House guest etiquette revealed ahead of Christmas party season
The New York Times recently stated that ‘Dinner parties with nightmare guests can make for delicious art’; however, at some point, at least one of us will be a guest at someone else’s house over the festive period, so why not understand how not to be a total nightmare and instead be the guest of dreams.
So to be sure you’re invited back for the New Year, Victorian Plumbing, the UK’s largest bathroom retailer and overall home experts, has got Brits covered with a simple guide to house guest etiquette this festive season. The guide includes a few widely undisclosed but popularly gossiped-about guest house rules that are bound to go down a treat, even with the mother-in-law.
This is not a hotel. Just because you’re a guest, it doesn’t mean you get to always use what you want, with over half of Brits admitting they take the posh shampoos and toiletries from hotels, don’t start to think the same applies to the host’s house this Christmas. Bring your own, or simply accept that they might not want you using the good stuff, and if they do let you, then leave it where you found it.
No one likes a last-minute fussy eater; Yes, Sally, we’re talking about your vegan, lactose-free, gluten-free, cooked for two hours turkey alternative that you only decided you wanted on Christmas Eve. With over a third of Brits saying they would happily eat a vegan or vegetarian Christmas dinner, we’re in a time of trying new things, but piling on last-minute dietary requirements that you’ve never spoken about before is the worst for hosts. If alternatives are needed, be sure to let the host know in plenty of time, and if need be, maybe bringing your own is the safest option and if not, then keep it to January.
Don’t take board games too seriously. With over a quarter of Brits admitting that Snakes and Ladders was the game most likely to cause arguments this Christmas*, a quick reminder that whilst it’s great to follow the rules, remember it’s just a game. Be sure not to be the board game police this festive period and spoil the fun by taking any game too seriously; you can let your winning streak go for one night because if not at Christmas, when?
No Snooping. As a generation raised on ‘Come Dine with Me’ it’s no surprise we like to snoop when visiting a friend’s home, and according to a recent survey, Londoners are the most likely to, with almost half confessing to a secret snoop around, compared to the national average of 34%. But try to avoid a riffle through the draws because if the host finds even a pair of socks out of place, their paranoia could last until Easter – and we all know if the host thinks you snoop, it may lead to being left off the guest list in future.
