Holiday Hospitality: How to be the Hostess with the Most-est
by Laurie Cole, Founder & President 

The holidays are here, and you know what that means: Company’s coming! But don’t panic. All you need to know are five fundamentals, and none of them require a master’s degree in Martha Stewart perfectionism. Even if you’re a novice hostess, you can be the hostess with the most-est by practicing the Five Fundamentals of Hospitality.

In Jesus’ day, the people of the Middle East were known for their hospitality. They welcomed guests into their homes frequently and provided for them in five specific ways. If you want to be the hostess with the most-est – and bless your holiday guests and family members to the max – follow these five fundamentals of Middle Eastern hospitality:

The 5 Fundamentals of Hospitality*

1. Accommodations: In the Middle East , even peasants who lived in a one-room house or tent welcomed and accommodated guests. So don’t let the size of your home discourage you from practicing hospitality. Before company arrives, do clean and declutter your home especially the kitchen, den, dining area, and bathroom. If you’re expecting overnight guests, prepare a clean, comfortable place for them to sleep. Also, be sure to provide plenty of seating for company. If you’ve got a large group coming, borrow extra chairs or purchase several of the plastic, stackable, outdoor chairs (they’re inexpensive and surprisingly comfortable).
   
   

2. Greetings: Although you’ll likely be very, very busy when your company arrives, greet them personally at the door with a smile on your face. Welcome them warmly, and let them know how happy you are they’ve come. Hugs and even kisses are appropriate for those you know well, but don’t overdo it by being physically affectionate with those you’ve never met before. Greeting guests was a must in the Middle Eastern home, but the type of greeting depended upon the relationship and closeness of the guest.
   
   

3. Feasting: Food. Meals. Yum! The people of the Middle East loved to eat and feast as much as we do, and just think: everything had to be made from scratch. Fortunately, we’ve got refrigerators, freezers, grocery stores, and so much more to help us as we plan meals for the holidays. Because food is the centerpiece of every holiday gathering, plan your menu now and get those groceries as soon as possible. Do as much ahead of time as you can, and don’t be afraid to ask others to bring a casserole, dessert, or one of their family’s favorite dishes. Too many cooks? Impossible!
   
   

4. Entertainment: As in board games, cards, touch football, singing around a piano, sitting on the porch visiting and, OK, maybe even watching a football game together. Middle Eastern people loved music and dancing at their gatherings but, above all, they were storytellers. Encourage your elder family members to share their stories and memories. Laughter and inspiration are sure to follow.
   
   

5. Protection: A guest in the Middle Eastern home received protection from the weather, from hunger, and from robbers who preyed upon strangers. We protect our guests by providing a safe place where they will experience love and acceptance and enjoy the fellowship of family and friends. This means that you cannot allow squabbles to erupt or criticisms to be lobbed at your guests. But if this happens, you must intervene in a loving but firm way and take steps to protect your guests. If you anticipate or have experienced problems at past family gatherings, be prayerful and proactive. Let your “problem people” know ahead of time that they should not attend if they cannot control their anger and their words.

My grandmother is to hospitality what Kristi Yamaguchi is to ice-skating. Grandmother makes hospitality look easy, effortless, and even fun. How does she do it? Like Kristi, Grandmother earned her gold medal in hospitality through many years of practice. So how can you “practice” hospitality? You begin by inviting family and friends into your home. And year after year, you just keep on inviting them. My grandmother is 94 years old, and she’s still practicing hospitality!

No, you don’t have to be Martha Stewart to be the hostess with the most-est. And speaking of Martha’s, remember when Jesus showed up at that other Martha’s house (Luke 10:38 -42)? Yikes! Which brings me to the most important thing every hostess with the most-est must do: Before company comes, spend quality time with Jesus in prayer. Ask Him to fill you with His Spirit and to enable and empower you to love and serve your guests as though He Himself were coming to your holiday gathering . . . because after all, He is.

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling . . . If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”

1 Peter 4:8-11 (NIV)

*Taken from The New Manners and Customs of Bible Times by Ralph Gower, © 1987 The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, designed and produced by Moody Press, pp. 241-249.

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