15 Common Holiday Party Mistakes To Avoid This Christmas Season
With the year coming to an end, it's the season for holiday parties once again. Holiday parties are always so fun and festive, but there's always one person who does something to rub people the wrong way. Don't be that guest! In this blog post, we've detailed fifteen common holiday party mistakes you want to avoid.
1. Arriving Too Early or Too Late
Arriving too early at a party could be seen as intrusive, but arriving too late is rude. If you're attending a casual holiday party, aim to arrive a few minutes after the party is supposed to start.
2. Ignore The Dress Code
Every party has a dress code. You wouldn't want to attend a formal party wearing flip-flops or club wear at a casual get-together. If the host specifies a dress code, stick to it. If you're unsure of the party's dress code, reach out to the host for clarification on the party's theme.
3. Bringing Food When You Weren't Asked
If you're attending a potluck where everyone is expected to bring a dish to share, it's perfectly acceptable to bring a dish. But, if you're attending a holiday party where you weren't asked to bring anything, do not bring food to the party.
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4. Asking For Special Meal Accommodations
Most people throwing a party will inquire about their guests' allergies or dietary restrictions. Unless you have a life-threatening allergy, you should never take it upon yourself to request specific foods at someone else's dinner party.
5. Tampering With Food
At buffet-style dinners, everyone expects the other party guests to be respectful when taking their meal. You shouldn't double-dip, use your hands to pick up food, use serving utensils for tasting, or sniff the food. All of these behaviors will be seen as unhygienic and likely make other guests uncomfortable.
6. Changing Place Cards
Don't insult the host's planning abilities by moving around the place cards at the table. While there might be someone else at the table you would prefer to sit next to, or you're seated next to someone you don't know, be polite and make the most of the night with the people you're placed next to.
7. Not Asking Permission to Take Guests Pictures
It doesn't matter if you're at a party with someone; you should never take or post pictures of anyone without their permission. There's no way of knowing how someone will react to their picture being taken, so to avoid any uncomfortable situations, keep the camera to yourself and your friends and family.
8. Being Overly Helpful
There's a fine line between being helpful and being annoying. While your host would appreciate you lending a hand, you don't want to overstep by taking over in areas where the host would prefer to take the lead. For example, while offering to help with the dishes would be helpful, sharing the dessert before the host is ready would be inappropriate.
9. Telling Inappropriate Jokes
Avoid telling any risky jokes if you aren't sure how they will be received by the crowd that you're in. The type of jokes that will be accepted at the party would depend on the sense of humor of the people in attendance. Telling a dark or sarcastic joke could make some people uncomfortable and ruin the party's atmosphere.
10. Gossiping About Other Guests
The quickest way to ruin a holiday party is by bringing up inappropriate conversations. Holiday parties usually bring together people who haven't seen each other in a while, and sometimes, this could lead to controversial topics. Try to steer clear of gossip and divisive topics during the party.
11. Bringing Extra Guests
The party's host typically puts a lot of effort into deciding on the guest list and preparing for a specific number of people. If you weren't given a plus-one to the holiday party, it's inappropriate to assume you can just bring another person with you.
12. Being Anti-Social
You might find yourself at a holiday party where you don't know all of the people there, but don't be anti-social. Talk to people you know and even those you don't. You should never be found in a corner on your phone.
13. Offering the Host Unsolicited Advice
The party's host is already under a ton of pressure, ensuring everything goes off without a hitch. While offering your advice could be acceptable in some circumstances, avoid offering negative critiques. Many times, these come across as rude and hurtful.
14. Overfilling Your Plate
Holiday parties are known for having massive portions of food, but that doesn't mean you should overfill your plate. Going through the buffet line several times, overfilling your plate, and taking several servings of food is a definite holiday party don't.
15. Overstaying Your Welcome
Don't be the last person the host tries to get out the door. Once the party begins to wind down and guests start to leave, that's your cue to go as well. The host is likely tired, wouldn't want to hurt your feelings, and still has much to do after the party.
She started her blog, The Money Dreamer, when she realized the 9-5 job was not the lifestyle she wanted anymore. After designing for a while, she wanted a more meaningful life, which was freedom, so she decided to venture out. She took action so that she can live her dream life and decided to help people to live theirs by helping them how to save, budget, and invest.
