When arranging seats, the basic practices at home and abroad are different. When arranging seats on foreign occasions, international practice should generally be observed.

1. China's traditional practice

In the arrangement of side-by-side seating, China's traditional practice is "to the left as the top", that is, the left seat is higher than the right seat. Currently, the country in the holding of meetings and formal photo, still more follow this method.

2. International practice

Side-by-side arrangement of seats, the international practice is "to the right as the top", that is, the right seat is higher than the left seat. It has been widely used in foreign contexts.

About Chinese banquet seating etiquette

Ancient China has been known as the "state of etiquette," said etiquette, according to etiquette, reverence for etiquette, heavy etiquette letter about Chinese banquet seating etiquette, abide by the etiquette, is the Chinese people thousands of years of tradition. "Do not learn etiquette, in order to stand", the core of etiquette is the norms of social behavior, is the Chinese people have been accustomed to and customized social norms of behavior, ethical standards and all kinds of etiquette. The so-called "etiquette, let the people's heart, let it not compete"; "clothing and food are sufficient, etiquette to the rise", etiquette is the individual desire to restrain the heart and the scheduling of the interests of the crowd. To speak of etiquette is to be humble and yielding, "etiquette" and "let" are often connected, which is the origin and interpretation of the word "etiquette".

The earliest rite of passage and the most general and important rite of passage in China can be said to be the rite of food. "The beginning of the rite of passage begins with food and drink", and the use of food to honor the gods indicates that the rite of passage is an extremely solemn thing and has its origin at a very early stage. Rituals are based on one's cultural knowledge and spiritual cultivation. There is no better occasion to test one's cultivation than a group banquet. Therefore, "when a child can eat food, he is taught to eat with his right hand" (Li Ji - Nei Zi), and the first lesson in family initiation is food etiquette. The basic rituals and centerpiece of the elaborate food rituals of Chinese banquets are the rituals of seating at banquets - "sitting at the table". History tells us that Liu Bang, the founder of Han Gaozu, made his fortune when he "sat on the seat" at the banquet of the "important guests" of the Pei County Magistrate. At that time or "sit on the ground", "on the seat", is the banquet "honorary place", that is, "the end of the seat". This banquet "on the seat", due to the sitting system of food and drink base instruments, several cases, dining tables and chairs shape of the historical evolution of the different times. Before the two Han Dynasty, "the seat south to north, to the west for the upper", that is, to face east for the upper. The Historical Records - Xiang Yu Chronicle" in the Hongmen Banquet will be a norm: "Xiang Wang, Xiang Bo eastward sitting, Yafu southward sitting, Yafu, Fan Zeng also. Pei Gong northward to sit, Zhang Liang westward to sit", this is what Gu Yanwu said: "the ancients sit, to the east as the honor." This is what Gu Yanwu said: "the ancients sat to the east as an honor." This refers to the "room" within the banquet seating etiquette. And in the main buildings located in the palace in front of the central sitting north to the south of the "hall", it is the south to the most respected, followed by the west, and again to the east. After the Sui and Tang dynasties, began to sit on the bed to the feet of the change in the way of sitting and living, square, rectangular shape of the various forms of dining table are ready, seat interests are also due to a new change. Square table with a side length of 92.5 centimeters, 87.5 centimeters high "Baxian table" as a representative of the table, your guests, and so on and so forth can be 2 people, 3 people, 4 people, 6 people or 8 people a table. In addition to the special table, more than two people, generally 1:1 main guest system. Round table is a large number of people should get together and the requirements of the large surface of the ship came into being. Initially, people who are used to the square table are quite uncomfortable, as Yuan Mei "garden several" poem said: "Let the place do not know who is the chief, sitting only feel can add guests."

Round table into the middle of the Qing Dynasty after the restaurant popular dining table style, today's families are also commonly used, especially for today's catering industry and organizations and enterprises cafeteria table for banquets. Its seat is generally based on the orientation of the restaurant or room and decorative design style, or take to the door, sunrise, or according to the hall design and decorative style embodied in the center of gravity and the prominent position of the first. Usually waiters set the table with the mouth cloth folded into flowers, birds and other shapes, the first modeling will be very eye-catching, so that people know at a glance. The grand large banquets are often placed in front of the seats of the dining table before the seat card (seat sign), the invitations issued are marked with the banquet with the number of the table. In this way, or by the master of ceremonies into, or holding the invitation to find the map, the number of seats, naturally not easy to make mistakes.

In terms of a specific seat on the dining table, the current norms of Chinese food is: the master of the seat in the center of the upper, the guest of honor on the right, the deputy guest of honor on the left, the other with the banquet in order from right to left, from the top to the bottom of the arrangement, such as the first figure:

Figure 1 1

2 3 1.the first host 3. Mrs. or deputy guest of honor

7 8 2. Host

9 10 5, 6. Vice-host 7-10. Accompanying, etc.

6 5

4

Men

The popular pattern in Taiwan and other provinces and regions, on the other hand, is shown in Figs. 2 and 3:

Figure 2 (single host)

1

2 3 1. Host guest

4 5 2-11. Guests in order

12. host

6 7

8 9

10 11

12

gate

Figure III (male and female hosts)

1

3 2 1. guest of honor

5 4 2-10. guests in order

7 6 11. male host

9 8 12. hostess

11 10

12

gate

Banquet place settings, both customary, so its time and space variability is greater, and in accordance with the concept of our country's habits, the first on the position of inferiority or superiority, the second narrative of the years, and after the gender (after the first woman after the male) to show that the concept of women). Of course, this is the general pattern that is followed after the chief seat is determined.

Banquet seating arrangements, should pay attention to a number of points: 1. master and mistress of the center, the left-hand position for the top, close to the master of the hostess position for the top; 2. couples should not be adjacent to each other, men and women adjacent to each other, the master and the main side of the companion should be adjacent to the guests; 3. interpreters can sit on the right side of the guest of honor. There are some large occasions, can also be behind the host and the guest of honor, in addition to the arrangement of the meal; 4. our custom, to face the direction of the door of the serving dishes as the top.? If it is a round-table banquet, with male and female hosts and the couple of the guest of honor in attendance, it should be the male host sitting in the middle of the upper head, with the male guest of honor and the interpreter on his right, and the wife of the guest of honor and the hostess on his left. The second host sits opposite the host. The rest of the guests and hosts are seated between each other.

Western banquets: Western banquets have many kinds of tableware styles, each with its own purpose and use, and placed in different positions. There are also different ways to eat different foods. If you can't remember, you can first observe how others use the tableware and how they eat. If there are several sets of knives and forks on either side of the plate, use the outer ones first. When the first course is finished, the waiter removes the plate with the knives and forks, and the second set of knives and forks is used. If there are several different sized knives and spoons, they are used for different purposes. The correct way to use a knife and fork is to hold the fork in your left hand and the knife in your right hand, hold the food (food to be cut into small pieces) with the fork, cut it with the knife, and pick it up with the fork and bring it to your mouth. Eat a piece, cut a piece. When using a knife and fork together, the tines of the fork should be facing down. You can also put down the knife and switch the fork to your right hand to pick up the food after cutting a small piece. If you are not using a knife and fork together, the tines should face up. A table knife can be used to flick food onto the fork, but it should not be used to bring food to the mouth. The knife, fork and spoon should not be used to clink against the plate or soup tureen. When a dish is not finished, the knife and fork should be placed in a figure of eight on the edge of the plate with the tines facing down. When you have finished eating, put your knife and fork together on the plate, and the waiter will tell you that it is ready to be removed. Note: The blade of the knife should never face outward. Larger napkins can be folded in half and placed in your lap with the mouth facing you, not tied around your neck. You may use the corner of the napkin to wipe your mouth and hands, but never to test the dishes. The food is served from the left, and the food is removed from the right. The wine is served from the right. If you don't know this, you may use your neighbor's food or drink by mistake. At the beginning of the party, the hostess takes up her knife and fork to indicate that the guests are ready to eat. From now on, as soon as you get your food, you can eat without waiting. Eat and drink in a calm and elegant manner. When chewing food, keep your mouth closed and do not make any noise. Don't talk when your mouth is full of food. Spit bones, fish spines, etc. in your hands before putting them on the edge of the plate, not directly on the plate or tablecloth. It is best to remove bones and spines with cutlery first, without making them enter the mouth. If you meet a dish you don't like, you should not refuse it, you can ask for a little less and taste some of it and wait for the waiter to remove it. Don't stand up to get the food. When drinking, use a corner of the napkin to wipe off the oil on your lips first, so as not to leave oil stains on the mouth of the cup. The spoon used for soup should be the largest one in front of your seat. A smaller one may be a sweet spoon. You should drink soup by scooping it up and bringing it to your mouth without slurping it out. If the soup is too hot you can take a spoonful and blow on it to cool it before drinking. If you can't swallow the soup, take a sip of cool water or a drink. When scooping soup, the spoon should enter from the near side of the soup plate and scoop up from the far side; if you can't scoop up, use your left hand to tilt the plate slightly outward.

Don't move the position of used plates. Put the glass back in its place after each drink. If you spill your drink and splash it on your neighbor, you should say "sorry" and assist in drying it off, or greet the waiter to clean it up. If your neighbor is a woman, hand her a clean napkin or handkerchief and let her dry herself. If you find something unclean in the dish, you can quietly call the waiter and ask him to change it again, without disturbing the four seats. If you don't want to add more wine, you can refuse, or use your finger to block the rim of the glass to show that you don't want to. If the host is having a banquet in a restaurant and asks the guests to order, any dish ordered by the guests needs to be explained to the host, not directly to the waiter. Finger-washing water is usually held in a glass basin, some put in a few petals, and some have a liner underneath, so don't mistake it for drinking water.

Foods that are more broken up, such as salads, can be eaten with a fork with the tines pointing upward, or a small piece of bread can be used to help push the salad onto the fork. A variety of dried fruits, crackers, dry snacks, fried potato chips, lobster chips, etc. can be eaten by hand. Spaghetti can be rolled with a fork, not picked with a fork. Bread should be held in your hand and placed in your own small dish or on the edge of a large platter. Use a butter knife, not your own knife, to take a small piece of butter or jam and put it in your own dish, break off with your hands a small piece of bread that can be eaten in one or two bites, spread it with butter or jam, spread one piece, eat one piece. You must not cut the bread with a knife, nor, if it is served in slices, must you butter the whole slice and bring it to your mouth, but must likewise break it into small pieces and eat it.

How to eat fruit: Pears and apples are cut into quarters, peeled and cored, and eaten in small pieces with the hand. Bananas peeled, put on a plate and cut into small pieces, eat with a fork, do not hold a peeled banana with the skin to the mouth to bite. Oranges are cut into quarters and eaten with the peel on. Watermelon and pineapple are usually peeled and cut into chunks for the table, and can be eaten with a fork. When eating grapes, the core is spat out in your hand before putting it on the plate. When peeling fruit, the blade faces inward and peels from the outside in.?

When drinking tea or coffee, if you need to add sugar and milk, you can take it yourself or ask someone to pass it on, but don't stand up to get it. There are special tongs for sugar cubes, but if you don't have tongs, use your hands, not a spoon. A small spoon is used to stir the sugar or milk, and is placed in a small dish after stirring. When you drink, use your left hand to hold the saucer, your right hand to hold the handle of the cup, and pick up the cup to drink it, not to scoop it with a small spoon as you do with soup.

At no time should you prop your elbows on the table.?

Chinese food is now usually served by a waiter, so if you want to pick up food from a large plate, you should use chopsticks, not your own utensils. When you finish your meal, place your chopsticks flat on the table and do not stick them in the bowl or plate of food. Lastly, you should not pick your teeth at the table.

Western dining etiquette

1, from the left side of the chair. The most appropriate way to sit is from the left side of the chair. When the chair is pulled out, the body is almost touching the table in the distance to stand straight, the usher will push the chair, the bend of the leg touches the back of the chair, you can sit down. When seated, the body should be upright, elbows should not rest on the table, do not stub your toe, and do not fiddle with the tableware that has been set on the dining table. Open your napkin when you have finished ordering. Fold the napkin in half and place it gently on your lap. The napkin can be used to wipe your mouth or hands, but not to wipe dishes or your face. When you soil your mouth, always wipe it with the napkin and avoid using your own handkerchief. It is best not to tuck the napkin into your lapel. It is polite to wipe with the inside of the back of the fold, rather than dirtying the front. Fingers are also wiped with the napkin after washing. If the napkin is badly soiled, ask the waiter for a new one. When you eat bad food and have to spit it out, don't spit it out on your plate. It's better to spit it out on a napkin and wrap it up when no one else is looking and ask for a new napkin. Appetizers, main courses (fish or meat, choose one) and desserts are the most appropriate combinations. Ordering is not a matter of starting with the appetizers, but rather of choosing the main course that you want to eat the most, and then pairing it with a soup that is suitable for the main course.

2, dining, upper arms and back to the chair back, stomach and table to maintain a distance of about a fist, the best way to avoid sitting with feet crossed. Remember to eat with your head up, in front of the food sent to the mouth, to food on the mouth, rather than bending down to the mouth to food. In a formal Western cuisine set menu, different shapes of knives and forks are often used according to the characteristics of different cuisines, and not all of them are displayed at the beginning. While the idea of a full set of knives and forks is reminiscent of silverware on the table, nowadays it is more common to order 2-3 individual dishes. When eating with a knife and fork, the knives, forks and spoons are placed in the order in which they are used. The first one is placed on the outside furthest away from the main course plate, and the second one is placed on the inside near the main course plate. If the main course is served first and then the salad, the fork for the main course should be placed on the outside of the fork for the salad and the fork should be taken from the outside to the inside; the fork should be held with the left hand and the knife with the right hand; the index finger of the left hand should be placed close to the handle of the fork and the index finger of the right hand should be pressed on the back of the knife. For spoons, hold them in the same way you would hold a pen. To cut something, hold the fork in your left hand and press the food, then hold the knife in your right hand and cut it into small pieces and bring them to your mouth with the fork. When using a knife, the blade should not be pointed outwards. When you put down your knife and fork during a meal, you should place them in the shape of a figure of eight and place them on a separate plate. The blade of the knife should be pointed towards you to indicate that you want to continue eating. After each dish, put the knife and fork together on the plate. If you are talking, you can hold the knife and fork without putting them down. When you are not using a knife, you can hold the fork in your right hand, but if you need to make a gesture, you should put down the knife and fork, and never wave the knife and fork in the air, nor hold the knife or fork in one hand while wiping your mouth with a napkin in the other, nor hold a glass of wine in one hand while picking up the food with the fork in the other. Remember, at no time should one end of the knife or fork be placed on the plate and the other on the table.

3. Don't slurp when drinking soup, and shut up and chew when eating. Do not lick your lips or smack your lips to make noise. If the soup is too hot, wait until it cools a little before eating, do not blow with your mouth. When drinking soup, use a spoon to scoop from the inside out. When the soup in the soup dish is almost finished, use your left hand to slightly tip up the outside of the soup dish and use the spoon to scoop up the soup. When you finish eating the soup, leave the spoon in the soup plate (bowl) with the handle pointing towards you.

4. When eating fish, meat and other dishes with thorns or bones, don't spit them out directly, but use a napkin to cover your mouth and gently spit them out on a fork and put them on the plate. Leftover chicken and fish bones and scraps on the outer edge of their own plate, not on the table, not to throw to the ground. If there is a small amount of food left on the plate, do not scrape the bottom of the plate with a fork, and do not eat it with your fingers, but eat it with a small piece of bread or a fork. When eating noodles, use a fork to roll them up first and then bring them to your mouth.

5, the bread is generally broken into small pieces into the mouth, do not take the whole piece of bread to bite. When spreading butter and jam, break the bread into small pieces before spreading.

6, eat chicken, Europe and the United States to chicken breast meat is expensive. Eat chicken legs should first force the bone off, do not eat with your hands. Eat fish, do not turn the fish, to eat the upper layer of the fish bones with a knife and fork after picking off before eating the lower layer of meat, to cut a piece of meat to eat a piece of the block can not be cut too large, or once the meat are cut into pieces.

7, drink coffee if you want to add milk or sugar, add a small spoon to stir evenly, put the small spoon on the coffee mat plate. Drinking should be right-handed cup handle, left hand end of the pad plate, directly with the mouth to drink, do not use a small spoon to scoop a spoon to drink. When eating fruit, do not take the fruit to bite the whole, you should first use a fruit knife to cut into four petals and then use a knife to remove the skin, nucleus, eat with a fork fork.

8, with a knife and fork to eat meat with bones to eat meat with bones, you can use your hands to eat. If you want to eat more elegant, or use a knife is better. Use a fork to fix the whole piece of meat (you can face the fork upward and press the meat with the back of the fork), and then use a knife to insert people along the bone and cut the meat. It is best to eat as you cut. When it must be eaten with the hands, hand-washing water is attached. When hand-washing water is served with the meat on the bone, it means "please eat with your hands". When you eat with your fingers, wash them in a bowl of hand sanitizer. If you get your fingers dirty while eating a regular dish, ask the waiter to bring you hand-washing water, but be careful to wash your hands gently.

9. When ordering a steak, the waiter will ask how well it is grilled, and you can have it prepared according to your preferred cuisine.

When eating, fork the meat from the left side, then use the knife to cut the meat along the right side of the fork, such as cutting the meat can not be eaten in one bite, you can directly use the knife to cut some smaller, cut just a bite-sized piece of meat, and then sent directly to the mouth with a fork. Eat from left to right. Garnish vegetables should be eaten in their entirety. Vegetables placed next to the steak are not only for decoration, but are also added for nutritional balance. Most people in the country leave the watercress behind, so if you don't really don't like it, it's best not to have any left over.

10, bread to eat a bite to break a bite. Eat bread can be dipped in sauce to eat even sauce are not left, is polite to the cook. Be careful not to "lick" the bread plate clean, not with a fork bread.

11. have no choice but to leave the table in the middle, it is best to serve the food stall, to the table greetings, put the napkin on the chair and then go, do not disrupt the whole meal program and the atmosphere. After eating, as long as the napkin is placed on the table can be, do not have to fold neatly.

12. The waiter will often pay attention to the needs of the guests. If you need service, you can signal him with your eyes or raise your hand slightly, and the waiter will come right over. If you drop something, it's best to ask the waiter to come and pick it up for you. If you are satisfied with the service and would like to tip, you can pay by credit card, i.e., write down the total amount of the bill including the tip and then sign it. Don't forget to thank them verbally at the end!