The festive etiquette toolkit

With its whirlwind of social and business occasions, the festive season can be a minefield for manners, as we all feel a little more pressured than usual. Finesse Consulta’s etiquette consultant Jo Caruana offers some tips and advice to keep you on the right side of Santa’s naughty-or-nice list

I often hear from clients that the festive season makes them anxious. And I’m not only talking about the emotional anxiety that people feel at this time of year, but the pressure of the expectations that are put upon us – from the need to act a certain way, to the requirement to fit everything into our schedule, and the need to perfectly play the role of host or guest on umpteen occasions.

The good news is that there is plenty you can do to ease this anxiety, and to give yourself the tools to take control of the situation – rather than feel like a victim of it.

As etiquette always teaches, the golden rule is simply to treat others as you would like to be treated – and once you keep that in mind, everything else seems to feel that little bit easier.

Being a great guest

Getting invited to people’s homes it a stalwart of the festive season, and a wonderful part of it too.

If someone has...