Thanksgiving is one of the best occasions to open your home to guests and bring out your finest silver and china. At the same time, Thanksgiving also requires that you bring your best manners to the table as well.
While in college, it is likely that you will not always make it home for the holidays, and I am here to provide some tips on how to be a great guest on Thanksgiving.
Upon receiving an invitation to a Thanksgiving meal, graciously accept and ask the hostess if there is anything you can bring. If the hostess says no, a bottle of wine or a box of chocolates will suffice. The last thing that you would want to do would be bringing something that was not asked for.
Your flowers that you picked up at the supermarket may mess up the hostess' perfectly prepared flower arrangements. Your mother's pumpkin pie may in fact trump the hostess's pumpkin pie, but you do not want to cramp her style.
Once you are seated, remember to put your napkin in your lap. Survey your place setting and remember that you use your silverware from the outside in.
If you are the hostess, polishing your silverware is an absolute must! Between courses, offer to help clear the table and at the end of the meal offer to help with the dishes.
In the true spirit of Thanksgiving, a Thanksgiving meal would not be complete without a thank-you note. Thank you notes are more than a small gesture, and are not a lost art. If someone was gracious enough to open their home to you, be sure to demonstrate proper appreciation.
Aunt Amy
Aunt Amy is named after one of the first female graduate students at Emory University. Aunt Amy attended Washington Seminary in Atlanta, and was in the same class as Margaret Mitchell, the author of "Gone with the Wind." Aunt Amy grew up on her family plantation in Georgia.
– By Mary Hollis McGreevy
Etiquette 101: Thanksgiving Manners
Photos courtesy of techjost.com
