With the Christmas holiday season just around the corner, it is easy to get caught up in a last minute frenzy of gift shopping, card sending, decorating, planning and socializing. It is, however, a time of year when our manners really matter.

Christmas calls for us to spend time...

In the UK, Guy Fawkes Night was always the Autumnal festival of choice. Us Brits loved nothing more than commemorating the Gunpowder Plot by wrapping up warm, lighting a bonfire and enjoying a firework display.

Not any more, it seems, as Halloween is here like never before. The...

In times gone by, British society was governed by strict codes of conduct and even the simplest mistake could have a devastating affect on social standing. Yet, the rules of etiquette provided a useful framework for accepted behavior.

Nowadays, we have the luxury of a more relaxed society, but...

When I was introduced to a small group of people at a party last week, I found myself in the dilemma of whether to kiss or shake hands. Opting for the social kiss, I was successfully doing the rounds with a peck and an exchange of names when my confidence...

The wedding season is upon us and here at Debrett's we are frequently asked: what is modern wedding etiquette? Etiquette is constantly evolving and many traditions and conventions don't fit comfortably into the wedding day. Many brides and grooms are throwing the rulebook out of the window in the...

It's that time of year again when Christmas brings the annual flutter of social activity away from the confines of the office. Yet, behind the gloss of festive celebrations and the camaraderie of Christmas parties is the reality that you are socialising with colleagues under the watchful eye of those...