JustOneDad…so where are YOU from where taking a hostess gift is considered unnecessary, and even frowned upon?
I am from the Midwest. I’ve lived in the northeast, Midwest. My husband has lived all over the world (several countries in Southeast Asia, Japan, Thailand, Norway…and he has lived in CA, NYC, The greater DC area, St. Louis, and in New England. We never spend the night with friends…or relatives…without taking some kind of thank you gift…nothing lavish, but something.
And during college when my one kid was far away, we always sent something to the family hosting her on vacations, weekends or holidays. The gifts ranged from an Omaha Steak package (because the kid and a friend were there for a week, and we wanted to contribute…so sent enough for our hosts, and guests for several meals) to flowers, to candy, to wine, to handcrafted items from where we live.
So where did this come from? In our fsmily, it’s called good manners.