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Holiday Hospitality
An expert offers this behavior code for the holidays.
Source: Newswise- Melissa Stoepper
 The holiday season isn't the only time of the year
when good manners and good will matter. Yet the winter
holidays present a never-ending series of office parties,
family gatherings and social events that put our manners and
civility to the test.
To help people get through the holidays with grace and good
cheer, P.M. Forni, co-founder of the Johns Hopkins Civility
Project presents the following list of gentle reminders for
making the most out of seasonal socializing. As An Invited Dinner Guest:
- Always RSVP. And if you accept, show up.
- Arrive on time. Call if you are late, but remember that
calling does not make you punctual. You are still late and
inconveniencing others.
- Do not show up with a surprise guest.
- Bring with you a giving attitude. Your good cheer will
contribute to the festive occasion.
- Make sure that your cellular telephone won't ring at the
dinner table.
At An Office
Party:
- Drink in moderation
- Gossip and holiday cheer don't mix.
- A good conversationalist is a good listener. When you
listen, you show poise and make friends.
- As you speak with many colleagues, seek out those you
seldom see and those who seem left at the margins of the
fun.
- Do not say or do anything that is going to be
embarrassing in retrospect. You will have to face your
colleagues every day back at work.
As A Houseguest:
- Bring an appropriate gift, neither insignificant nor too
valuable.
- Offer to help with chores (doing the dishes, shopping
for groceries).
- Be as autonomous as possible. Your hosts are not your
chauffeurs.
- Keep your room and bathroom tidy.
- Make sure that your children are not noisy and
disruptive.
When You Are The
Host:
- Plan wisely. Too many houseguests will increase your
stress and fatigue, preventing you from offering them your
best hospitality.
- Ask in advance about your guests' dietary restrictions.
- Do not overschedule your guests' days.
- Do not be afraid to claim time for yourself and your
commitments.
- When it comes to holiday gifts for your guests, make
sure that no one is forgotten - not even your friend's new
boyfriend who was a late addition to your guest list.
At a Family
Gathering:
- Do not boast of your financial worth; do not bemoan your
financial woes.
- Do not extol endlessly your children's talents and
accomplishments; do not carp on their shortcomings.
- Do not shift the burden of your insecurity onto others
in the form of hostility.
- Do not badmouth family members who are not present.
- Do not embarrass family members who are.
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