All eyes are on Phoenix as Super Bowl XLIX takes places this Sunday between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. If you’re attending a Super Bowl party, don’t leave your etiquette at home.
Jacqueline Whitmore, an internationally-recognized etiquette expert, author and founder of The Protocol School of Palm Beach, offers these 13 tips for being a great Super Bowl party guest:
- Never come to a Super Bowl party empty handed. It’s disrespectful when someone invites you into their home to show up with nothing.
- Speak to your host in advance to find out what you can bring. This will help make sure there’s a good variety of food and drinks for everyone. If not, you could bring the same 12-pack of beer and chips as everyone else. Too much of the same thing and not enough of the other makes for a boring party.
- Smile and be a gracious guest. If something has you down, try to forget about it and focus on having fun. Also, don’t show up to the party early and don’t be the last to leave.
- Don’t eat in line. It’s impolite to sample from the buffet. Serve yourself then take your plate to your seat.
- If you touch something on the buffet, take it. It’s bad manners to put it back and you wouldn’t want to eat something that someone else handled.
- Don’t double-dip. A better practice is to put that salsa or spinach dip on your own plate so you can dip as much as you like.
- Clean up after yourself. No one likes to tiptoe around a mess. Other guests and your host will appreciate it.
- Pace your alcohol consumption and don’t get sloppy drunk.
- Refrain from using offensive or foul language and be extra careful in the presence of children.
- Remember to call or send your host a handwritten thank-you note.
- Offer to help the host clean up at the end of the evening. Just think if it was your party and you were left with a huge mess.
- Try not to talk off topic. Be mindful of those who want to watch the game. If you want to join other guests to talk, hold your conversation in the other room away from the television.
- Be polite and respectful to guests rooting for the opposing team. It’s only a game after all.
