Issue link: https://nest.uberflip.com/i/596850
HELPING "It's wonderful to offer, but never insist and start doing things if the hosts have turned you down. If they want you to sit and enjoy, sit and enjoy." THANK YOU NOTES "With close friends and family, it's perfectly okay to make a phone call or even send a text message. But it's not a bad idea to send a note. It can never be replaced." ARRIVALS "Aim to arrive somewhere within the first half-hour. Being early intrudes on your host's prep time, but don't get there past the 30-minute hors d'oeuvre mark." DRINKING "If you like to drink, drink and be merry. If you don't, don't. At office parties, stick to one drink or none at all. Try to manage the stress of the season in a way other than with alcohol." Lizzie Post, host of the Awesome Etiquette podcasts (and great-great granddaughter of manner icon Emily Post), advises attendees on how to navigate holiday manner quandaries. FOOD "Don't being a whole dish if you haven't been asked to. Holidays are a time for (hosts) to take care of guests. If it's a potluck, ask what's needed." HOW TO BE A Great Holiday Guest ALLERGIES "If your allergies are easy to work around - like if you have a nut allergy, but only if you ingest them - move the food to the side of the plate and manage it. If you've got the kind of allergy where just the smell causes a wonderfully dramatic EpiPen incident, let the host know in advance." "Gifts aren't mandatory, but if you do (give one), make it something simple." HOSTESS GIFTS STANDING IN THE KITCHEN "Take social cues. Where are the hors d'oeuvres set up? That's probably where your host wants you to hang out."