The art of... guesting and hosting

The high-octane hospitality of Christmas doesn't always make for a relaxing holiday

- ANNA HART.

BEING THE PERFECT HOUSE GUEST MEANS being giddily grateful, unwaveringly chipper and weirdly wishy-washy, happy to “go with the flow” and do things “whenever suits”. A sociopath, essentially. Being the perfect host means being ultra-organised, unemotional, tireless. A psychopath, basically. So, while we all fail at being the perfect guest or host, should we really feel bad about that? I think not, because seriously, who wants to spend Christmas with a bunch of sociopaths and psychopaths?

For all of the healthily flawed guests and hosts out there, I have a few words of advice. They are gleaned from four decades of international Christmases: hosting Friendmases in Auckland, London, New York, Bangkok and Stockholm, and being hosted by family in LA, Singapore, Belfast and Yorkshire. (I’m naturally more of a taker, of hospitality, that is, but I believe in pushing one’s boundaries, switching guest/host roles, and keeping things spicy.)

No matter if these faces are maddeningly familiar. Whether you visit every fortnight or every two years, show up with generous gifts and wide grins, and if you’re a host, crack open the bottle of Steels Gate Blanc de Blancs or pass around ceramic cups of Edition coffee. The whole point of the season is specialness, so come together with a bang, not a whimper. It sets a tone.