In a fast-paced world, hospitality remains a language of love and respect that knows no time or borders. Hospitality etiquette at home is a beautiful art that reflects warmth, welcome, kindness and care for your guests. It also reflects your personality in dealing with others, as etiquette at home is a mirror of you, your lifestyle and your effective communication with people, whether on a personal or professional level. In this report, we will explain to you a set of basic rules for hospitality at home, starting from welcoming guests to bidding them farewell.
About the concept of hospitality etiquette
Hospitality etiquette refers to a set of rules and traditions that govern personal behavior while hosting guests. Despite the changing times, hospitality is one of the qualities that have maintained its origin and presence among Arabs over the years.
Hospitality etiquette aims to highlight welcome and respect towards guests and enhance comfort and happiness during their stay in your home. Hospitality etiquette includes a set of behaviors that include welcoming guests warmly, providing comfort and caring for them, serving food and drink with elegance and sophistication, in addition to respecting the privacy of guests and their personal preferences.
Hospitality Etiquette at Home
Hospitality is not just receiving guests but rather moments of care and respect that make a difference in their lives. Hospitality etiquette at home includes some behaviors; let's get to know them in the following points:
- First, you must wear appropriate clothes to receive guests.
- Prepare the appropriate place to receive guests.
- If there are guests who do not know each other, you can introduce them to each other, then withdraw for a few minutes to leave room for them to have a conversation.
- Give all your guests the same attention so that none of them get bored.
- Offer appropriate drinks to your guests, and you can ask them what they prefer.
- Offer some pieces of cake or sweets with the drink.
- Your guests will need to use the bathroom at some point, so make sure it is clean and has some appropriate towels.
- Try to talk about some fun topics and avoid engaging in conversations about personal matters.
Etiquette for serving drinks to guests
When you can turn guests into friends, you open the door to a world full of communication and understanding. Serving drinks has a specific etiquette that expresses your interest in your guests:
- Choose the distinctive drinks and juices that your guests prefer.
- Pay attention to the cleanliness of the serving glasses.
- Avoid serving a drink to the guest that you served him on a previous visit unless he prefers a specific drink.
- Serve cookies or cake alongside juices, tea or coffee.
- If serving fruit, do not forget to provide forks, spoons and plates suitable for serving in a tray and place it on the table.
- If serving tea or coffee, it is preferable to ask the guest about the appropriate amount of sugar.
Guest Invitation Etiquette at Home
Hospitality reflects our personality and shows our inner beauty, as it speaks of the morals and values that we carry in our hearts. Guest Invitation Etiquette at home reflects the art of hospitality that combines authenticity and elegance. The etiquette of the invitation begins with inviting the guests, then the reception day, and ending with bidding farewell to the guests:
The invitation
- The invitation must be made well in advance of the invitation day to give the guests a chance to plan their arrival.
- Make sure that the invitation day is suitable for the guests, preferably on a weekend.
- Send the invitation yourself to your guests, either by phone call or email.
- Make sure that the house has enough room for the number of guests.
- Invite people who are comfortable being together.
- Prepare the menu with the recipes that your guests prefer.
- You can prepare the food well in advance of the invitation day.
- Avoid hard-to-eat foods so as not to embarrass your guests.
- Don't forget to prepare the appropriate dessert to serve to the guests.
Reception Day
- Welcome your guests at the door of the house and welcome them with a simple smile.
- If the guests bring some sweets, it is not necessary to serve them; the sweets you prepared are enough.
- Do not spend a lot of time in the kitchen; make sure the food is ready so that you do not leave your guests.
- Clean the dining table well to put the food on it.
- Do not forget to serve glasses of water next to the food.
- After finishing the meal, serve tea or coffee in a place other than the dining table.
Farewell to the guests
- Deliver your guests to the door of the house.
- If they bring gifts, thank them for them.
- If your guests have children, send them some sweets with them.
- Welcome your guests warmly thank them for their visit, and emphasize your eagerness to receive them again.
- Tell them how nice and fun the time they spent with you was.
Tips for Providing Hospitality at Home
Hospitality gives us the opportunity to build bridges of trust and friendship between people and makes us feel that we are part of a warm and welcoming community. Here are some tips that may help you in experiencing a distinctive hospitality:
- Welcome your guests with a warm welcome and a smile.
- Speak to your guests politely and appropriately.
- Guide them to the appropriate place for the reception.
- Before serving food or drink, ask them about their desires for the drink.
- Please respect the privacy of your guests and do not talk about their matters.
- Keep your conversation about general matters and work matters.
- Try to talk cheerfully to create an atmosphere of happiness.
Conclusion
At the end of our talk about hospitality etiquette at home, it appears that hospitality is not just a set of rules but rather expresses kindness, respect and care for others. It is a distinctive experience that begins with a welcome and ends with beautiful memories and distinctive relationships that last for a long time. By applying hospitality etiquette correctly, the host can create a hospitality experience that leaves a positive mark in the hearts of guests, and this is what hospitality aims for among Arab people.
Frequently Asked Questions
Together, we will learn about the most common questions that come to your mind regarding hospitality etiquette at home:
What can we offer to guests?
You can prepare a simple dessert to serve with tea or coffee, such as orange or chocolate cake, basbousa, cookies, or some pieces of gateau; if the weather is cold, you can serve sweet potatoes.
How do I prepare for guests?
First, prepare the appropriate place to host them, welcome your guests, offer simple gifts, exchange fun conversation with your guests, and make the farewell time in a decent way and with a special smile.
What is served first, coffee or tea?
A hot drink is served first, and it is preferable to coffee because it is considered part of the hospitality traditions of many different peoples' cultures.