is the traditional season for crayfish parties. Weather permitting, the party may be set up outdoors, usually in gardens, on patios, verandas, gazebos, balconies etc . Since the warm summer evenings are getting darker, the surroundings are often lit and decorated by hanging up colourful paper lanterns.

Many stores sell (more or less tasteful) matching sets of crayfish party accessories and tableware consisting of everything from dishes, glasses and cutlery to textiles like tablecloths, place mats, napkins, aprons and bibs. Besides the usual table setting, also special crayfish knives are provided for the diners.
Crayfish are always eaten with the hands, which may be somewhat messy. To protect your clothing, it is advisable to tuck a napkin into your collar or neckline or wear a crayfish bib made of cloth or plastic. Lots of paper napkins should be available. Finger bowls or wet towels should be provided for the guests to clean their fingers from time to time. A slice of lemon or a blackcurrant leaf may be added in the finger bowl to scent the water.

The atmosphere at crayfish parties is usually very relaxed and informal, including consuming of several schnaps with the food and singing of schnaps-songs (a Swedish tradition). Some Swedes also like to wear party hats. A crayfish knife is used to cut and break the sometimes very hard crayfish shell and claws, and unlike other knives, it is allowed to be taken to your mouth when eating. It is perfectly allowed to suck out the juices from the crayfish and eat them without the fear of making too loud slurping noises.

Some lively entertainment may be arranged for the party: music, speeches, games, trivia quizzes etc . Providing a step-by-step lesson in crayfish eating, taught to the eager novice by an experienced crayfish eater, is always a sure hit.

Also children should be welcomed to the parties, familiarizing themselves with the art of eating crayfish from an early age on — I know far too many adults afraid of even touching a crayfish, let alone eating one!

Serving of food and beverages

Since the crayfish party revolves around crayfish, there should naturally be plenty of them available. The living crayfish are cooked on the previous day in a large pot of boiling water seasoned with salt and crown dill. The pot is placed in cold and the crayfish are left to cool in their sieved cooking liquid for several hours or overnight.

On the following day, the crayfish are drained and arranged on serving platter decorated with fresh crown dill. The crayfish are peeled and the tails and the meat inside the claws (if large enough) are consumed on buttered toast sprinkled with lots of fresh, baby, dill. Alternatively they can be eaten with a dollop of Mayonaisse. If organizing a traditional crayfish party for a larger crowd, it is advisable to serve the more affordable imported frozen crayfish, only you will need to know the trick of how to make them taste as good as the fresh ones. There should be at least 12 crayfish reserved per diner, provided that you will also be serving additional dishes and snacks.

The crayfish dinner may be started with a light or a more substantial soup or a piece of cheese, vegetable or mushroom pie, followed by the crayfish, served with all the trimmings. A more filling dish may be served next, made with fish, meat or game and served with a side dish of vegetables, like boiled new potatoes, broccoli or carrots, stewed mushrooms etc . Poached or hot-smoked fish may also be served cold. A sweet dessert may be served at the end of the meal.

Plain or differently flavored schnaps are an essential part of the crayfish dinner. They are drunk whenever a toast is proposed, preferably in small sips only, since the toasts may be numerous. Besides the schnaps, beer and mineral or iced water are the best choice to serve with the crayfish.

If wine is to be served, inexpensive, dry white wines are recommended, like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc etc . Coffee and tea may be served with the dessert.