Life goes by faster than it seems, and one day, after visiting your grandmother’s house for Christmas, you start visiting your parents’ or uncle’s house. And suddenly, another day, you are hosting the holidays in your own home: whether you want to host the classic family, the chosen one or friends, the decision is an adventure that must be mastered with ingenuity and organization.
Inviting someone out is always stressful, but it’s also an intimate and generous gesture. Without a doubt, the best virtue of a host is to make guests comfortable and to achieve this we must feel comfortable and relaxed. The most important thing is not to seem overwhelmed, and you shouldn’t be. If not, the rest will notice and feel a vague sense of guilt and discomfort.
So every decision—menu, guests, errands—must be made with this in mind: Am I capable of doing all of this and not find myself on the verge of collapse? Will I be sweaty, disheveled and uncomfortable by 9pm?
On the other hand, at the time of the menu, never choose recipes that you have not prepared up to that point and that are outside your comfort zone. Remember that the key is not to stress. This means repeating simple, colorful and delicious dishes. Any advice? That the oven is off: Nothing is allowed to be baked at the moment.
The buffet or self-service system is the best way to spend the evening with the family. Note: During this period there are excellent quality fruits such as figs, peaches, apricots and melons. There are also good products for preparing salads and cutting boards.
Plus, it always works when others bring something to the table: especially when cooking, it makes you want to try out flavors other than your own. And it’s a good idea to buy everything you can a week in advance.
How to be a good guest
Tips for being a good guest never hurt: a satisfying little art that doesn’t ask too much of us. They are simply gestures. Whether an elegant meeting with drinks and champagne or a warm meeting on the balcony with beer and friends.
First of all, if you don’t come, let us know in advance. Personally, if I have to cancel something at the last minute, I am fully aware that it is terrible. Feelings of guilt accompany me more than I would like.
What to bring? A bottle is always good, even if you don’t have to spend a lot of money on it. Carrying ice goes a long way since it is usually missing, especially when the temperature exceeds 30 degrees, as it usually does on these days. Even taking the time to prepare a playlist designed for the occasion and keeping everyone’s tastes in mind is a great detail that shows you are considerate of others.
Let’s avoid arriving hungry (a piece of fruit before leaving prevents binge eating) and bring a Tupperware with us so that we don’t leave the host without it.
If you bring food, let it be something that doesn’t need to be heated so that the person inviting you doesn’t have to stop doing things to accommodate your demands. It has to be something practical: ice cream is great, but when the freezer is full, the delicious ice cream we will eat in three hours is a problem. Therefore, this must be discussed with the homeowner in advance.
A delicious cheese can be an option, not to mention cherries. In my case, I put whatever falls with cherries and ice cream on the list for all future parties.
Of course, you will help to clear the table, wash the glasses and order something, even if you are told “no”. Reject the first or second rejection and do it anyway. Recently a friend told me that after a party at her house, she decided to finally go into the kitchen and discovered that a friend who had stayed late had cleaned everything. A gesture like this shows eternal and selfless friendship.
A plus point for hiring: If you’re invited as a friend of the house and there are new friends, new brothers-in-law, etc., be the person responsible for making the new ones feel comfortable in the pack. Include the person who is alone or join a group if you are. The holidays are about affection, you are there for a reason.
A not insignificant topic: how to drink
Whether you’re a host or a guest, age matters to some extent when it comes to drinking. This means that when you are very young, drinking makes you appear immature and you are sure to be judged or viewed a little poorly. In your late 20s or 30s, when you’re more mature, a few drinks can unwind you and who knows, you can be the life of the party, letting go of your inhibitions and encouraging yourself to tell good stories. Of course, as you get older, be careful not to overdo it, because getting drunk can lead to slowness, irritability, or reoffending.
When it comes to drinking, you should take the right amount for everyone and always drink enough fluids: one or two water for every glass of alcohol.
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