remarkable spirit of togetherness throughout the Island.

Usually, people use this season to show off new decorating schemes or special touches to their homes, repay overdue hospitality, renew old acquaintainces, and generally savour the Christmas spirit.

Of all the forms of entertainment, Open Houses are the most popular because of the flexibility they allow. Hosts and hostesses can prepare in advance and guests can come and go as they wish -- eating a little or a lot, and enjoying lively conversations and laughter.

Like all major events, an Open House requires careful planning and preparation -- particularly when it involves large numbers of people.

Author Elizabeth Post, granddaughter-in-law of celebrated etiquette queen Emily Post, in her book The Complete Book of Entertaining -- now available at the Bermuda Library -- shows the way to throw a successful Open House for 36-40 guests.

The time to begin is today. Here's how: THE MENU Chicken livers wrapped in bacon Sour cream and red caviar dip with corn chips Oyster stew Ham-filled cheese puffs Spinach quiche Raw cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini with dip Mocha balls White fruit cake Eggnog, fruit punch, wassail bowl THE SHOPPING LIST To order: 9 pints oysters Ingredients for fruit cake, ham-filled cheese puffs, and mocha balls: 5 lbs. flour 3 lbs. butter or margarine 4 dozen eggs 11 lbs. Swiss cheese 1-lb. ham slice 1 jar Dijon mustard 2 12-oz. packages semi-sweet chocolate bits 2 lbs. confectioners' sugar 1 jar instant coffee 1 bottle brandy 1 bottle vanilla extract 1 bag chopped pecans 1 can baking powder 4 lbs. assorted candied fruits 4 cans candied whole cherries 4 boxes white seedless raisins 1 bottle dark rum 2 lbs. granulated sugar Other ingredients 3 2-oz. jars red caviar 3 half-pint cartons sour cream 3 pkgs. chips for dip 3 pints chicken livers 2 lbs. bacon 3 pints heavy cream 5 qts. medium cream (for eggnog and oyster stew) 2 qts. milk 3 dzn. eggs 6 pkgs. frozen chopped spinach 6 frozen pie crusts 1 bunch parsley 1 quart plain yogurt 11 lbs. feta cheese 1 dzn. apples 3 bunches broccoli 3 heads cauliflower 4 medium zucchini 1 bunch asparagus (if available) 3 pannets cherry tomatoes 6 aluminium pie plates 1 can crushed pineapple 1 pint cranberry juice 1 small can frozen orange juice 1 bottle lemon juice 1 bottle maraschino cherries 1 qt. soda water You will also need: Mayonnaise Lemon juice Curry powder Tabasco sauce Nutmeg Tarragon Salt Pepper Ground ginger Whole cloves Allspice Stick cinnamon Cayenne pepper Paprika Toothpicks Tea Sugar Liquor for eggnog and wassail bowl: 1 quart light rum, brandy or bourbon 1 pint brandy 4 bottles sherry THE TIMETABLE Party Day Minus 3 weeks: Plan party. Send invitations at least three weeks ahead of time. Open house invitations do not always include an RSVP. If you feel you must have an approximate estimate of guests, write "regrets only'' followed by your telephone number at the bottom of the invitation.

Schedule your open house at the most convenient time for your guests. If it's on a work night, allow time for them to go home and change. Remember that your open house will be competing with the extraordinary number of events and activities that go hand in hand with Christmas. If you decide on a weekday early evening, perhaps 8 to 10.30 is the best time. If the weekend before Christmas is your choice, a late afternoon party -- say, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. is better.

Four hours is about the maximum time that you can be expected to juggle people coming and going, to keep the food fresh, hot and appetising, and to keep the beverages flowing. So whichever day, and part of the day, you select for your open house, keep it to no more than four hours.

Party Day Minus 2 weeks: Order necessary equipment. Order oysters. Buy ingredients for cheese puffs and mocha balls. Prepare and freeze these dishes.

Make fruit cake.

HOSTING A SUCCESSFUL OPEN HOUSE Party Day Minus 1 Week: Wash and polish china, crystal, silver. Start Christmas decorations other than greens.

Party Day Minus 3 Days: Buy or cut holly, evergreens, finish decorations.

Party Day Minus 2 Days: Buy all remaining food. Check recipes; be sure you have seasonings, staples such as mayonnaise, etc.

Party Day Minus 1 Day: Obtain oysters and rented equipment. Arrange flowers, if necessary. Prepare raw vegetables and dip and refrigerate. Make spinach quiches and refrigerate. Prepare chicken livers in bacon and refrigerate.

Clear space and set buffet table.

Party Day Morning: Remove cheese puffs and mocha balls from freezer. Remove fruit cake and quiches from refrigerator. Arrange vegetables on platters. Mix sour cream and caviar. Prepare eggnog, wassail bowl, and fruit punch. Set out serving dishes.

Party Time: Food service -- three separate servings. Entertainment. Carols.

Plan your menu: There are countless Christmas delicacies that may be added to standard entertainment fare, but your Open House menu should be restricted to foods which will survive prolonged service. Foods that must be kept hot should be prepared and served in such a way that there will be a constant supply throughout the party.

Such prolonged service will require some careful preparation, and it would not be wise to try it without some part-time help (paid or unpaid!) just to keep the food flowing and the supply constant.

Avoid intricate and delicate foods for an Open House; dishes which can be prepared and frozen in advance are best for this kind of party. At Christmastime, some of your guests may have had some food at another party before coming to your open house, or they may be going on to a later party.

Light hors d'oeuvres, dips, and salads, along with one or two more substantial dishes will provide something for everyone.

China, glassware, cutlery, serving equipment: Make plans to acquire enough for your Christmas open house. For smaller holiday parties, use your very best china, etc. For a large party there are two courses open to you: 1. Rent whatever you need. This can be expensive, depending on what you rent.

2. Turn to paper and plastic, finding the very best quality you can.

Full-size, heavy dinner plates, 15 x 17-inch napkins, and rigid plastic glasses will insure your guests' comfort and pleasure. Most holiday plate patterns have matching tablecloths and other paraphernalia to go with them.

You might also need to hire a folding table large enough for your buffet if you don't have a dining table and sideboard capable of holding all your dishes. Alternatively, if you have wooden saw horses in your basement, three or four smooth planks can be laid across them and, covered with a plastic undermat and a pretty cloth, they will make a very serviceable buffet table.

Order oysters. Oysters are in great demand at Christmas time, so ask your butcher to get nine pints for the day before your party. Purchase ingredients and prepare fruit cake and dishes to be frozen.

WHITE FRUIT CAKE This recipe is for one cake serving ten to 12 people. It would be best to make the recipe four separate times if you're serving 40 people.

1 lb. butter 1 cup sugar 5 eggs 2 cups plus 4 tablespoons sifted flour 1 tsp. salt 2 tsp. baking powder 1 lb. assorted candied fruits 1 can candied whole cherries 1 box white seedless raisins 8 tbsp. dark rum CREAM butter with sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add 2 cups flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix together candied fruits, raisins, and 4 tbsp. flour and add to batter. Pour into a greased, 10-inch tube pan. Bake for 11 hours at 350 degrees F. After 15 minutes, add 2 tbsp. dark rum. After next 1 hour, add 2 tbsp. rum. After 1 hour more, add 2 tbsp. rum. When cake is done, sprinkle on 2 more tbsp. rum. When cool, wrap in foil and keep in cool place. Fruit cake improves when it is kept for some time before using.

HAM-FILLED CHEESE PUFFS (This recipe makes 48 puffs. Double recipe, if desired.) 1 lb. butter 3 cups flour 1 dozen eggs 11 lbs. Swiss cheese, grated (about 22 cups) 2 lb. ham, trimmed of fat, finely diced 4 tbsp. Dijon mustard IN a saucepan, combine butter with 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, add flour.

Stir until mixture pulls away from sides of pan. Put into electric mixer and add eggs, one at a time. Beat 5 minutes at high speed. Stir in 2 cups grated cheese. With a tablespoon, shape 48 rounds of dough and put on cookie sheets.

Dampen a finger and make a large depression in each round. Mix ham and mustard, spoon onto rounds of dough. Dot with butter. Sprinkle with remaining 2 cup grated cheese. Bake at 375 degrees F. 30 to 40 minutes. When cool, wrap in foil and freeze.

MOCHA BALLS 2 12-oz. pkgs. semi-sweet chocolate bits 8 egg yolks 3 cups confectioners' sugar 1 lb. soft butter or margarine 4 tsp. instant coffee 8 tbsp. brandy 4 tsp. vanilla extract Chopped pecans MELT chocolate bits. Beat egg yolks, gradually add confectioner's sugar, beating until smooth. Beat in butter. Dissolve instant coffee in brandy and add vanilla. Combine with egg yolks and sugar. Add melted chocolate, mix thoroughly, and chill. Shape into little balls and roll in chopped pecans.

Wrap in foil and freeze.

Party Day Minus 1 Week: Wash and polish china, crystal and silver. If you decide to use disposable plates and napkins, incorporate some of your best items too: silver platters and serving dishes, silver candlesticks or candelabra, a lovely china compote to hold a Christmas fruit pyramid, your best crystal wine or champagne glasses for one holiday toast, etc.

A week before the party, wash or polish everything. Cover silver with plastic wrap.

Start Christmas decorating other than fresh flower/green arrangements. Tie colourful bows on your wall sconces, fasten tiny coloured balls and a bright red bow onto some of your house plants, and replace the picture over your fireplace with a simple felt cutout picture of the three kings, or of children hanging their stockings at a felt fireplace. Order flowers and greens from your florist.

Party Day Minus 3 Days: Plan the "mood'' of your party and decorate accordingly. Open fires, candlelit rooms, carols and background Christmas music, and a certain formality are the basic elements that create a lovely Christmas atmosphere.

Candles, strategically placed, add a tremendous amount of atmosphere and symbolise the glow of Christmas. Be very careful not to have lighted candles near greens or other flammable materials.

Party Day Minus 2 Days: Check all remaining recipes carefully. Ensure you have all your staples and seasonings to hand. Now, go shopping with the above list.

Spend the morning making your purchases. For this particular menu, all food may be bought now except the oysters which you will have ordered for the day before the party.

Where possible, store ingredients for each recipe close to each other, and nearest the area of preparation. A little forthought now will save considerable time the next day.

Party Day Minus 1 Day: Early in the morning pick up the oysters and any rented equipment that is not to be delivered. Call your party supplier and/or caterer to be sure that these things will be delivered in time. If you are planning on fresh flowers for your table, buy them now and arrange them as soon as you get home. In the afternoon, you can prepare, or partly prepare, most of the dishesd on your menu: RAW VEGETABLES AND DIP 3 bunches broccoli 3 heads cauliflower 4 med. zucchini 1 bunch asparagus (if available) 3 boxes cherry tomatoes 1 cup mayonnaise 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard 1 tbsp. lemon juice 2 tsps. curry powder Hot pepper sauce BREAK broccoli and cauliflower into fleurettes. Cut zucchini into 3-inch lengths and then into 1 -inch strips. Cut off and discard all but about 2 top inches of asparagus stalks. Stem cherry tomatoes. Put all the vegetables except tomatoes into bowls of cold water and store in the refrigerator. Mix remaining ingredients for the dip. Stir well and refrigerate.

CHICKEN LIVERS IN BACON 3 pints chicken livers 1 lb. butter 2 lbs. bacon TRIM fat from chicken livers and saute gently in two frying pans, using 1 stick of butter in each. Cook only until they are firm and still red in the centre. Wrap each liver in a half strip of bacon, secure with a toothpick.

Cover and refrigerate.

SPINACH QUICHE Makes six 9-inch quiches) 6 pkgs. frozen chopped spinach 6 frozen pie crusts 2 egg yolks 1 tsp. nutmeg 6 tsps. dried tarragon 6 tsps. lemon juice Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup chopped parsley 11 lbs. feta cheese 1 dz. eggs 6 cups heavy cream 3 cups plain yogurt THAW and drain spinach. Thaw and bake pie crusts for 15 minutes in a 450-degree F. oven, pricking crusts in several places. Brush each with beaten egg yolk and return to oven for two minutes to seal and crisp shells.

Combine nutmeg, tarragon, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and parsley and mix into spinach. Spoon spinach into pie shells and sprinkle each with 1 cup feta cheese. Beat 12 eggs lightly, add cream and yogurt, mixing well. Pour mixture evenly over each quiche. Bake in a 300-degree F. oven for 30 minutes. Cool, cover lightly, and refrigerate.

Buffet table: If you're not too tired, it's a good idea to prepare your buffet table the evening before the party. By doing this you can check to see what may be missing, whether you need more flowers, how the lines will form so that you can rearrange the furniture if necessary, etc. An Open House requires all courses, from hors d'oeuvres to coffee and dessert to be made available to the guests simultaneously. People will be coming in while others who may still be present will have already eaten. A little extra planning, therefore, is essential in keeping an aging party looking young and fresh.

Party Day Morning: The first thing to do today is remove the cheese puffs and the mocha balls from the freezer. Remove fruit cake and quiches from refrigerator. Arrange one-third of the vegetables on a platter, placing a small bowl of dip in the centre. If you have room in the refrigerator, keep the platter there, but it may be set on the buffet and covered with foil or plastic wrap.

Mix 1 pint sour cream with a 2-ounce jar of red caviar. Keep in refrigerator.

Lay out all the platters, bowls and serving utensils you will need for the party.

Eggnog should be prepared in the morning, as it must stand for several hours to "ripen.'' The wassail bowl spices may also be mixed early in the day, and the apples may be cored and baked in a moderate oven until tender but still firm, but the remaining ingredients must be combined and heated when the party is starting.

The fruit punch may be prepared, too, except for adding the soda water.

EGGNOGG 12 eggs, separated 1 lb. confectioners' sugar 4 cups light rum, brandy, or bourbon 2 qts. medium cream Nutmeg BEAT egg yolks until lemon-coloured. Beat in sugar, slowly add 2 cups liquor.

Let stand for at least 1 hour. Then add 2 more cups liquor and cream. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Just before serving, beat egg whites until stiff and fold into the liquid. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

WASSAIL BOWL 4 cups sugar 1 tbsp. nutmeg 2 tsps. ground ginger 6 whole cloves 1 tsp. allspice 1 stick cinnamon 1 dz. eggs, separated 4 bots. sherry 2 cups brandy 12 baked apples COMBINE sugar and spices with 1 cup water, boil for 5 minutes. Just before the party, beat egg yolks until lemon-coloured and beat the whites until stiff.

Fold whites into yolks. Add sugar and spice mixture and bring to a boil.

In separate pots, bring sherry and brandy to a boil. Stir sherry slowly into egg mixture. Add brandy. Just before serving, add baked apples.

ALCOHOL-FREE FRUIT PUNCH 11 cups sugar 11 cups water 2 cups strong tea 1 can crushed pineapple 3 cups cranberry juice 6 tbsps. lemon juice 1 can frozen orange juice (6 oz.size) 1 qt. soda water 1 bottle maraschino cherries BOIL sugar and water together for 10 minutes, add tea. When cool, add crushed pineapple, cranberry juice, and lemon juice. Mix frozen orange juice according to directions on can and add. Chill. Just before serving: add 1 quart soda water and maraschino cherries. Pour over cake of ice in punch bowl.

Party Time: You should plan to offer three complete servings during the party hours so that every guest, no matter what time he comes or goes, will have an opportunity to enjoy each of your dishes.

Just before the guests are due, the first serving of each dish should be set out on the buffet. The cavier and sour cream dip should be placed in the centre of a platter and surrounded with chips.

The chicken livers should be broiled about 4 inches from the flame and turned several times until the bacon is crisp. This will take 5 or 6 minutes.

The quiches and cheese puffs should be warmed for 15 minutes in a 350-degree F. oven.

The hot dishes should be served in chafing dishes or set out on an electric hot plate.

Oyster stew takes only a few minutes to prepare, and should not be served until a number of people are there to enjoy it. Each batch should be prepared separately, and will provide approximately 16 small servings.

OYSTER STEW 1 stick butter or margarine 3 cups oysters 2 cups milk 4 cups med. cream Salt and pepper to taste Cayenne pepper Paprika MELT butter and saute oysters until edges curl, about 3 minutes. Add milk and cream and bring the mixture to a boil. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne and sprinkle with paprika.

Keeping an eye on things: During the party, you must keep an eye constantly on the buffet table to be sure that there are no empty platters and that a new supply of food keeps coming from the kitchen. The same attention must be paid to the eggnog, punch and wassail bowls, which should be refilled before they are completely empty.

Entertainment: Although it is not necessary to plan any special entertainment at an Open House, carol singing is fun. If you have a relative or friend plays a guitar, piano or portable organ, ask them if they would be willing to lead the singing. Get three or four strong voices to lead, and you will find that your guests will join in heartily and enthusiastically. Nothing sends people away happier and more filled with Christmas spirit than a chance to sing the beloved, familiar carols.