What are your thoughts on this? Involves guests and bringing gifts

[dingdongmerrilyonFLIER]

Just wondered what is "normal"..........
If you were guests over christmas for 4 nights, would you bring gifts apart from christmas gifts, ie wine, chocolates, biscuits or flowers? or at least offer to take your hosts out for lunch or dinner or even just a bloody coffee?

In laws stayed with us and brought absolutely nothing and I actually think that it was really, really rude of them, or am I the rude one?

Anytime we have stayed with family, no matter the time of year we at least bring wine, but usually also flowers or chocolates and usuallu offer to the hosts out for dinner or lunch.

Aren't bringing Christmas presents enough?

At other times of year I would take/expect a bottle of wine etc from friends, although not from family. I would also expect people to muck in with clearing up, and to put the kettle on & make me a cup of tea, and I would expect to help out in their house too, not just be waited on.

There's an art to being a guest, as well as a host. The worst guests are the crashing bores - I can forgive a lazy sod if he's a witty, amusing lazy sod.

It's lovely if people do bring stuff, but wouldn't normally expect it. Much more appreciated here if people do clearing up instead. Our Christmas guests did tonnes of washing up (dishwasher broke a couple of days before Christmas), and that was much better than extra presents (although they brought gifts that we hadn't expected too).

OTOH, if we were hard up and our guests were loaded, then I'd think it a bit off if they didn't bring stuff.

@CantSleighWontSleigh Why on earth dredge up a 14 year old thread 🙄

I wouldn't think it was rude, I never expect people to bring gifts if I've invited them around.

Family aren't 'guests'.
Guests should bring gifts; family should muck-in and make themselves useful.