Category: Holidays

Trick or Treat Etiquette

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Sally Brown: Do I get to go trick-or-treating with you, big brother?
Charlie Brown: Sure, Sally.
Sally Brown: Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! How do we do it?
Lucy Van Pelt: All you have to do is walk up to a house, ring the doorbell, and say "tricks or treats."
Sally Brown: Are you sure it's legal?
Lucy Van Pelt: Of course it's legal.
Sally Brown: I wouldn't want to be accused of taking part in a rumble
~ It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Halloween would be a whole lot more fun if everyone were like Sally Brown and showed some real concern about the proprieties of trick or treating. 

Home for the Holidays

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Be a Good Guest at Home

Mother Teresa said, “What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.”   There is something to be said for that philosophy; when families are strong, loving and supportive it helps its members individually to be so, as well.  That promotes a well-being that can spread kindness and consideration to all with whom one comes into touch, and eventually throughout the world.  That philosophy is the cornerstone of etiquette.  To come full circle with that thought today, such kindness and consideration for others should be the basis of one’s visit home for the holidays.

Pixabay

Holiday Shopping

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12 Steps to Shopping Civility

Generally speaking, everyone is both a buyer and a seller at various times.  We are all consumers of goods and services, and many of us also sell goods and services as part of our jobs.  Thus, everyone must be sure that his or her manners are in good working order in both roles. 

Certainly as a buyer, you are correct to assume that the products and services you purchase will be as advertised and come with no unpleasant surprises.  You also should anticipate customer service to be courteous, prompt and helpful and for any questions problems to be resolved swiftly and pleasantly. 

As a seller of products and services, you should expect that sometimes there will be problems that result in complaints from customers.  Naturally, this can be disconcerting; especially when the customer is upset and you had nothing to do with the problem but are merely representing your retail store or company. 

Holiday Gift Giving

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 Guidelines for Gift-Giving, Tipping and Regifting

Whether you're a student or young professional celebrating Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or Christmas, the holidays usually involve gift giving and receiving.  Here are some protocol guidelines and tips to help make this ritual a little easier and more enjoyable:

You know how to handle gift-giving within your circle of family and friends, but what about all those other people in your life?

The Holiday Office Party

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How To Enjoy Yourself While Keeping Your Career Intact

The holiday season is here again, and with it the usual round of festivities, including the notorious annual office party, known in many modern savvy circles as “the annual business holiday party.”  Companies sponsor this annual event to demonstrate appreciation to their employees; but underneath the good intentions lurk all sorts of minefields and pitfalls for the unwary employee. 

Thanksgiving Day Dinner Etiquette

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Echoing the Spirit of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag  

According to historical accounts, in November 1621, a year after the Pilgrims arrived on the shores of what would become the USA, they celebrated a successful and bountiful harvest with members of the native Wampanoag Tribe, with whom they formed a bond that lasted more than half a century.  We should all have such successful dinner parties!  That strong empathy and peaceful alliance that existed between the new colonists and the natives who befriended them should serve as a model of civility and empathy for us in the 21st Century.  

As we gather for another Thanksgiving celebration, following are some reminders to make your glorious harvest celebration just as successful as the first Thanksgiving:

Summer Vacation Etiquette – Part 9: Global Travel

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Global Etiquette

Globalization has transformed the workplace, making everyone more sensitive to the various cultures that the diverse workforce has produced.  Technology has brought nations closer together, and today we Americans work with people from all over the world and of various backgrounds. 

But it’s a bit different working with people of diversified backgrounds at work than when we travel to other countries and find ourselves on different turfs where the local customers often are quite different from ours.  In those cases it behooves Americans to know the proper etiquette and protocol of the country to which we have traveled, whether we’re there for business or pleasure.

Summer Vacation Etiquette – Part 8: Airline Travel

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Airline Travel Etiquette

Although airline travel has become increasingly complicated and challenging, it is also increaslingly popular  this summer and flights are crowded.  You can expect delays due to weather, equipment issues, flights backed up and other conditions. 

The formula to make your air travel as pleasant and efficient as possible is: preparation + good manners = successful air travel.  The following tips will help your travel to be safe and enjoyable:

Vacation Etiquette – Part 7: Cycling

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Bicycle Etiquette

Whether you travel by bicycle for recreation, such as touring or mountain biking, or you use your bicycle to get to or do your work, there are the rules of the road and the rules of etiquette to follow.

The important fact to remember when you are bicycling on the highway, trail or city street, is that you are on one of the most vulnerable vehicles on the road.  But, it’s not just other vehicles with which you must contend; expect to encounter pedestrians (including children, people pushing strollers, disabled and elderly people), dogs, deer, horses, other bicyclists, etc.  Many motorists resent bicyclists on the road because they are afraid they are going to hit a bicyclist; many pedestrians resent bicyclists on the trail and city streets because they fear the bicyclist will run into them.  Bicyclists have been known to flout the law by speeding, running red lights, disregarding pedestrians, failing to signal properly, riding erratically or in a driver’s blind spot.  Bicyclists are frequently viewed as nuisances on the road, trail or in the city.