Seasonal Holidays: How to manage guests

Sharing your house during holiday periods is a wonderful way to get into the spirit of the season. Jolly anecdotes and stories, lots of food and drink and a jovial atmosphere are always welcome. But it doesn’t always come without its stress!

If you’d like to be a host for a like-minded traveller during the holidays, or if you’d like to spend them elsewhere with a host, do have a look at the locationsThe Freebird Club has members in. You can join our club and meet Freebirds here.

1. How do I prepare my house for holiday guests?

The easiest way to start is by creating a plan, breaking down each room and the tasks needed to make it ready. Then, depending upon the length of time you have before your guests arrive, and your own availability, you can prioritise the tasks.

Getting your house into a guest-ready condition is something you’ll being doing regularly as a host on the Freebird Club

Hunting Prepare the house room by room

Generally speaking you’ll be cleaning and tidying the space – a dust here and a hoover there – but there may be a few little touches that elevate it. In our ultimate host checklist we covered more general points, all of which remain relevant throughout the year, but whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, the holidays add a sprinkle of additional consideration into the mix.

Bathroom

Ensure there’s enough toilet paper – and make sure the spare rolls are obvious. Refill all consumable toiletries like soap.

Guest Bedroom

Add an extra blanket to the foot of the bed to compensate for the drop in temperature. Leave towels out. Put some bottled water next to their bed, and if you’re feeling especially hospitable – prepare a welcome snack basket!

Living Room / Shared Space

As well as tidying, put some board games out, or keep a pack of cards readily available. It’s also worth getting a couple of blankets to put on the sofa for those especially cold winter nights.

Kitchen

Perhaps label your cupboards with the contents so your guest(s) know where crockery and cutlery are. Ensure your fridge is full – and it’s a nice touch to have a ready supply of snacks lying around. It’s the time of year for feeling comforted afterall!

2. Pay attention to specific holiday celebrations

Christmas itself is fairly obvious – we all know what’s going on there – tinsel, turkey and tradition top the list – but there are other seasonal holidays that may be celebrated by your guests.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is the day when many cultures come together to give thanks for various things in their lives. It’s a time to get together with family and say thank you for all the good things in people’s lives. It is a national holiday in many countries,

What can you do?

– It has its roots in religion (it began as a day to to be grateful for a good harvest) so if you are hosting over thanksgiving, do check with your guest if there’s anything special they normally observe during this period.

Eid-Al-Adha

Eid-Al-Adha is a Muslim festival referred to as the ‘Feast of the Sacrifice’. It is a celebration of the sacrifice of Prophet Mohammad who, after a dream in which Allah reputedly asked him to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God. The devil attempted to prevent this from happening, but Mohammad continued until, at the last minute, Allah stepped in and offered a lamb to sacrifice instead.

The festival is celebrated by sacrificing an animal (traditionally a sheep or goat) and sharing the meat with family

What can you do?

– Speak to them beforehand about dietary requirements – Eid-Al-Adha is primarily focused on sharing food.

– Greet your guest with ‘Eid Mubarak’ – a customary greeting at both Eid-Al-Adha and Eid-al-Fitr.

– Give a small gift, or participate in a charitable activity. Eid-Al-Adha is a time for sharing and helping those in need.

– You could also offer to attend, or at least accompany your guest, to Eid Prayers.

Diwali

Known as the Festival of Lights. Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains. Many are celebrated Lakshmi – the Goddess of wealth. Light are lit (generally lamps or candles) and doors and windows are left open to help Lakshmi find her way into the home.

What can you do?

– Get many lights and line them up in the hall, or by windows to encourage a visit from the Goddess of wealth.

– Give a small gift, or offer to share meals. These are both common traditions during the period.

– Offer to go to a local Diwali celebration with your guest.

Hannukkah

The Jewish Festival of Light celebrates the overcoming of adversity of a group of Jews called the Maccabee. The Maccabees retook Jerusalem from the Syrian Greek and rededicated the temple – the candle to do so only having enough oil for one day. It miraculously lasted eight.

What can you do?

– Offer to light the Menorah with your guest, and speak to them about what it means to them.

– If you’re cooking for your guest, look up Hannakuh menus so you can service traditional Hanukkah food.

– Give a small gift.

3. Decorate (Tastefully!)

It’s a fun touch to add some creative sparkle to the home. Even if your guests aren’t celebrating or observing any other festival than Christmas, put up the fairy lights, light a cinnamon scented candle and pop up the Christmas tree. You could even get some mulled wine on the go for when your guest arrives – as a bonus, it will make the house smell festive!

4. Pay attention to the weather

Ok, it may be grey and miserable but it may also be sunny. Make sure you have umbrellas and maybe even a spare set of gloves and a hat for people to borrow if it’s going to be rainy, cold or snowing.

On the day your guest arrives – check the weather and see if it’s going to affect their journey to your house.

5. Check your home is people proof

The heating will likely be on more in the colder months, so check your CO2 alarm, as well as your smoke alarm. Ensure your fire extinguisher is up to date, and get a fire blanket for the kitchen.

If you’re lucky enough to have a fireplace, make sure you have the grate, tongs and enough wood – and ideally get the chimney checked before winter properly arrives.

However you look after your guests, your hospitality will be the most important aspect. Make them feel welcome and establish that they’ve got everything they need.

If you’d like to be a host for a like-minded traveller during the holidays, or if you’d like to spend them elsewhere with a host, do have a look at the locationsThe Freebird Club has members in. You can join our club and meet Freebirds here.