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Written by Erin Frustaci - View Profile
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Wednesday, 22 November 2006 |
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Today as I was skimming the newspaper, my eyes stopped the the kids page. The Mini Page in the Rocky Mountain News was all about Table Manners, an important lesson for the holidays, especially Thanksgiving. The exercise asked kids to determine which characters to invite to Thanksgiving dinner. Should they invite Sarah-See-It-All, who chews with her mouth open or Goldie Goodsport who chews with her mouth closed? I thought, it's too bad they didn't have a similar exercise for adults. This week alone we had four holiday etiquette questions arise at the office. I thought I would seek out some possible solutions for these taxing scenarios. Here's what I came up with.
1. At what age is it expected for one to bring a dish to Thanksgiving dinner?
Our first inclination was once you are married and completely on your own. However, it was quickly brought to my attention that a person could potentially never get married and therefore freeload forever. A better answer would be whenever you decide you want to bring something. I will contribute squash this year, but that is because I stumbled upon an easy recipe. I may feel differently next year. The problem with this answer is if I never wanted to bring something, I wouldn't ever need to. Our publisher answered this question best. His solution was once it is asked of you. The Emily Post Institute recommends to offer to contribute, but never dictate the menu.
2. When it comes to gift shopping, is it acceptable to buy a gift for a brother (or sister) only if you despise your sister-in-law (or brother-in-law)?
We decided if you get your relative a gift you should probably get their spouse something, whether you like them or not. You do have a few options though. Couple gifts or gifts they share are perfectly acceptable. If you want to get your sibling something special, you can also get their spouse something simple. For example, many stores have inexpensive candles or bath sets.
3. What if the only gift you know someone is going to love will make the rest of the family frown? Should you get it anyway?
Gifts do have implications. Say you your grandma is an alcoholic. You know she would appreciate a bottle of whisky, but this could anger the rest of the family. Donovan suggests finding a gift that may be related without actually giving the goods. It is better to not enable someone even if you know it would make them happy. It isn't worth upsetting everyone else and getting yourself in trouble.
4. How do you decide how much to spend on a gift for a significant other?
This is a classic problem. If you spend too little and your significant other spends to much you will feel bad. The same goes if you spend too much and your significant other spends too little. According to the Emily Post institute Web site, anything too expensive or extravagant may send a message about the seriousness of the relationship— which could cause confusion. The site says the amount spent on a gift should be a balance of your affection for the person and your budget. Sandra said the best thing to do is talk about it. Ask for a specific list of suggestions for you only and maybe agree on a spending limit for each other.
What do you think? Any other solutions? What other Holiday etiquette issues are you wrestling with? Chances are there's other people struggling with the same things. For more advice check out www.emilypost.com. | Only registered users can write comments.
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A Frustaci Thing (24)
writen by: Erin
Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
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|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
| | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
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|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
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