The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary definition of hospitality is "hospitable treatment, reception, or disposition." Definitions of hospitable listed are "given to generous and cordial reception of guests", "promising or suggesting generous and cordial welcome", "offering a pleasant or sustaining environment", and "readily receptive." To summarize the definitions for the purpose of practicing this virtue in daily life, hospitality is: first, the act of having a receptive and pleasant disposition toward others, second, the act of offering generous and cordial invitation to guests, and third, offering the most comfortable and welcome setting to guests.
Hospitality is an ADF virtue because we believe in 'ghosti': we should give so that we may receive. Ghosti urges us to be pleasant, generous, and cordial both as hosts and as guests to all our kin and to the Kindred.
Hospitality can be practiced in a formal way, such as having guests over to your home. A clean, attractive, comfortable environment, delicious food and drink, and enjoyable conversation show hospitality to guests. This form of hospitality may even begin before guests arrive at the doorstep, through a welcoming invitation. But hospitality is more than simply inviting guests over and showing them a good time. The root of hospitality is being kind and generous toward other people. Keeping and encouraging a pleasant disposition is key to this virtue. Being a pleasant person to meet and get to know, and being a gracious guest, is the first step in offering hospitality to others. Being a person others can be comfortable around enables them to be receptive to a warm and pleasant welcome. Maintaining a pleasant disposition also allows a person to be more receptive to the needs and desires of their guests so a more hospitable environment can then be offered. But more than that, we cannot always invite someone over to experience the comforts of our homes. Sometimes the only pleasantries we have to offer are a smile, a kind word, a pat on the shoulder, a hug. Guests should not only feel welcome in our homes, they should feel welcome in our lives. Making people feel welcome in our presence is the essence of hospitality.
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