Common rules of Eating Etiquette

Throughout history the meal has been a social event. As such, certain mealtime practices are acceptable, and others are not. A genteel Lady will make every effort for her behavior to be acceptable.

The purpose of eating etiquette is to make the meal pleasant for all guests as the host or hostess.

1. Arrive on time.
    Do not seat yourself but allow the hostess to call everyone to the table and suggest a seat for you.
2. Begin eating after the blessing is given and everyone has been served.
    (At large dinners it is acceptable to wait until either the host encourages you to begin, or until the majority of those seated around you have been served.)
3. Be gracious to those serving you.
    Never demanding, rude or insolent. It is impolite to ignore your waiter or waitress. A simple �thank you� spoken kindly will suffice. Resist the temptation of holding a conversation with your server as you then keep them from their duties and ignore the other guests around you.
4. Maintain posture, poise and politeness.
    Sit at your chair with good posture, erect and not hunched over. Place your napkin in your lap with your left hand resting upon it.

    Hold your eating utensils delicately with poise. Then stem of your fork or spoon should be held pinched between your thumb and index finger with your forefinger resting upon the stem. NEVER grab your fork or spoon like it was a club or bat. When cutting or such use the side of the fork, or, grasp the knife in the right hand and use the fork in the left hand to steady that witch you are cutting.

    Use the proper utensil for the proper food. Generally place setting will include two forks, two spoons and a knife. The small fork is your salad fork. The large fork is your dinner fork; the small spoon can be used for tea, soup or dessert. The long handled small head spoon is used for ice tea or for parfait type dessert. Your knife is used for cutting any food that cannot be cut using the side of your fork.
5. Eat considerately by not:
    a. Overfilling your mouth.
    b. Chewing with your mouth open.
    c. Trying to breathe through your mouth and chew at the same time.
    d. Talking with your mouth full.
    e. Gulping or slurping when you drink.
    f. Belching, scratching, coughing, or sneezing at the table.

6. Be a gracious guest.
    a. When food is served family style, receive the dish from the person on your left. Serve yourself, and then continue passing the dish to the right. Offer to hold the dish so that the person on your right can serve themselves. (Don�t stop a dish that has been requested farther down the table to serve yourself, first pass the dish and then ask for it to be passed to you when the other is finished being served.)

    b. Do not draw attention to dirty utensils, dishes, or foreign objects in your food. (It is better to �accidentally� drop a fork you find is dirty upon the floor, and then justifiably ask the hostess for a clean one.)

    c. Do not ask for seconds at a formal dinner. Seconds will be offered if the host so chooses.

    d. Should you find something in your mouth that is either unpalatable or inappropriate such as a bone, cover your mouth with your napkin and place the item in the napkin and transfer it to the corner of your plate as inconspicuously as possible.

    e. When using any condiments such as butter, remove a portion from the serving tray using the utensil upon the tray and place the condiment on your dish or the side of your dinner plate should a bread dish not be provided. Never use your own fork or spoon to reach into a serving bowl. Never take butter, relishes, or condiments directly from the serving tray to your mouth.

7. Upon completion of eating, lay your knife and fork diagonally across the upper right portion of the plate. Do not get up and move about until the hostess stands and releases everyone together.
HOME

Standard Disclaimer
Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1