Dear Diane,
My brother is bringing his new girlfriend to my home on Christmas Eve. We generally all open our presents together since everyone has different places to go on Christmas Day. I’m not sure if it would be too forward to buy a gift for someone I have never met. Should I or shouldn’t I?
W.
Dear W.,
While it’s not absolutely necessary, nor your obligation to give your brother’s girlfriend a gift, it would be a polite holiday etiquette to have something thoughtful under the tree for her to open while everyone is unwrapping boxes. You can always change your mind once she arrives, but better to be safe than sorry. The gift should be small, not overly personal, and something that doesn’t make her feel uncomfortable if she didn’t bring anything for you. A much better option would be to ask your brother if he plans to bring something for her to open, and now she will have two gifts under the tree. A batch of your homemade fudge would be an ideal gift.
Best,
Diane
You may also like Family Holiday Etiquette. For more of Diane’s etiquette tips read her posts on Inc., subscribe to her articles on Huff Post, “like” The Protocol School of Texas on Facebook, and follow her on Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter. Buy her new book, Modern Etiquette for a Better Life.
