Anita Calero
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 regiftable, like candles.”
How Should You Seat Guests at a Dinner Party?
Readers say:
Let them pick their own seats: 54.6%
Boy, girl, boy, girl: 28.8%
No married couples together: 16.6%
Experts say: “There are no longer any rules,” says Anna Post, a great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post and the author of the blog What Would Emily Post Do? (annapost.typepad.com), backing up the majority of readers. But for large gatherings, she says, “a host might still want to arrange the seating to prevent predinner musical chairs.” People should be seated with the goal of creating lively conversation, whether that means seating couples together or not.
If You Receive a Birth Announcement, Do You Have to Send a Gift?
Readers say:
No, only if you’re good friends with the couple: 73.9%
Yes, every time: 21%
Never: 5.1%
Experts say: “Baby announcements, along with graduation and wedding announcements, don’t carry the expectation of a gift,” says Post. “Still,” she says, “as with all happy events, you certainly can send something if you want to.”
Keep reading: The Real Simple Reader Etiquette Poll
Related:
Toasting Special Occasions
11 Money-Etiquette Issues Solved
Write the Perfect Note
