Do You Always Have to Bring a Hostess Gift When You’re Invited to Someone’s House for Dinner?

You are invited to dinner…do you always have to bring a hostess gift? What if you’re bringing a dish or several items – do you also need a gift?

Real Simple Readers say:

• Of course: 49.7%
• No, just follow up with a thank-you note: 33%
• Only if it’s a fancy dinner: 17.3%

Experts say: “Hostess gifts aren’t mandatory at less formal functions,” says Robin Abrahams, who writes the Miss Conduct social-advice column in The Boston Globe Magazine, “but it’s never wrong to bring one.” Remember: No flowers unless they’re in a vase, and don’t expect wine or food gifts to be consumed at the meal. And, adds Abrahams, “if you don’t know the hostess well, give something re-giftable, like candles.”

Source: The Real Simple Reader Etiquette Poll By Adam Bluestein – check out readers (and the experts) had to say about other etiquette questions.

Which leads me to our Mama Says Thrifty Thursday Idea: …if someone gives you a hostess gift you REALLY like – then thank them profusely and recycle their great idea.

A recent dinner guest brought a beautiful kitchen towel – the Atlanta dish towel from catstudio. It’s so cool that I considered framing it rather than using it. This company makes a line of  home accessories featuring original artwork on pillows, glasses, aprons, totes and trays. The intricate (and creative) artwork highlights major cities, states, regions, parks, and countries. So you can celebrate, commemorate hometowns, vacation memories, favorite places and so much more.

When my husband and I were invited to a housewarming party for newlyweds – I combined the Mama Says, “No More Frozen Pizza!” recipe collection and a catstudio dish towel for a unique housewarming gift.

Do you have a hostess gift idea to recycle or share?  We have one more….bring a “dish” and leave a dish as a gift! Please add your suggestions to the comments below. Happy (and thoughtful) gift giving.

Enjoyed this post? See these:

1. Thrifty Hostess Gift Ideas
2. Wedding Shower – a great (thrifty) gift idea
3. Thrifty Thursday – Join the effort and be a hero for hunger!

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Tags: catstudio, hostess gift etiquette, hostess guide ideas, Real Simple

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 8:56 am and is filed under Mama Says, Our Favorite Things, Thrifty Thursday. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.