Thanksgiving Manners

When Americans were asked: What is your most favorite holiday? By far Thanksgiving ranked first. 
For the most part, it is so popular because there is no gift giving, just visiting and eating!

Although excellent manners should be a part of our everyday habits, the holiday season calls for more advanced awareness of civility. The basics are essential and quite frankly expected especially at Thanksgiving dinner! 

• Arrive at Thanksgiving dinner on time. (how embarrassing to interrupt the meal)
• Never bring a guest that is not expected. (what a shocker!)
• Take a well thought out hostess gift. (do not show up empty handed)
• Don’t switch out place sitting cards. (set where the host puts your name-it's there for a reason.
• Never start eating before the host/hostess. (pick up your first utensil only after he/she does)
• BMW is not your car - it is an acronym for Bread, (on left) Meal, (in middle) Water (on the right)
• And remember ALWAYS pass to the right. (and the salt & pepper always stay together, no matter what!)

Yes, these are just a few of the basics ... but what about the manners that nobody dares to discuss.
 Remember - It is Thanksgiving! Put away the Blackberry’s, i-Phones and all text toys just for this one day, and especially during the Thanksgiving meal. Nothing says, "I don't care” more than ignoring the people sitting right in front of you.

There was a time when families spent this one day of the year visiting and catching up on details of each other’s lives. Unfortunately, retailers have enticed the early bird Christmas shopper by opening stores on Thanksgiving afternoon in order to make an extra buck. Whatever happened to pumpkin pie and football games? As a reminder, the malls will stay open late during the holiday season. Do not fall into the pressure of a retailer persuading you that Thanksgiving Day is the only time they will offer their really big sale.

In a nation where the divorce rate is over 50%, remember to refrain from bringing up past wives, husbands, relationships, weddings, funerals, experiences and occurrences that will only promote friction. Think before you speak, your next conversation could be a land mine waiting to explode. You certainly do not want to be the culprit of a dreadful Thanksgiving Day disagreement that goes down in the family album as a bad memory.

More manners tomorrow to prepare you for your big Thanksgiving weekend ahead!


xoJoy