How to be the Perfect Holiday Party Guest
Is your social calendar beginning to fill with holiday social events? Perhaps some will be fancy gatherings, while others more relaxed and carefree? If so, follow these etiquette tips and you just may find yourself being touted as the “perfect holiday guest”.
- Respond to the invitation right away with a clear answer. – It isn’t polite to leave the host hanging, ask whose coming, or hold out for a better offer. Reply yes or no as soon as possible and then commit.
- Arrive on time. – Showing up early is actually more of an inconvenience to the host than showing up late, but neither is considered polite. Do you best to arrive on time.
- A gift is a kind gesture. – Lavishness is not necessary. Fancy chocolates, red wine or assorted cheeses are nice. If you want to send flowers, send them the day before the party with a hand-written note.
- Greet your host. – If you don’t see the hosts when you arrive, make a point of finding them and thank them for inviting you.
- Don’t be a wallflower. – Mingle! If the host is unavailable to introduce you to people, it is perfectly acceptable for you to do it yourself.
- Be helpful. – Ask the host if there is anything you can do to help. If they decline, make it a point to stay out of everyone’s way in the kitchen.
- Don’t touch the TV remote, music, or computer. – Your polite host may tell you to make yourself at home, but that doesn’t mean you should sit and watch television, adjust the music volume, or surf the Internet. These are things you do all the time. Parties are for socializing with people…face-to-face. It’s a good idea to put your cell phone away and avoid texting as well.
- Eat when served. – Don’t start helping yourself to food in the kitchen before it has been served to everyone else. Exercise self-control and wait until the food is brought to the table.
- Don’t overindulge. – Restrain from eating or drinking to excess. It is fun to get together and celebrate with family, friends and co-workers, but if you overdo it, you may end up injuring or embarrassing yourself and possibly others.
- Offer to help with clean-up. – It is polite to offer to stay and help clean up once the party has ended, but if the host declines, don’t push the issue. Thank them again for inviting you and be on your way.
- Never overstay your welcome. – Here are some hints that indicate you have stayed too long: all the other guests are gone, the hosts are yawning and looking at their watches, the sun is rising in the east. Really, don’t wait for any of these indications. When the majority of guests are gathering their belongings and saying their goodbyes, follow suit.
As a final kind gesture, send a hand-written thank you note to the host the following day. Tell them what a great time you had at their party. Be specific and mention some wonderful things that you noticed, heard, ate, etc. Chances are good you’ll get invited back next year.
Happy Holidays!
Patricia Rossi, America’s Etiquette and Protocol Coach, www.patriciarossi.com
