I have to bring what at YOUR party?

If I am going to throw a July 4th party, a summer BBQ, a Halloween party or a Christmas party, I will make sure that I can provide food and drinks for my guests. I do not expect anybody to bring anything and definitely I will not ask my guests to bring a dish or soda or whatever that I need for my party. If I did, then it is NOT my party but a potluck party by every participant of the party. And if it is a potluck, then my guest can invite anybody to our potluck. I would not have control on who gets invited to the party. If my guest ask me if they can bring something, I always say they do not have to. I tell them that they may bring something particular that they particularly want to consume that is not in my menu.

The only parties that requires somebody to bring something are those that celebrates a person/s. Examples are the birthday parties or the graduation parties or the anniversary parties or wedding reception parties. These parties dictates that a gift be brought for that person or persons being celebrated.

I was once invited to a birthday party. I bought a gift for the celebrant that I planned on bringing. That morning prior to the party, I got a call from the celebrant asking me to bring drinks. Huh? One time I got invited to a friend's summer BBQ and was asked to bring drinks. So it this suppose to be potluck then? There was this one time my friends and I decided to have a summer BBQ at a friend's house. My assignment was to bring the pork meat to be grilled. I told them that I will bring a friend to the BBQ. But my friend chastised me for not asking him if I could bring that guest. What gives? I thought it was OUR potluck BBQ and NOT a BBQ he is throwing for us.

I know it is common practice to bring something to any party but I just do not agree on this practice. People who want to throw a party should be prepared to provide for that party. It is bad taste to ask guests to bring food/drinks needed for the party. It is a put off when somebody invites me to their party and ask me to bring something in particular. If they do not have the funds to get that particular something for their party, then do not throw a party. Just my take on it.