Totorus

Photo credit by Sweet Hope Cookies

It's always great to be invited to someone's home for dinner. It's better yet when the dinner is on Thanksgiving. As your hostess is putting a significant amount of time into planning and preparing Thanksgiving dinner for you and her other guests, your thoughts might be turning to the kind of hostess gift which you should present to her. You want the gift to be something that she will enjoy and appreciate.

One of the most traditional hostess gifts is something edible. This does not need to change simply because it is Thanksgiving. However, the most important point to keep in mind is that if you present her with an edible gift, you should not expect her to serve it at, or even after, the dinner. After all, the average hostess puts a lot of time into planning the perfect dinner, even down to the very last detail. It would be unfair to expect her to distract from the dinner she has made by serving your hostess gift. The best way to look at it is for the delicious surprise you bring to be completely up to her to decide whether to serve it or save it for a later date.

There are many possibilities for this type of gift. One very nice idea is a gift which you yourself have made. You can give her a lovely container filled with homemade cookies, candies, jellies, or any other kind of treat that you are good at creating. If you are not especially handy in the kitchen, a ready-made gift basket filled with cheeses, nuts, and assorted sweets can make a wonderful hostess gift. Of course, there is always the traditional hostess gift of a bottle of nice wine.

Thoughtful hostess gifts do not need to be edible. Any hostess would be delighted to receive a vase of beautiful flowers, a potted plant, or a special object for her home decor. If you know the hostess quite well, the latter can be a good opportunity for a unique hostess gift. Candles, picture frames, or a small piece of artwork or sculpture can all be ideal hostess gifts if you know what she likes and what will look good in her home. The gift you choose should be one which she will be happy to display.

The purpose of a hostess gift is to show your appreciation to your hostess for inviting you and including you at her Thanksgiving dinner. It is not necessary to go to extreme expense when you buy a gift; in fact, it is in better taste if you do not. It is even more important that you not try to "outdo" the other guests. A tasteful gift which you have put some time into choosing or making is the gift that will be the most appreciated.

Thanksgiving dinner can be a memorable experience for the hostess and all of her guests to share. When you give her a gift which she, herself, can enjoy, you will be prolonging the good memories as well as expressing your appreciation.