Chinese banquet etiquette: the basic etiquette of the banquet
(1) seating arrangements.
Formal banquets, generally pre-arranged seating, so that the banquet participants to be seated in order, but also a courtesy to the guests, informal banquets do not have to pre-arrange the seating, but usually sit down to have the upper and lower points. Arrangement of seating should consider the following points:
One is to the host's position as the center. If the hostess attends, the host and hostess as the center, close to the host as the top, in order;
The second is to arrange the guest of honor and the wife in the most important position. Usually the right is the top, that is, the right hand of the host is the most dominant position. The position farthest from the door and facing it is the upper seat, the position nearest the door and with the back to it is the lower seat, the right of the upper seat is the second numbered seat, the left is the third, and so on;
Thirdly, in compliance with the order of protocol, it is necessary, as far as possible, to make it easy for neighboring persons to converse;
Fourthly, the companions on the part of the host should be inserted, as far as possible, between the guests, so that they can converse with the guests, and avoid sitting together with their own people sitting together.
(2) Etiquette of guests and hosts
Etiquette of the host
Before the banquet begins, the host should stand in front of the door to welcome the guests with a smile, with the younger generation in the front, and the elders in the back. To each guest, to be greeted in turn, to wait for most of the guests to arrive, and then return to the banquet place to come, split with the guests to greet, socialize (family banquets are more casual, the host is not necessarily at the door to welcome the guests, guests can tend to arrive in front of a handshake to greet). The host of the guests must be warm and sincere, equal treatment, not only pay attention to socialize one or two ignore other guests.
Before entering the table, cigarettes, tea can not all fake hand others or waiters to deliver, the host should be as far as possible to hand the cigarettes pour tea.
After serving the food, the host should first toast to the guests and say some polite words of thanks for coming. Thereafter, each dish up, should first raise a cup to invite drink, and then ask the guests to? The first thing you need to do is to ask your guests to serve you with chopsticks. To take care of the guests' dining convenience, change the dishes or turn the table in time. Encountered a special flavor of the guests to change the dishes in a timely manner.
After the banquet is over, the host should go to the door to see the guests off. For those who do not take much care of the guests in the banquet, you should say a few words of apology and thank you and so on. To the guests walking behind, can be a little pleasantries.
Guest etiquette
As a guest invited to the banquet, such as the time to go to the appointment, behave properly, pay attention to etiquette is the host's respect. Should also pay attention to the following issues:
①Dress. Guests before the banquet should be based on the purpose of the banquet, specifications, objects, customs or master's requirements to consider their own dress, dress shall not be experienced to affect the mood of the guests and hosts, affecting the atmosphere of the banquet.
② Ordering. If the host has arranged the dishes, the guests should not order. If you participate in a banquet has not yet arranged a good dish, we must pay attention to the etiquette of ordering. When ordering, do not choose too expensive dishes, but also should not point too cheap dishes, too cheap, but the host is not happy, that you look down on him, if the cheapest dishes happen to be the dishes you really like, it is necessary to think of ways to try to say a few euphemisms.
③Eating. Eating behavior should be civilized and polite,? Not horse food, not cattle drink, not tiger, not swallowing, chewing food, no sound, lips, not leaving marks, bones and filth, do not throw. In the face of a table of delicious food, do not be in a hurry to move chopsticks, must wait for the host to move the chopsticks and say? Please wait for the host to move the chopsticks and say "please". You should wait for the host to say "Please" before you move your chopsticks. Only when the host raises his glass to signal the start of the meal can the guests eat. If you can still hold your liquor, you should drink the first glass of wine offered by the host. Guests at the same table may try to persuade each other to drink, but they must not force each other to drink in any way, otherwise it is a breach of etiquette. If you are unwilling or unable to drink, you may decline.
When you clip the food, first, use the chopsticks; second, clip the food in moderation, don't get too much, can't eat the rest is not good. Third, in front of their own take dishes, do not stretch your arms to reach the dishes in the distance; Fourth, you can not use the chopsticks to flip the dishes in the plate; Fifth, they do not like to eat the dishes, can be very little to clip a little bit of the dish, put on the plate, do not eat, when the dish is passed in front of you again, you can excuse the dishes in the plate has not been eaten, and no longer clip the dish, and finally, you should be the dishes in the plate all eaten clean. Eat without coughing, sneezing, yawning, or blowing your nose as much as possible, and in case you cannot suppress it, cover your mouth and nose with a handkerchief or napkin, turn around, with your face turned sideways to one side, and bow your head to try to keep your voice down.
It is best not to leave a party in the middle of it. As a last resort, you should say sorry to the people at your table, and also apologize solemnly to the host, explaining the reason. When you are finished eating, you should wait until everyone has put down their chopsticks and the host has signaled that it is time to leave the table. When the party is over, you can walk up to the host in turn, shake hands and say ? Thank you. and say goodbye to the host, but don't hold the host's hand and keep talking, so as not to prevent the host from sending other guests.
Chinese banquet etiquette: other etiquette
①Chopsticks usage.
Although chopsticks are easy and convenient to use, there are many rules. For example, you can't hold up your chopsticks to talk to others, and when you talk, you should put your chopsticks on the chopstick stand or place them side by side with the rice bowl. You can't use chopsticks to push rice bowls or dishes, and don't use chopsticks to fork steamed buns or other food.
Other chopstick taboos include: avoid licking chopsticks? Do not use your tongue to lick the chopsticks on the attachments; avoid fascination with chopsticks? Holding up chopsticks but do not know what to clip, in the dishes back and forth. Don't use your chopsticks to stir the food on your plate. Avoid tearful chopsticks? When you hold your chopsticks up, they drip with juice. You should take a small plate and put the food on it before you bring it over. Don't move your chopsticks - you've just eaten from one plate, then you're going to eat from another plate. Don't knock chopsticks. Knocking chopsticks is disrespectful to the host.
Also, chopsticks should normally be placed next to the bowl, not on top of it. If you need to leave at any time during the meal, you should gently place your chopsticks on the table next to the bowl, not in the rice bowl. Nowadays, some banquets use both chopsticks and spoons, so you should remember not to use your own chopsticks and spoons to serve food and soup to others.
The use of napkins.
Many restaurants today provide napkins for their customers. Usually, you should wait for the person seated in the upper seat to pick up the napkin before you take it out and lay it on your lap, making small movements and not shaking it in the air like a bullfight. When the napkin is very large, it can be folded and used; do not pin the napkin to your collar or undershirt. The main purpose of a napkin is to prevent food from falling on your clothes, so only use the corner of the napkin to imprint your lips, not to wipe your face with the whole napkin, blow your nose, or use the napkin to wipe dishes. If you are temporarily out of your seat, fold your napkin over the back of your chair or the arm of your chair. When you finish your meal, fold your napkin a bit and leave it on the table, but don't crumple it up? Discard it. There, like a flower you've destroyed.
3 general table will be prepared for each diner tea drinks and wine, usually tea drinks and wine on the right, try not to use the wrong when drinking.
④As the host (especially the escort), the banquet may be poured for the guests during the food, should be served from the left side of the guests, from the right side of the guests poured wine.
With the continuous exchange of Chinese and Western food culture, Chinese food is not only the traditional diet of Chinese people, but also more and more favored by foreigners. This seems to be the most common Chinese food, but the etiquette of the meal is a lot to pay attention to. Chinese tableware mainly consists of cups, plates, bowls, saucers, chopsticks and spoons. At formal banquets, the water cup is placed on top of the plate, and the wine glass is placed on the top right. Chopsticks and spoons can be placed on special holders or in paper sleeves.
Chinese banquet etiquette: buffet etiquette
The buffet is characterized by the absence of fixed seats, you can choose any seat, standing can also be done, the form of lively, very easy to communicate with each other. Dishes, food and tableware are set up on the table, at the guests' disposal, what they like, the amount of size, completely independent. On such occasions should also pay attention to etiquette. Should not take too much food at a time, not enough to add, so as not to make others laugh at their own not eaten, have not seen the world, if you eat a bunch of leftovers, it is more rude.
Additionally, bones, fish spines, etc. should be set aside to one side of the plate. You can't take your food out of the restaurant after the buffet.
The order of serving
The order of serving Chinese food is generally: cold dishes first, hot dishes later, and sweets and fruits last. Before the meal, the first wet towel served by the waiter for each person is for wiping hands, and it is best not to use it to wipe the face. In the banquet, on the chicken, lobster, fruit, sometimes send a small water pot (copper basin, porcelain bowl or crystal glass jar), water floating rose petals or lemon slices for hand washing (there have been some people mistakenly drink, so as to become a joke). When washing, both hands take turns wetting their fingers, gently swishing, and then drying with a napkin or small towel.
Methods of dining
The above introduces the banquet etiquette, the following will mainly introduce the family dinner, casual meals, working meals (including buffets) and other specific forms of etiquette norms.
Family dinner
It is also known as a banquet held at home. Relative to formal banquets, the most important thing is to create a cordial, friendly, natural atmosphere, so that the guests and hosts of the banquet relaxed, natural, casual, and enhance communication with each other, deepen understanding and promote trust.
Usually, family banquets often do not make special requirements on etiquette. In order to make the guests feel the importance of the host and friendly, basically by the hostess personally cook, the host act as a waiter; or hostess cook, the hostess act as a waiter, to *** with the hospitality of the guests, so that the guests have a feeling of being at home.
If you want to participate in the banquet, then you need to pay attention to, first of all, you must dress up neatly and generously, which is to others is also to their own respect.
But also according to the host invited time on time to the banquet. In addition to cocktail parties, general banquets are asked to guests to arrive half an hour in advance. It is not rude to arrive a few minutes before the start of a banquet for any reason. But to be late is to show a lack of respect for the host and is very rude.
When walking into the host's home or banquet hall, you should first greet the host. At the same time. For other guests, whether they recognize or not, should smile and nod or shake hands and say hello; to the elders should take the initiative to stand up, give way and ask for peace; to the female guests behave solemnly and courteously.
When seated, their seats should be subject to the arrangements of the host or hospitality staff, because some banquets have long been arranged by the host. If the seat is not fixed, it should be noted that the seat facing the door is the upper seat, and the seat with the back facing the door is the lower seat. You should let the high status, the elderly and the ladies be seated first, and then find an appropriate seat for yourself.
After taking your seat, sit in a proper posture, with your feet under your seat, do not stretch out or shake your legs, and do not lean your elbows on the edge of the table or put your hands on the backs of your neighbor's chairs. After being seated, do not look as if no one is there, and do not stare directly at the dishes on the plate, showing that you can't wait. You can talk briefly with your fellow guests.
When you eat, you should dress properly and not take off your coat, let alone take it off in the middle of the meal. Usually the host signals the start before proceeding. The action of dining should be elegant, and the action should be light. You should put the food on your own plate first, and then pick it up with your chopsticks and put it in your mouth. When putting food into your mouth, take small bites and lean your elbows outward, not to the sides, so as not to touch your neighbor. Don't make noise while eating, drinking, or drinking soup. When dining, if you want to use the condiments placed in front of other guests at the same table, first greet others before taking; if it is too far away, politely ask someone to do it for you. If you have to pick your teeth during the meal, use your left hand or handkerchief to cover your teeth, and gently pick your teeth with a toothpick with your right hand.
When you drink, it is rude to try to persuade others to drink, or to yell and shout, especially to those who are not capable of drinking.
If the party is not over, but you have already had a good meal, do not leave the table at will, but wait for the host and the guest of honor to get up and leave the table first, and then the other guests can leave the table in turn.
The casual meal
is also known as the home-cooked meal. The location of the meal is often different and the etiquette is minimal. As long as the diner is considerate of public morals and pays attention to hygiene, the environment and order, there is little else to be concerned about.
Working meal
It is a business gathering in the form of a meal for the business partners who have business relations in business interactions, in order to make contact, keep in touch, exchange information or negotiate business. It is different from formal work meals, formal banquets and friends and family meals. It focuses on a kind of atmosphere, the intention is to meet friends over a meal, creating a relaxed, pleasant, harmonious and cordial atmosphere conducive to further contact. Is to continue the business activities in the form of meals, the table as a conference table or negotiation table. Working meal is generally smaller, usually held at noon, the host does not have to send formal invitations, guests do not have to formally reply to the host in advance, time, location can be temporarily selected. For hygienic reasons, it is best to adopt a separate meal system or a communal chopsticks system.
When you are having a working dinner, you will continue to have business conversations. However, it is important to note that you should not make audio or video recordings or arrange for someone to take notes as you would in a meeting room. If it is not necessary to take notes, you should get permission from the other party first. Do not act arbitrarily as if you do not trust the other party. If you find out that the other party is not happy about it, you should not insist on doing so.
Working meals are a way for the host and the guest to have a good time and to have a good time with each other. The first is a business meal, so it's not appropriate to have a theme other than what you're talking about. If you happen to meet someone you know, you can say hello or introduce them briefly to each other at the same table. But don't take the liberty of leaving your friends behind. In case someone who doesn't know what they're doing? If there is someone who doesn't know what they are talking about, they will not leave. not leave, you can politely give the order to leave? You are very busy, so I won't take up any more of your valuable time. Or? We'll talk again tomorrow. I will take the initiative to call you?