Christmas Gift Etiquette and More

When you have received a gift it is rude to wait for weeks to acknowledge receipt. You should never omit thanking a person simply because you have waited so long you are ashamed to write.

☆Merry Christmas and More American Manners of 1947

1.-DO YOU THINK is January 9th too late to write and thank someone for a Christmas gift?- M. J., El Monte.

When you have received a gift it is rude to wait for weeks to acknowledge receipt. You should never omit thanking a person simply because you have waited so long you are ashamed to write. If you have sent a gift to someone and have received no acknowledgment it is correct to write and inquire if the gift was received. 

2. -HOW DOES ONE go about breaking a dinner engagement? G. F., Glendale,

If you find that some unexpected occurrence prevents you from keeping your dinner engagement, write a cordial note to your hostess at once. If there is no time to write, call the hostess by telephone, or send the note by messenger. One must have a genuine excuse for canceling a dinner invitation.

3. –WHAT ARE SOME don'ts for pedestrians?-E. F. G., Alhambra.

Here are some of the most important DON'TS for pedestrians. 

• Don't cross in front of red light. 

• Don't cross street in middle of block. 

• Don't dart forward after hiding behind a parked car and imagine that an oncoming driver can see you. 

• Don't, as the light changes when you are in the middle of the street, run back to the side from which you came.– By Nell Drake, 1947

🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia