People who want to take out food in your party

I agree this is a common tradition here in our country. I also agree that, it is okay if there were no more guest coming. Visitors must be considerate enough to think that.,there are more guest coming. But what can we do- this is common and we cannot avoid people who gatecrash and food crash (lols)

We usually give out food to party guests to "take home" to those members of family who were not able to attend the party. This is our way of including them ( those left behind) in the celebrations.

Thank you! For once, I am truly glad...I knew when NOT to speak! I am Canadian...and on Dec. 29, this year, I had a rather large party, celebrating my son's 30th birthday---with foods galore, a huge spread! One couple arrived, she was Japanese (spoke little English) and the husband, Caucasian...and they arrived with take-out food boxes, each filled one..disappeared out and put the boxes in the car, and came back to fill another set of "take-out" boxes! They went about it...like it was the normal thing to do, as we all stood with our mouths agape! Been around for quite a number of years...and ALL other attendees thought this quite rude...NEVER seen it before! Here, where I live...food is only taken from a party when packaged and offered by the host/hostess! Little did I know it was an accepted tradition in her homeland! But, on the other hand..the old expression; "when in Rome, do as the Romans do!"

Due to the very long distances friends and family traveled during the horse and budggy days plus that people usually cook the day before and add to the party, so the next day, they would like to rest, yes, where I live in Northern NY State USA, we take the leftovers and divide them up. Uninvited guests. Who is telling them about your party? The uninvited guests and people who can't keep their mouths shut get to do cleaning. That generally stops that, I've found.

And this is why I don't want parties because you ran out of food just before you could eat them. some people simply just do just that.

When we have party, we're going to distribute to our neighbors the prepared foods but the invited closed friends and relatives were the only one who can get inside our house and eat. We used this kind of set up to avoid gate crushers.

Hi Louievill, I live in the US and we do not have any such tradition. I think that I would be breaking it if we did. Uninvited guests especially should not be expecting to take out food. Truthfully, I think it is wrong to show up to such an event uninvited and the fact that they can and get away with it just leaves the door open to moochers who would attend these parties just for the free food. The only thing even close to that that we do here is on holidays or after a family get-together, everyone will take home some left-overs. Thanksgiving is especially known for the leftovers. Then again, we all also bring something to the get-together so that the host and hostess do not have to bear the full cost.

We have that tradisional too here in indonesia. .But only for the family usually. .Not all the guest and the uninvited would never dare to ask some food.

I can't remember anyone who has been like that but of course I still find it annoying considering that there will be next batch that will. The main reason that we do that it is because we have to be practical that our food won't be wasted. Sometimes isn't that we are forced to take home some food that are being left? Again it is because we are aware that left overs will be waste if we are not going to do that. That is what other Filipinos don't understand about taking out the food. They must have sense of courtesy. And of course we don't want to think that they are "patay gutom" because that is already harsh.

I think this is only in the Philippines. It's more absurd if the one asking if there's an extra for take out is an uninvited person you barely knew.

I guess this happens only in the Philippines. I agree that it is kinda rude if they ask even though they are not invited. They should be considerate that more people are coming into your house you invited. In my case, I really don't ask something to take it. I am shy. Lol

This "balot" style must be changed because it's really being inconsiderate not only for the coming guests but the host himself. Most parties would usually serve food that is enough for the invited guest. If some would ask for a "balot" or bring along some uninvited, guests the host usually feels comfortable for fear that the food he prepared will not be enough for his invited guests. This habit should be corrected because it has been for centuries and it does not give a positive value.

That is not what I like about celebrating because the uninvited comes. I prefer to just dine out.

Whoa! Yes, there are people who are not ashamed to ask for food even if they had already eaten. I have relatives who are like that. That is why we have to cook extra food because for sure, they will ask for more.

I'm also from the Philippines but it has never been a tradition when there is a party or get together that we send food home to the guests. My family just finds this tacky and as if you are sending your leftovers to your guests. Besides, we only cook or prepare enough food so that there is minimal spoilage or leftovers. The only food that you will find us distributing amongst guests and family after a party are cakes or pastries, but never viands. I guess this is a habit or tradition among some Filipinos. I recall one time that I had a party and had this high school friend over. We were all enjoying the party and when it was time to go home I never knew that she was waiting for me to wrap her some food to bring home. Now, I don't really prepare a lot of food for any party, no exceptions. I told her that it was like scraps that were left and she replied that it's okay even if it were considered scraps! My stand in preparing food for a party is that it's okay to have little food and just order at a later time if people are still hungry, rather than prepare a lot then wrap everything afterwards for everyone to bring home. I mean, everyone has picked on it, the food has stood at room temperature, it won't be eaten right away when the guests get home. So chances are these will be spoiled by the time it gets home. So I don't practice this wrap thing even if I will look bad amongst my guests.

It is a common happening in our country and there are times that it can get annoying too. If you were a guest of a certain party I think you should wait for the host to offer you that.and if you are a family member like a close relative you can ask for it after the party and just be thankful for it.There are some of us that is making parties a good way of getting freebies and it is such a shame at times.Its a tradition here in our country specially if you live in a province.

Well, just charge it to experience.... Next time it won't be a bad idea to send out invitation cards rather than verbal invitations since people who don't have one will tend to have second thoughts if they don't have that piece of paper the invitee has.

That's the real situation here in our country and maybe that is also the reason why it is more practical on the long run to have your party in a good restaurant. First, you will not go through the hassle of the preparations, convenience for the visitors as they will be sitted and have good tables and nice ambiance and you will avoid the hard cleaning up after the occassion. Then of course, you can make a list of the person you just wanted to invite and make sure that everyone would have food to enjoy. Likewise, for every invitation that I received, I never asked for a food wrap unless if they insisted on giving something for the other members of the family who couldn't attend the occassion. By doing this, maybe when I decide to have a party in my house, they will not ask for a food wrap in return.

Oh I love taking out pabalots from parties o fiestas! Free food! haha. But I agree that it's really really rude to do it when they are uninvited. Whenever I want to pabalot, I make sure to let the host first and I also make sure other persons are doing it too. I don't want to be the only one taking out food.

That is a Filipino tradition and most people who hold parties or fiestas actually prepare more food expecting the "take out" for some visitors. I have attended such parties where there were preparations made beforehand for the "pabalot". The party organizers seem to be happy doing these since I have observed this custom many times when the organizers would not allow you to leave without having some "take out" for the family members who were unable to attend the gathering. This tradition is very evident in the provinces where party organizers look at this as a part of their responsibility to the visitors. What becomes wrong if you ask in advance for the "take out". Just wait for the organizer to voluntarily hand you the "balot" before you go home. Some may not be aware of the fact that the food prepared might just be enough for those invited.