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A good guest creates no work
Flowers should arrive already trimmed and arranged in a jar of water, so the host doesn't have to scramble. A drink should be easy to open and suit a crowd, alcoholic or not. The most underrated thing a guest can bring is a willingness to help without being asked.
At one party, someone spilled wine on a bin of folded blankets and never cleaned it up. The host found out only after the party was over. If a spill happens, it gets cleaned up. If dishes are piled in the sink, someone washes them, and keeps going until the host says to stop.
Why do red wine stains cling to fabric?
Red wine gets its color from anthocyanins, pigments in grape skins. Tannins from the skins and seeds bind to proteins and fibers, which helps the pigment grip. Cotton and wool both hold onto the dye, and the stain settles deeper the longer it sits. Anthocyanins are the same family of pigments that color blueberries and red cabbage.
How did ancient Greeks enforce hospitality duties?
The Greeks called the bond of hospitality xenia, and they believed Zeus Xenios watched over it. A host owed a visitor food, a bath, and a gift, often before asking the visitor's name. A guest owed gratitude and was expected not to overstay or abuse the household. In Homer's Odyssey, the suitors who eat through Odysseus's stores and mistreat a beggar in his house pay for it when he returns.
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