Chopsticks and knives and forks are the most basic differences between Chinese and western table manners. Chopsticks originated in places with bamboo. There are many trees in the north and many bamboos in the south of our country, and our ancestors used local materials, so bamboo and wood became the original materials of chopsticks.
Knife and fork appeared much later than chopsticks. The original origin of knives and forks is related to the living habits of nomadic people in ancient Europe. They carry knives with them in their daily lives, roast the meat and cut it off to eat. /kloc-Around the 0/5th century, in order to improve the eating posture, Europeans used double-pointed forks, and it was only in the 0/8th century that/kloc-four-pointed forks appeared.
2. Seating: Generally, all the guests in China are seated after they arrive, and the seats are arranged in order of seniority. The seats are "Jingdong" and "Chaomen".
In the west, generally speaking, the seat facing the door farthest from the door belongs to the hostess, and the opposite is the host's seat. The seat on the right of the hostess is the first guest seat, usually a man, and the seat on the right of the male host is the second guest seat, usually the wife of the guest of honor. Western countries are dominated by women and pay attention to gentlemanly manners.
3. Placement of food on the table: Chinese food is served at one time, and everyone shares all the food. In western-style dining, everyone has his own set of tableware, and one dish is eaten before the other.
In terms of food requirements, China does not need guests to finish all the dishes, while in the west, it is a courtesy and respect for the host to finish it by himself.
4. Both China and the West pay attention to the seating arrangement of formal banquet activities. People in China traditionally entertain guests with square tables and round tables. Opposite the door, the seats are on both sides. When entertaining guests, the elderly, guests or people with high status sit in their seats, the male and female hosts or guests sit down, and the rest of the guests sit in the wrong seats in order.
Westerners treat guests with a long table, where the male and female hosts sit at both ends, and then arrange the seats in the order of male and female guests and ordinary guests, that is, men and women are arranged alternately, subject to the hostess's seat, with the guests sitting on the upper right of the hostess and the guests' wives sitting on the upper right of the host. Western gentlemen who pay attention to "ladies first" will show their hospitality to women.
In China, the left is the respect, and the right is the second; The first is respect, the second is time; China is the most important, followed by. In the west, right is the most important, and left is the second.
5. The most fundamental difference between Chinese and western table manners is the noise on the table in China and the quietness on the table in the west. The difference of dining table atmosphere, China dining table moves, while the western dining table is quiet.
China people sit at the dining table, chatting endlessly, picking up food for each other, persuading people to drink, and enjoying delicacies. Only in this way can the enthusiasm and sincere interest of the host be reflected, and the excitement at the table reflects the heartfelt joy of the diners. To some extent, this "noise" can reflect the "harmony" of China's warm big family, harmonious neighborhood and China people's unity.
As soon as westerners sit at the dinner table, they concentrate on cutting their own dishes quietly. Don't make any noise when you drink soup. If the soup is overheated, wait until it is a little cooler. Don't blow with your mouth. Shut up and chew while eating. Don't lick your lips or smack your lips.
You can talk to guests while eating, but don't just talk to a few acquaintances. If you don't know the guests around, you can introduce yourself first. Don't interrupt when others are talking. Keep the volume at a level that the other party can hear. Chew food without talking. Even if someone talks to you, don't answer until you swallow your food.
There are differences in table manners between China and the West, which is related to the environment and cultural background of China and the West. Today, with the rapid development of globalization, diverse cultures have increased complementarity and compatibility, learned from each other, and increased cultural exchanges, so that the cultures of both sides have been continuously developed and improved.