3 Ways to Practice Hospitality This Season
hos·pi·tal·i·ty
/ˌhäspəˈtalədē/
noun
the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.
The holidays are a time for hospitality and hosting others. This year looks a little different for so many. Here are three ways anyone can step up their hospitality game this season.
1 - Small and Extraordinary
With restrictions being different from state-to-state and personal comfortability levels varying, keeping it small doesn’t have to mean lackluster. Gather your closest friends and go all out by hosting a “favorite things” gift giving gathering. To change it up, set a theme for your guests to give from, like self-care, productivity and personal development, consumable products, subscriptions or experiences. By setting a theme, it can help bring immediate focus and save on time for your friends.
Think outside the box and get creative! If there has ever been a year to bless the people around us, it’s this year. Whether it’s a new fragrance, a killer planner that increases productivity & mindfulness, or a leadership book that expands your knowledge & growth, grab one of the same item for each of the invitees, wrap them beautifully and show up to bless their socks off!
One of my favorite gifts to give, and receive, are the gifts that keep on giving, like a subscription. Consumable and experience items are always top on my list! Think wine subscription, journal subscription, styling boxes, or say, a social calendar virtual assistant service. Personally, I like to choose what comes into my home, because I will end up being the one who cares for it and manages it. Yes, I keep attempting minimalism...moving on…
One of the most useful gifts I received was something I wouldn’t have thought of for myself, but absolutely loved when I was gifted it - a car wash subscription. I know, I know, but hear me out. As a mother of four children who I taxi all over God’s green earth, the car can end up becoming a rolling trash can if I’m not careful. Maybe I’m behind on the times, but I had no idea I could have a monthly subscription to a car wash I can roll up to every single day if I want to. It was absolutely glorious, and I ended up keeping it for quite awhile.
Parties like this have the beauty of intentionality wrapped all around it. Think of the details and master them! They don’t need to be extravagant to be beautifully executed.
2 - Old-School Open House
As a kid, I heard stories about my grandparents’ annual Holiday Party. My mom and her three siblings would sit at the top of the stairs of their upstate New York home and ooh and ahh at the glitzy dresses, magical environment and joy that bubbled with each glass of champagne. Our culture has steered clear of ‘open house’ style parties for decades now and I think they are perfectly poised for a comeback!
One of the downsides to a very structured & planned party focused on agenda and aesthetics, is the lack of depth and intentional connection that is often accepted. Sure, your guests can praise your decor style, your creativity (aka our “pinning” abilities for some of us) and you can pat yourself on the back for getting most of your invitees to attend, but I fear we miss the opportunity that is staring us in the face.
With an open house, people are the focus and the beauty is found in the relationships and conversations that take center stage. Conversation, interaction, storytelling - all of the things that unite people regardless of religious or political beliefs. What if this was the key to bridging a gap and helping to heal your community? What if extending the red carpet of hospitality to the people around you changed the fiber of your community for the better?
3 - Hospitality Toward Strangers
When we think of the word hospitality, we usually associate it with hosting from our home. But hospitality is a way of life. It is friendly and generous toward even strangers, not just the guests within the four walls of our homes.
Each holiday season I usually find myself collecting gift cards from local establishments to have on hand. Sometimes these are used for the last minute gift for the last minute invite, but more often than not, they’re used for the opportunities and moments with strangers that come up unexpectedly; the single Mom standing in line at the grocery store holding a stack of coupons or the family from my kids school that I know is having a financial hardship this season.
Hospitality is generosity! Hospitality is seeking ways to lift up others, to let them know they’re seen and appreciated, and that they matter. I’ve found that when hospitality during the holiday season is difficult for me, it’s usually because I’ve focused too much on myself. The beauty of hospitality extended toward strangers is the way you are fulfilled in knowing there is nothing that can be given in return. It is, more often than not, met with gratitude and appreciation. And if you ask me, there isn’t a greater gift to receive.
To our social health,
Kara