Christmas Potlatches

Reading the article about potlatches, the first major holiday that came to my mind was a Christmas party! When we host such a celebration at my house, every family we invite courteously brings a plate or dish to share. This is a sign of thanks for the invitation, a symbol of friendship, and a commemoration of the event itself. Because we know other big families like ours, there’s always more food served than we all can eat! The ancient tradition of giving and receiving in a potlatch is also carried out during a Christmas party. It’s not only polite for the host to generously feed his/her guests, but it really captivates the spirit of the holiday by giving away some small gift as a Christmas present. Likewise, the guests should not only bring their food contribution, but also a few Christmas presents as well.