Help! We're hosting a family from China for Easter dinner...

[AmyinPA]

It's visiting physician, his two six year old twin daughters and the grandma (who doesn't speak a lick of English). They will go to church with us and then home for an early dinner.

I'd like to include the girls in on our egg and basket hunt. Besides this, I don't know what else to do to make them feel welcome, especially for the father and grandma. Any ideas? They'll only be here for about 4 or 5 hours, but I don't want it to feel like eternity for them.

[JFS in IL]

a craft that the girls could do - maybe hold some eggs back to color? Have they ever had Easter before (you did not indicate if they are Christian or not - don't want to assume that all this will be new for them).

[Volty]

As far as food, just do what you would normally do.

Since they'll be with you for five hours, make sure that you have some relativly simple, easy to understand enertainment availible. A simple board game perhaps. Chinese love badminton if you have the equipment. If you really want to knock yourself out, learn to play mahjong.

[AmyinPA]

a craft that the girls could do - maybe hold some eggs back to color? Have they ever had Easter before (you did not indicate if they are Christian or not - don't want to assume that all this will be new for them).

I don't know anything about them! It's a ministry through our church to host foreign students from the local universities particularly around the holidays. They will eat with us and then what? I just don't know what to do with the remaining afternoon, especially since it will be rainy and 42 degrees. Yuck

[Jean in Newcastle]

Maybe put some family photo albums on the coffee table that they could pick up and look through if they feel like it? (Esp. nice for Grandma to have something visual).

Is your family musical? We hosted an elderly relative from the Philippines one weekend who did not speak much English. My kids put on a little "concert" of recorder music and hymn singing. She just loved it!

[Laurie4b]

Here are some things I would do:
1) Ask them to bring photos of China & ask them about home. You can spend a lot of time being fascinated with their culture.
2) They will likely bring you a gift, probably more expensive than you would think is appropriate. Just accept it graciously. They will also likely bring food.
3) Explain Easter to them. You might even show part of the "Jesus" movie. It might be possible to get it on a DVD that has Chinese on it as well. But even the movie alone will communicate at least something to the Grandmother. (Look for the kids' version so that the crucifixion scene isn't too graphic) People are interested in other cultures, even if they are not Christians. (If they are from the mainland, it's less likely than if they are from Taiwan.
4) Save some things in the kitchen for the women to help you with.
5) Fruit is a good thing to include with your meal. Chinese don't have big, heavy desserts like Americans do. They are used to fruit as dessert. That will give the girls some familiar food. (You don't have to serve it as your dessert and they will want to try American style dessert. I'm just suggesting that you include it.)