Inviting guests into your home is part and parcel of celebrating Christmas, but with different generations of family and friends gathering together, it’s often difficult to establish acceptable guest behaviour. But while Granny farting in the corner, or kids killing each other with cracker toys, gets a blind eye turned to it, if you dare to use the wrong knife for the butter, or break your host’s prize pepper grinder, you’ll be blacklisted for life!
A recent survey of 1000 Brits revealed what we’re willing to do in another person’s house and what we find rude if guests do in our own. And some of the results are pretty surprising!
The results show running a bath without asking (who does that?!), breaking the toilet seat and being sick in the garden are some of the inappropriate things guests have done in their host’s house. When it comes to guest etiquette, the survey revealed that hosts find feet on the furniture a top issue (59%), cutting nails a close second (58%) and taking control of the TV remote (52%) takes the third position in the poll of what we find most annoying.
Asking for the wi-fi password topped the list of things we’re happy to do as a guest, with almost a third (31%) of survey respondents stating they would feel comfortable asking for the code as a guest in someone’s home. This was followed by being comfortable asking to charge a phone, tablet or laptop (24%) coming in second place, and helping yourself to a drink (20%).
Over half of men (59%) said guests cutting their nails in their home is one of the rudest activities, whereas women said that someone putting their feet on the furniture is the worst thing a guest could do in their home (62%).
So to help you be a golden guest over the festive period, Belle About Town worked with
Anglian Home Improvements who carried out the research, to come up with 10 tips for being the perfect Christmas guest.
-
Show up with a gift for every member of the party
-
Offer to help on Christmas day with washing dishes or cooking dinner
-
Ask if there is anything you can bring along, for example alcohol or food
-
Work out what the clothing attire is before attending
-
Make sure you RSVP so they know how many people to cater for
-
Send a thank you note or message to appreciate their hospitality
-
Make sure it’s clear how long you’re staying- don’t overstay your welcome
-
Don’t criticise the way they cook or their Christmas traditions
-
Don’t sit glued to your phone- pay attention to your hosts
-
Be mindful of how much you drink
Melanie McDonald, Head of PR and Brand Marketing at Anglian Home Improvements, told Belle About Town: “Christmas is a stressful time for those who are hosting, making it even more important to remember your guest etiquette. Being a polite and helpful guest will help to prevent a stressful environment and ensure that everyone gets into the Christmas spirit.
“Generations gathering together over the festive season can cause some to be offended by modern habits, so make sure to turn your phone on silent and remember your please and thank yous!
“To navigate through the confusing world of modern etiquette, Anglian Home Improvements has created a helpful guide on what is expected in a modern household and what behaviour will mean you are sure to not be invited back!”
-
After almost a decade chasing ambulances, and celebrities, for Fleet Street's finest, Emily has taken it down a gear and settled for a (slightly!) slower pace of life in the suburbs. With a love of cheese and fine wine, Emily is more likely to be found chasing her toddlers round Kew Gardens than sipping champagne at a showbiz launch nowadays, or grabbing an hour out of her hectic freelancer's life to chill out in a spa while hubby holds the babies. If only!
View all posts
