Etiquette of sitting at a banquet
The banquet has begun, so we must pay attention to two things when we sit down:
First, for a large banquet, there may be one or two tables belonging to the host family, and most of them are located in the front row of the audience, so visitors should not sit down rashly.
Second, China often uses round tables for banquets. But as usual, every table has a host or hostess, and the seats on both sides of the host are generally reserved for guests or guests. If the host insists on inviting them, it's not easy to occupy them. However, at present, many occasions are not very persistent.
If there is a host or receptionist at the table, the seats should be allocated by the host or receptionist. Don't be too polite. If you haven't set a seat yet, you should let your elders sit and choose a suitable seat yourself. Don't be too humble.
When you want to sit down, remember to pull the chair back by hand before you sit down. If you push the chair away with your feet, you will show that you are a very rude person. Therefore, you should pull the chair away by yourself before you sit down. If a lady has a boyfriend, she doesn't have to pull the chair herself, because it's her boyfriend's responsibility.
Sit up straight when sitting, with your feet flat on the ground and your thighs not crossed. Don't put your hands on the neighbor's chair or table.
Principles of seating arrangement
(1) Ms. is preferred:
In western food etiquette, the principle of ladies first is often embodied. When arranging dining seats, the hostess is usually the first host and takes a seat in the main seat. And the man is the second Lord, sitting in the position of the second Lord.
(2) Respect for rights:
When arranging seats, respecting rights is the basic principle. As far as the specific position is concerned, according to etiquette, the right side is higher than the left side. In the ranking of western food, the male guest of honor is on the right of the hostess, and the female guest of honor is on the right of the male host. According to this principle, arrange in turn.
(3) Distance positioning:
The ranking of seats on the western dining table is determined by their distance from the theme. The position near the theme is higher than the position away from the theme. Therefore, the left of the female host is a male guest, and the left of the male host is a female guest.
(4) Cross arrangement:
When arranging seats in western food, we should pay attention to the principle of cross arrangement, that is, men and women should cross arrangement, and acquaintances and strangers should also cross arrangement. In the eyes of westerners, the purpose of banquet is to expand interpersonal relationships, make people communicate more with the guests around them, and achieve the purpose of socializing.
(5) alongside of.seem as the top:
According to the requirements of etiquette, the seats facing the main entrance of the restaurant are higher than those facing the main entrance of the restaurant. Generally, the hostess's position is facing the door, and the man's position is facing the door.
seating arrangement
Because long tables are often used in western food, take the seating arrangement of long tables as an example. If it is a round table, you can arrange the seats according to the principle of five seats.
(1) Anglo-American style
At both ends are the positions of the host and hostess. If the guest of honor and his wife go to dinner together, the man sits on the right side of the hostess, the woman sits on the right side of the host, and the left side is the position of the second guest. If you are accompanying guests, try to sit in the middle.
(2) French style
The host is located in the middle, and the male and female hosts sit opposite each other. The hostess is the male guest on the right, the male guest on the left, the female guest on the right and the female guest on the left. Accompany the guests and try to sit next to them.
(3) Large banquet
At some large banquets, there are many people. When the table is T-shaped or "door"-shaped, the main table is in the middle of the horizontal row. In the middle of the main table is the location of the host and hostess, on both sides are the seats of the host and guests, and the rest are arranged in turn.
Who are the important guests?
Who are the guests? The answers are visiting foreign dignitaries or clients, military officers or politicians, the elderly, outstanding people in the workplace, the protagonists of banquets (birthdays, celebration banquets) and so on.
Other preventive measures
(1) When attending a banquet, don't be in a hurry.
If you have a seat card, you should find your name before you sit down. If you don't have a seat card, you can't sit down until the host or waiter guides you. If you haven't set a seat yet, you should let your elders sit and choose a suitable seat yourself. Don't be too humble.
(2) Follow the principle of ladies first. If the neighbors are old people or women, they should take the initiative to help them sit down first.
(3) The most suitable sitting posture is sitting on the left.
Remember to pull the chair back before you sit down unless the usher helps you pull it away, because it's really indecent to push the chair away with your feet. Ladies don't have to pull their own chairs if they are accompanied by men, because this is the responsibility of men.
(4) Sit up straight, don't hold your chin with your hands, and don't put your elbows on the table.
When sitting, you should step under the seat, and don't stretch at will to influence others. Don't play with table glass, dishes, knives and forks, wedges and other tableware, and don't wipe the tableware with napkins or paper towels, so as not to make people think that the tableware is dirty.
(5) Don't put your wallet, keys, etc. On the dining table.
At private parties, the host will tell you where you can put your bag. If you are in a restaurant or public place, you can put your bag on your knee or beside it.
(6) If you want to wait for late guests, wait 15-20 minutes at most.
At an informal banquet, the host will personally greet the late guests at the door. In a formal banquet, the housekeeper or waiter waits for the late guests at the door, and the hostess can keep her seat.
(7) The seat is set by the host, so it is very impolite for guests to change their seat cards or sit in other people's seats at will.
(8) Dinner is also a social occasion. When the hostess finishes the conversation with the guest on the left and turns to the guest on the right, it means that it's time for you to chat with others. Don't talk to only one guest, take care of both sides of the seat. Westerners call it "turning tables".
(9) In daily life, if both men and women go to a restaurant to eat together, the man should ask the woman to sit on his right (because it is more convenient to help her with things or pass things with his right hand), and he should also be careful not to let her sit in the aisle where people come and go.
If there is only one seat by the wall, please ask the lady to sit down, and the man will sit opposite her. If two couples are having dinner, the ladies should sit by the wall and the husbands should sit opposite their wives. If two men accompany a woman to dinner, the woman should sit between the two men. If two people of the same sex eat, the position near the wall should be given to the elderly among them.
What are the table manners in the west?
At a formal dinner, the host first welcomes the hostess to the restaurant. Later, other guests don't need to enter in order. The host and hostess finally walked into the restaurant.
Except in the following cases:
(1) If there is one male guest, the hostess should lead the male guest into the restaurant first, and then the male guest will accompany the son of the male guest into the restaurant.
(2) If the hostess is the guest of honor, then the host will lead him into the restaurant first, and then the hostess will lead her husband to sit down.
(3) At a formal banquet, if there are more women than men, then the hostess enters the restaurant alone.
(4) If it is an informal banquet, guests can enter the restaurant without ordering.