Contents
- How to set the table according to all the rules of table etiquette
- What dishes are most preferable for serving the New Year’s table
- How to properly arrange the plates on the table
- Where and how cutlery should be placed
- What should be a festive tablecloth
- Is it acceptable to use paper napkins in the setting of the festive table
- Are there any differences in how the table is set for a home reception with a large number of guests and for a romantic New Year’s Eve for two
- How to use cutlery correctly
- How to deal with the main dishes of the holiday table
How to set the table according to all the rules of table etiquette
The feast will be held at the highest level, if the table is served according to all the rules of etiquette. The historian, writer, etiquette specialist Eleonora Basmanova told us about all the intricacies.
December 19 2017
What dishes are most preferable for serving the New Year’s table
If we are talking about a home New Year’s holiday, then the choice of dishes comes down to the capabilities of a particular house, and also takes into account the scale of the upcoming celebration. After all, each house has different opportunities and a different number of guests. Therefore, in one case it can be a large old service, in another – a set of dishes of modern design, and in the third – bright, New Year’s decorated disposable tableware. We can celebrate the New Year both in a narrow home circle, and in a crowded society of our friends, relatives and colleagues somewhere in the country, in nature, outside the city. In a word, the dishes can be any, but with the help of a variety of table accessories and various serving items, the look of the festive table can be given the most spectacular and ceremonial look.
How to properly arrange the plates on the table
Serving is focused primarily on the total number of guests. A personal appliance, that is, a set of dishes for one person, is called a kuvert. Guests at the table should be seated in such a way that each appliance (envelope) is allocated at least 60 cm in length and 30 cm in depth. In this case, the appliance for each guest can be easily served with a full set of dishes. At the same time, the guests sitting at the table will not be cramped – it is convenient not only to eat, but also to communicate with each other, which is very important for the New Year’s holiday.
The kuvert is served as follows: a stage plate with a diameter of up to 32 cm is placed right in front of the guest, on which a shallow dining room (D 24 cm) and a snack bar (D 20 cm) plates are placed. The substitute plate serves as a decorative role; nothing is ever eaten from it. To the left of these plates is a bread (aka pie) plate (D 17,5 cm). It is designed for breads, pies and sandwiches. According to the rules, the center of the snack bar and the bread plate should be on the same line parallel to the edge of the table. An exception is made when setting a round table and for the end sides of a large rectangular table. With this arrangement, the bread plate is positioned slightly higher on the left side of the cover.
Plates are laid out approximately 1,5-2 cm from the edge of the table. If you place them closer to the edge of the table, then the serving will look unattractive, and if further, then it is unsafe for guests (you can leave a stain on the tablecloth).
Where and how cutlery should be placed
The forks are smoothed to the left of the substitution plate with the tines facing up. The snack forks used first on the menu are on the far left. The knives are laid out, on the contrary, to the right of the substitute plate with the blade facing the plate. The snack knife is on the far right. As the dishes change, the cutlery is used from the edge towards the center of the plate. If there is no menu, then because of which cutlery is laid out, you can easily guess what dishes will be served to guests.
Two pairs of snacks may be served if, for example, fish and meat appetizers are expected. After fish dishes, the devices are always changed. The same goes for table knives and forks. If both fish and meat are served, then it is necessary to lay out the fish knife and fork, and then behind them – the table knife and fork.
Dessert utensils can be served immediately, at the beginning of the feast, but may appear on the table after changing the table setting before serving dessert. In the first case, they are laid out in the upper part of the envelope above the substitution plate, and in the second – in the usual way.
What should be a festive tablecloth
The color of the tablecloth depends on the basic colors of the dishes, wine glasses and glasses. The colors and shades of the interior of the room in which the festive feast will take place is also taken into account. Flowers, candles and other table decorations are matched to the tablecloth. For the most solemn events, a tablecloth, candles and white dishes are usually used. But for the New Year’s holiday, brighter and even contrasting colors are also suitable. The tablecloth should not be too small for the table. The table will look scanty. Along the edges, the tablecloth should hang from the table by at least 25 cm. The longer the tablecloth, the richer and more spectacular the table looks. A good addition to table decoration can be a table napkin on a tablecloth to match or in a contrasting shade.
Is it acceptable to use paper napkins in the setting of the festive table
Yes, it is possible. But we must understand: the greater our desire to impress our guests, the more solemn and richer the New Year’s table is served, the better and more expensive all accessories and serving items should be. Including table napkins. With such high requirements for table setting, paper napkins are no longer used.
Are there any differences in how the table is set for a home reception with a large number of guests and for a romantic New Year’s Eve for two
Of course. These are two different, as they say, holiday formats. At large receptions, all serving rules are usually strictly followed. Such a requirement for the appearance of the table is associated not only with the necessary comfort at receptions with seating, but also with aesthetic requirements. A large, beautifully served table looks elegant and harmonious. For romantic dates, the rules are not so strict. In the narrowest circle, the personal tastes and preferences of the couple dominate, with their ideas of beauty, harmony and love.
How to use cutlery correctly
The fork is held in the left hand, the knife is in the right hand. The cutlery handles are placed in the palms. In this case, the index finger of the left hand should not rest against the bend of the fork teeth, but only against its base. The index finger of the right hand should not rest on the blunt side of the knife blade. It also sits at the base of the blade.
In the process of eating, only the hands move. Appliances should not knock on the plate. Eating and chewing (with your mouth closed, of course) should be noiseless. Cutlery must be placed on a plate or on a table with an emphasis on the plate, if there is a desire to drink wine or water. It is not customary to hold a glass of drinks and a fork in your hands at the same time.
How to deal with the main dishes of the holiday table
It is hardly possible to learn the basic rules of table etiquette in a magazine article, but I can still give some practical advice to your readers.
In order to enjoy the festive feast, first of all, we must learn, or at least strive to eat aesthetically, beautifully. First, you need to follow the sequence in the use of dishes. For example, you cannot eat herring, and then stellate sturgeon or sturgeon. It will seem tasteless. It is correct to eat lightly salted fish first, and then highly salted fish. It is customary to eat meat after fish dishes, and not vice versa. The meat is cut piece by piece, not the whole piece at once. The sauce is poured onto a piece of fish or meat rather than being poured onto a side dish. The bread is not bitten off from a piece, but broken off piece by piece and put in the mouth. If we want to make ourselves a sandwich with butter and caviar, then we spread the bread with butter not by weight, but put it on our bread plate.
Cognac is drunk at the end of the meal and is not eaten with lemon. Cognac and brandy are best paired with fruit and orange (ideally kumquat), not lemon. It is not customary to cut a whole fish with a knife. It is eaten with a fish knife and fork so that the fish skeleton and rib bones remain intact. In this form, the dish will look more aesthetically pleasing. Dessert table fruit should be safe and easy to eat. For this reason, it is not customary to serve the festive table, for example, pomegranates or grapes with seeds.