Generational Lessons
Our family loves hosting parties. Even though we know there’s a lot of planning, buying, prepping, cooking, cleaning, and socializing involved, nothing beats seeing a gleeful crowd truly enjoy each other’s company and the fruits—foods?—of our labor, whether it’s a family-get-together or a small dinner party amongst friends. By the time Sarah and Kaitlin were around 15 and 13 respectively, the four of us had pulled together enough large family dinner parties that they’d started coordinating the majority of Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner productions from then on. That’s because for me and Bill, teaching the girls how to be good guests and good hosts was just as important as learning how to tie their shoes and much more than just saying please and thank you. To this day, Bill still fondly remembers his mother’s generosity with guests. Plus her ability to throw the best neighborhood mahjong nights anyone had ever been to. Part of this is our Chinese heritage. But for me, a good amount of it is just good manners and common sense. Over the years, the little lessons imparted from generation to generation have made all of us pretty good hosts. And with the changing generations, I hate to see these good practices die out. So we’re humbly sharing some tips you might find beneficial, as a host or as a guest. If you’re worried about cultural Chinese customs in particular (say, with in-laws, a first meeting with your partner or friend’s family, co-workers, or neighbors) you can’t go wrong if you follow our tips!
As a host:
If you’re playing the part of host, here are the biggest party hosting tips to keep in mind:
As a guest:
Going to a gathering? Here are some of the etiquette guidelines I’ve taught my daughters!
