Don't Embarrass Yourself And Bring These Dishes to a Black Christmas Party

If you bring fruitcake to someone’s party, you’re basically telling them that you don’t care about the enjoyment of them or their guests.

Panettone is a sweet bread with dried fruits, mostly raisins, that pops up in markets and bakeries this time of year. We’re not here to disparage any particular brand, but it doesn’t have a great shelf life, so if you like it, pick it up early in the season. By mid-December, it’s dry and inedible.

We’re not trying to land on the naughty list. We don’t have anything against Christmas cookies. However, the ones you often find at the supermarket sometimes taste like they’ve been made for show. The last thing you want to do is bring tasteless, dry cookies to the party.

Let’s be honest Gingerbread people are creepy nightmare fuel and should not be on anyone’s table.

Just so it’s clear, gingerbread houses are a decoration. They are not for eating. Have you ever in your life had a gingerbread house that tasted good.

When done properly, peppermint desserts are actually quite good. The issue is that most people don’t know how to use the right amount of peppermint and the dessert becomes more like mouthwash than a sweet treat.

If you buy fried chicken from a market or restaurant, it’s not a big deal. But make sure it’s the market or restaurant the host prefers. Even if it’s your favorite and you know it’s better, you should always defer to the host.

Everyone loves a charcuterie board, so don’t be that person who gets the whole party excited, then brings weird meats and cheeses that no one’s ever heard of, or wants to try.

Steamed Christmas cake is something out of an old-fashioned Dickens-style celebration. It features raisins, figs and other dried fruit, as well as brandy or rum to set it on fire. If you bring this nonsense to our party, you will immediately be asked to leave.

Obviously, we love mac and cheese. However, unless specifically asked by the host, you don’t bring mac and cheese to a Black gathering. Doing so without permission is seen as a declaration of war.

Once again, unless the host specifically requests your help with the main protein, you are doing way too much and will get side-eyed by the other guests.

Black folks love our deviled eggs and we do not appreciate someone messing them up with their “special” additions like relish, raisins or nuts. The only acceptable toppings are bacon or shrimp.

It is totally OK for you to bring a nice bottle of wine or two to the party. Literally no one wants you to warm it up and add cinnamon sticks to it.

Have you ever seen anyone over the age of eight eat candy canes? No, you haven’t. These are garnishes and decorations, not delicacies. Bringing them to a party tells everyone you were too lazy to even try. You’re better off bringing napkins and cups.