For Holiday guest tables, do you decorate?

[sorrowscall]

I know that when I have guests that require their own table, I'll go out and get plates and tablecloths as well as cups that are themed to the holiday. It's actually a lot of fun and generally goes off very well during the festivities since it makes the holiday feel more immersive. Do you decorate your table for the guests on holidays?

 

[DancingLady]

I decorate a little bit. Usually just a little center piece though. I don't have storage for all the fancy decorations, so I just pick up something quick and cute at the dollar store usually and call it good. I am more interested in spending time with people than spending time making a table look nice when we are all going to be looking at each other and talking anyway and then moving to the living room as soon as we are done.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Not quite for guests, but my mother had dedicated Christmas china which comes out on 1st December and no other china gets used during that period. She has been collecting it for years so had masses of it.

 

[Caribbean girl]

Well I would usually decorate the tables whether guests were coming or not. It is a tradition here during the Christmas season, that we would put tablecloths on our tables with a Christmas theme - something like elves, Santa Clause and the reindeer, or Christmas plants. We would also use Christmas table mats, and even put a vase in the center of the dining table with artificial Christmas plants in it, like poinsettia, holly and berries. These would remain until the entire season is over, then we would revert back to our normal tablecloths.

Where the china is concerned, we would use the same china except on Christmas day when all the family came together at one house. Whoever is the hostess on that day would bring out their Christmas ware.