No matter how often you host parties, you are still more likely to be invited as a guest. Our website offers a wealth of information on finding the best food resources and restaurants that offer ready-to-carve turkey. But I guess most of us won’t be doing the heavy lifting for or working out how to impress the guests with mulled Chinese Yellow Wine this Thanksgiving.
We will simply be guests and enjoy the evening. Nonetheless, there are a few things we should keep in mind to help out the host and make ourselves a welcome guest. It is not a checklist; the idea is to appreciate all the efforts made by the host. It is Thanksgiving after all!
1. Respond to the invitation ASAP and mark your calendar. Cooking a huge Thanksgiving dinner is no mean feat and you do not want to surprise your host with your attendance.
2. Notify your host for special needs. If you are vegetarian or have a nut allergy, it is better to inform the host in advance than waiting for the food to go unappreciated. You can always ask the host if you can bring anything.
3. Bring a small gift/a game. Wine and cheese always go well with thanksgiving but you can be more creative by making something yourself. Also, ask the host if you can bring a game, such as a close-up magic, to help entertain the guests.
4. Don’t be too early or too late. We can’t stress this one enough. Do not show up early to break your host’s tight schedule and don’t be more than half an hour late neither (nobody likes dry turkey).
5. Make sure your children behave. You have to admit that other people may not feel your children are as adorable as you do. Make sure they do not scream and offend other guests.
6. Ask the host if they need help with cooking. If not, stay out of the kitchen. If your host asks you to lay the table, make sure you set everything up as the host planned.
7. Be sociable and avoid your phone. Being present is more than physically being there. Entertain the children and talk to other guests to help the host out. Each guest is part of the chemistry that will make the party a success.
8. Drink reasonably. There will be wine served to compliment the meal, but your host will not expect to take care of drunken guests afterwards.
9. Help to clean afterwards. If the host family does not have an ayi, they will probably appreciate your help cleaning up dishes and taking out the garbage.
10. Remember to say "Thank You". After the party, tell the host you arrived home safely and thank him/her for an exceptional evening.
For more tips and suggestions, please leave a comment below.
Photos by LuAnn Snawder Photography, cheukiecfu, USAG Vicenza, Anne Helmond, babalucci, Ned Raggett, Manue@PrettyKiku, timtak, SCA Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget and nirbhao (Flickr)
