Etiquette at the table. Rules of behavior at the table for schoolchildren

Table etiquette rules. Starting a conversation about the correct behavior at the table, I would like to recall a scene from the movie "Pretty Woman".

Remember how the poor heroine tried to memorize all the forks and spoons, and finally got embarrassed with the snail tongs? This direct behavior in the restaurant has its own charm.

But at a serious banquet, dinner with partners or with the groom's parents, they simply won't understand you if you start wiping your hands with a tablecloth and licking your plate.

First steps to the feast

Let's start with the approach to the table. So, you are one of the guests, the hostess is lost in the bowels of the apartment or chatting with her husband, no one sits down yet ... According to table etiquette, sit down first and take any convenient place – impolite.

Wait until the host invites everyone to the table, and his wife or the organizer of the buffet table helps everyone to take their seats.

At large banquets (wedding, corporate) there are usually cards with names, departments or firms on the tables. Or at the entrance there is a manager with a list who will tell you what table number is reserved for your company.

It would be impolite to ignore the plans of the hostess if she decided to put you here.

Never put your things on the table- bags, wallets, glasses, cigarettes, phones. Do not smoke at the table when everyone is eating, even if it is allowed.

Don't pick your teeth with your fingers or toothpicks. Solve all problems with stuck food and makeup in the toilet room.

Again, it's not nice to jump on food first. Wait for a toast or an official speech, after which everyone will be invited to treat themselves to dishes.

In some restaurants, when setting the table, a large napkin is placed next to the plate. It is customary to put her on her knees. Just do not make a tie, bib or apron out of it, tucking it into different parts of your clothes. Just cover her knees like a blanket.

Appetizing gatherings

Surely, as a child, your mother told you: “Remove your elbows from the table.” And she did the right thing. At home, you can dine in any comfortable position, even throwing your legs on the table. But in society it is customary to sit straight and keep your elbows to yourself.

Let's look at the feast from the other side. Here everyone is sitting, feasting, and the squid salad you longed for is on the other end of the table. Alas and ah, you can’t bend over everyone, stretch like a gymnast, and, pushing other people’s devices, get your own food.

Try to ask: “Elizaveta Ivanovna, could you pass me the salad that is standing next to you?”. When will the dish be handed to you?, do not forget offer it to neighbors from your edge of the table.

It is unacceptable to appropriate common appliances - those that are served for cutting and laying out salads, soups, meat, cakes. Always return them to their place, put them next to the dish or inside the plate.

Don't forget to be polite. Always thank those who pass food to you and support the dish while you collect your treats.

Always ask for forgiveness,if you are going to leave the table- say, to the toilet or on urgent business.

As it is

Here the answer is simple - with pleasure and at a reasonable pace. No one will appreciate if you gobble up all the dishes in five minutes, and for the next two hours you will sit with an empty plate and look bored.

Control hunger, socialize, pay attention to the hostess and neighbors, savor the served food.

Do not forget to praise the hostess of the evening or a restaurant chef. Look for the positives, even if you don't like everything.

If the food is too salty or looks like coals, pay attention to drinks or desserts, or in general - to the atmosphere of the event.

In restaurants with good service, the waiter always walks past the tables and removes unnecessary plates, dirty cutlery, and changes cups.

If there is still some food left on your plate, but you plan to eat it a little later, leave a sign for the staff. Cross the unnecessary fork and knife on the plate, pointing their handles to the lower corners away from you. This is a “stop, don’t clean up, I haven’t eaten yet” sign. And then your portion will wait for you, even if you leave.

If, on the contrary, you want to quickly get rid of dirty dishes in front of you, put the cutlery in a plate side by side, diagonally, parallel to each other, so that both handles look to the right and down.

How not to get into trouble with devices

Again, your mother must have taught you to hold a knife in your right hand, and the right fork in your left. Is it really necessary? Not at all. Once you've cut off the right piece for yourself (of a moderate size, not one that's bigger than your mouth), you can put the knife on your plate, shift the fork to your right hand, and eat comfortably.

Helping yourself with a piece of bread in the process of imposing is appropriate. But cutting the entire portion at once into small crumbs and arranging "cheese-boron" in your plate is not desirable.

And if the restaurant is so fashionable that a horde of forks and forks, spoons and spoons is attached to your plate? Remember, no one is going to set you up. Most importantly, don't panic! Everything is so thought out, so you don't have to remember anything.

So, to the left of the plate lies 2-3 forks, to the right - knives and spoons. This is a sign that it is in these hands that you will hold these devices.

The ones closest to the plate are for the first course. The next ones are for the second one, and so on. Leave used forks and spoons in a plate, and then the number of cutlery will decrease.

tell friends

Agree, there has been a situation in everyone's life when you feel awkward at the table. This may be due to a certain society where you ended up, the situation, a huge number of appliances on the table. You just don't know where to start, how to sit, what is appropriate or inappropriate to say, how to get out of awkward situations. Remember the episode from the movie "Titanic", a simple guy Jack falls into a refined society, not knowing which fork to start with, he feels a little embarrassed. He asks the question - "Is all this for me?"

So, the correct behavior at the table speaks of the general cultural level of a person. Someone culture of behavior at the table and in society is instilled from childhood, someone simply does not know everything. Let's figure out together the rules of etiquette at the table, as well as how not to get confused in all this.

Etiquette rules exist to ensure that everyone present feels comfortable. Therefore, first of all, pay attention to your attitude to what is happening - be polite, include "magic words" in your speech - "thank you", "please", "I'm sorry", "I'm sorry", etc.

And if you try to follow the simple rules of behavior at the table at home, then this will definitely become a habit, and when you come to a restaurant, you will easily behave “as you should” without hesitation.

There are several basic rules of table etiquette:

• You need to sit straight, do not stoop your back, do not bend over the plate, try to look at ease. It is not recommended to sit too far from the edge of the table or too close and rest your elbows on the table. By doing this, you can embarrass your neighbor. It is not supposed to reach across the table - the waiter can put the dish on the plate.
• Always say the words "please" and "thank you."
• When you sit down at the table, put a napkin on your knees.
• Women are invited to the table first, men sit next.
• If this is a festive event, being late is considered a manifestation of disrespect and your bad manners.
• While eating, you can not put your elbows on the table - only the hands should lie on the table.
• If food was brought to you earlier than others, wait until everyone has plates - only then can you start eating. You can start eating earlier than others only if the owners do not mind.
• While eating, the fork must be held in the left hand, and the knife in the right, but if you ordered a dish that is eaten only with a fork, then hold it in your right hand. Do not take a fork, knife or spoon too close to the base.
  You cannot take with a spoon what you can take with a fork.
  You can take on a fork as much as it fits on it without falling off.
• Pasta and others pasta eat, twisting with a fork and help with a spoon.
• Dough products and bread must be carefully broken off and there are broken pieces, you can not cut bread or bite off.
• If you suddenly drop any device, ask the waiter to bring you a new one, if you are at home, take or offer a clean device to the guest
• Food should be chewed with the mouth closed. In no case do not slurp, even if it tastes sooo delicious to you.
• Do not eat with a knife - this is a sign of bad taste.
• If you pour yourself a drink from a common container, offer it to your interlocutors first, and then pour yourself.
• If serving food from a common plate, bring your own plate and put as much as you can eat, don't forget about the guests, offer them a dish too.
• You can tilt the bowl with the leftovers of the soup, but only away from you, but it is better to leave the soup a little undereaten.
• It is necessary to cut off such a piece of food so that you can eat it at a time.
• There are several taboos at the table: do not speak with a full mouth and do not drink drinks.
• If a piece of food is accidentally stuck in your mouth, it is taken out with a fork and placed on a plate (it is desirable that no one sees).
• During a conversation, you can’t hold a fork or a spoon with food on weight, especially swing it - eat it or put it on a plate.
• Do not lean too far towards the plate, bring food to your mouth, if you drink tea or coffee, it is also necessary to bring the cup to your lips.
• During or after a meal, cutlery should never be placed on the table - put them on a plate.
• Cutlery is used in a certain order - starting from the extreme, moving closer to the plate.
• If you are expecting a change of dishes and have stopped eating yet, cutlery must be placed crosswise (so that the sharp part of the knife looks to the left, and the fork with the convex side up).
• When you have finished, cutlery must be placed on a plate parallel to each other.
• In no case should you lean over another person, you cannot reach out - ask to be given this or that dish.
• If you need to go out while eating, apologize to your interlocutor.

When should you apologize?

• If you need to blow your nose at the table.
• If you need to clear your throat at the table.
• If you need to get out.
• If you have a piece of food stuck in your tooth and need to use a toothpick or floss.
• If you suddenly started to hiccup.
• If you feel that you have become ill.
• If you have problems with the intestines or digestion at the table.

How to use a napkin correctly?

• Just sitting down at the table, you need to put a napkin on your lap.
• If the napkin is large, fold it in half before placing it on your lap.
• If the napkin is small, it must be fully unfolded.
• If you need to go out, put the napkin on the table to the right of the plate, hiding the soiled spots on it. Do not put a napkin on a chair - you can accidentally sit on it and get dirty.
• Put a napkin to the left of the plate if you have already eaten.
• For small children, the napkin is tucked into the collar.

How to behave at the table?

• Don't take a bite big chunks, the pieces should be of such a size that you can easily carry on a conversation at the table.
• You can't blow on hot food. Let the dish cool while you wash your hands or start a conversation.
• Salt and pepper must be passed together, even if you were asked to pass only the salt.
• If you are asked to pass something at the table, do not pass it directly into your hands, but put it on the table next to the interlocutor. If your interlocutor is sitting far from you, you do not need to reach across the entire table, ask the person sitting next to you to pass the dish further.
• At the table, moderate your gestures so as not to inadvertently hurt your interlocutor or knock over food.
• Put your phone or other gadget in your pocket before starting a meal - it is undesirable to put it on the table.
• The waiter needs to leave a tip in the amount of 10-15% of the amount of your order (unless, of course, they are not included in the price of the dishes and this is how it is accepted in one place or another).

By remembering these simple rules of table etiquette, you can easily and comfortably feel anywhere and in any company. Enjoy your meal!

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Even the simplest gatherings with loved ones are also a ceremony that has its own rules. The laws of etiquette must be followed, if only because they help to make everyone at the table feel comfortable and cozy.

website collected for you the most common mistakes in behavior at the table. Spoiler: the most important thing is the last one.

1. Get stuck on social networks

The phone on the table is a sign of bad taste, and besides, it is unhygienic. It's best to put your phone on vibrate and put it in your pocket. It is worth remembering that for a well-mannered person, all correspondence interlocutors are secondary. If in the midst of lunch someone suddenly calls who cannot be answered, you should apologize, leave the table and resolve all urgent issues as quickly as possible.

2. Start eating first

Even if everything looks damn delicious and you're hungry like you haven't eaten in 7 days, don't start eating alone (you can't even cut that slice that looks right at you). In the restaurant, we wait until the orders are brought to everyone and the woman sitting at the table starts eating, at a party - when the owners of the house start eating.

3. Silently put ourselves a salad

If you successfully sit opposite common dish, you first need to offer it to other guests and only then put it to yourself. And if the housewife’s branded Olivier is standing in front of a neighbor, it means that he is on the “distribution” today: you just need to politely ask him for help. An important nuance: at the table everyone passes with the right hand.

4. Put the used appliances on the table

Spoons, forks and knives that have been used at least once should be in a plate and not dirty festive tablecloth. There they should be during the conversation. (Yes, yes, waving a dirty spoon in front of the interlocutor’s nose is bad manners.)

5. Bite the bread

In order to eat more of these soft French rolls, and remain a connoisseur of etiquette, you need to consider only 2 points. First, do not cut bread with a knife. Second: do not bite your teeth into a large piece of bread (it is better to break off small pieces with your fingers as needed).

6. Torture the tea bag

It is most correct to pull out the bag with a spoon (without touching the rope with your hands), squeeze it slightly on the edge of the cup and put it in the upper left part of the tea saucer. We also send tea wrappers, sugar packaging, etc.

7. Spread butter from a common plate

It is considered polite to first put some butter on your plate and only then spread it on bread. So bread crumbs do not fall into a common plate.

8. We pass the salt only when asked

I salted it myself - offer it to a neighbor on the table. There may be shy people at the table who would rather eat unsalted than turn to someone with a request. Important: we always give away the salt shaker together with the pepper shaker on the same stand. At the same time, it is more correct not to give it to your hands, but to put it on the table next to your neighbor.

Even the smallest member of our society knows that at the table one "must behave" in a certain manner. What can and cannot be done during meals is laid down by parents in early childhood. The rules of behavior at the table for children begin with the game "in adults", are gradually transferred to the regime moments of meals, become the norm of behavior.

Table etiquette- this is not only the cultural coloring of the process of eating. Observing the rules of behavior at the table, the main life tasks are solved:

1. Improves digestion;
2. The admission process becomes easier;
3. The rules of hygiene are observed;
4. Prevention of accidents at the table.

History and culture of food

The rules of behavior at the table appeared, probably, before the table itself. They were not invented by the communists in their unique organization of schools and kindergartens. The first mention of table etiquette appeared in the ancient world. There are references to this in the texts of the ancient Sumerians. They say that a person must be highly moral and comply with ethical standards- this is what is given to man by the gods and distinguishes people from animals. Failure to comply with the rules of conduct, according to the ancient Sumerians, leads to negativity in his life.

Eating is the most important process. He was always surrounded by all sorts of rituals and rules that strictly regulated who, when, where, what to eat. The first rules were inseparably connected with the family hierarchy, the organization of life, the way of cooking, and with the food itself. Breaking the rules while eating was considered something unforgivable, shameful and condemned (and sometimes punished) at all times, in any culture. Life was changing, the life of a person - the rules were changing along with it. Family ceremonies have made room and have given way to the culture and aesthetics of food. Table manners are increasingly based on secular ethics than on religious and national traditions.

Why do we need rules at the table

Compliance with the rules and etiquette at the table is not the prerogative of a certain social group of people. It has nothing to do with the level of wealth or the social status of the family. " We are from the simple, from the workers. Why do we need all these tablecloths, napkins, forks and knives? Why is this for my child?» - to teachers kindergarten sometimes you have to hear something like that. It is important to understand that the culture of food and behavior is not whims, not a desire to “show off” in front of others. The fact is that following certain rules of table etiquette makes sense and has specific benefits for children. Let's consider some of them:

1. Washing hands before eating protects the body from getting pathogenic bacteria along with food;
2. Table setting using a clean tablecloth and disposable napkins protects food from contact with the dining table cover;
3. The requirement to “do not spin” and not talk while eating is the prevention of serious incidents at the table (the child may choke);
4. The request to “take your time”, sit up straight and chew food thoroughly is nothing more than helping the stomach to digest what has been eaten quickly and easily;
5. A napkin placed on the knee (or on the chest) will protect clothes from contamination.

It is important to remember that children do not take the culture of behavior at the table from books or memos, but they adopt it from their parents. Do you want your child to understand proper nutrition, his organization? Means, pay attention to how the table is organized in your family? Cover the table with a tablecloth, no need to wait for special occasions. Use beautiful appliances, be nice to each other at the table. Get together more often - this greatly strengthens the family, an atmosphere of trust is created. Let these little things become the norm in your home. Add your own special family rituals that your grown children will proudly bring to their future families as a family heirloom that holds you all together.

The culture of behavior at the table is a litmus test, thanks to which it is easy to understand how natural it is for a person to comply with the rules of etiquette. It is at the table that there are so many rules that without daily training, a long-term habit of being on top at an important meeting or business reception is unlikely to succeed. The conclusion is simple: strive to comply with etiquette in a home, everyday environment. The rules of etiquette in no way interfere, do not strain, but only make our life more rational and comfortable.

So, let's go to a restaurant for a business date. The initiator of the meeting should arrive a little earlier and choose a comfortable table. Prefer a place where you can have a more or less quiet conversation - away from the speakers with music, not in a walk-through place. At the appointed time, you must meet the guests and escort them to your table.

Usually, before entering the hall, visitors approach the mirror. Here you can only make sure that everything is in order and only slightly fix your hair and clothes, this applies to both men and women. To eliminate the disorder in your appearance retire to the restroom.

Do not loudly call the waiter, knock with a fork, spoon or knife on a glass. You have to wait for the waiter to come to you. As a last resort, when he is nearby, gesture to show that you need him.

According to the rules of etiquette, sitting at the table, you should only rest your wrist on its edge. Girls are allowed to lean on the table with their elbows for a while. You can’t play with appliances, fold the edge of the tablecloth, stretch your legs under the table to the full length. Watch your posture, do not spread your elbows and do not lean low over the plate.

A linen napkin intended for individual use should be unfolded and placed on your knees. While eating, do not wipe your lips with such a napkin, use a paper napkin for this purpose, and only when you finish eating, you can touch your lips with a linen napkin and wipe your fingers.

Do not refuse any dish, saying that it is not pleasant or harmful. Refuse politely and without explanation. You should not overfill your mouth, bite off large pieces. You can not "slurp", smack your lips and sip. Eat and drink without sound.

The knife or fork should be held near the end of the handle and not near the blade or fork. Don't put your little finger away. It is indecent to eat with a knife. During a conversation, you can not wave your arms, especially cutlery. During a break in food, the fork is placed to the left of the plate, prongs down, the knife to the right, with the blade toward you. Appliances lying in a plate in parallel mean that the dishes can be removed. If a knife or fork has accidentally fallen, do not try to pick it up during the meal, it is better to ask for a new device. Food is taken from a common dish with common utensils and put on a plate; you cannot take individual utensils from a common dish.

Any piece that is in the mouth should be swallowed, even if the dish is not liked at all. You can only spit out fish and fruit bones. The fact that this must be done carefully, on the edge of your spoon or fork, probably does not need to be reminded.

Take bread from a basket or plate with your hands and break off small pieces with your fingers. You can salt the dish with a spoon from the salt shaker, if it is not there, take the salt with the tip of your knife. It is strictly forbidden to dip your piece in a common salt shaker.

If the soup is very hot, do not blow or stir it with a spoon, it is better to wait until it cools down. Dumplings, noodles, potatoes in the soup, if necessary, crush with the edge of a spoon. With a spoon they scoop from themselves and bring it to the mouth with the left wide edge. When finishing the soup, slightly tilt the plate away from you with your left hand. A soup spoon should not be placed on a tablecloth or napkin; at the end of the meal, it is left in a plate. If the broth is served in a cup with one handle, it can be drunk like tea. If the cup has two handles, the broth should be eaten with a spoon.

During lunch and dinner, it is not customary to put meat dishes and snacks, cheese, sausage, ham on bread, making a sandwich, they should not be immediately cut into small pieces. It is better to cut off the pieces gradually, using a knife and fork. Butter spread on bread or ham with a knife. Before that, a piece of butter from the butter dish is placed on the edge of your plate.

Peas should not be pricked with a fork, they should be picked up as if on a spatula. Salad served on a separate plate is not shifted, but eaten from the same plate in sequence with what is in the main plate. Spaghetti and pasta are eaten with a fork in the right hand and a spoon in the left, winding 1-2 pasta on the fork, and cutting off the rest of the pasta with the edge of the spoon. It is strictly forbidden to use a knife with pasta, hodgepodge, scrambled eggs, pudding and jelly. Vegetables, including potatoes, if necessary, are crushed with the edge of a fork, and not with a knife. Meat dishes from minced meat and cut into pieces (goulash, beef stroganoff) are eaten only with a fork! Fish is eaten with a fork and a special knife, or two forks, or a fork and a piece of bread. The fish is not cut, but separated from the bones. Usually fish meals served with a slice of lemon. At the end of the meal, lemon is applied to the lips and lightly lubricated, as a result, the fishy smell disappears. The bird must be eaten with a knife and fork. Exception: tobacco chicken, this dish can be eaten with your hands. If difficulties arise, it is better to leave the food half-eaten. Stir sugar in a cup should be silent and not for long. The spoon must be taken out and placed on a saucer. According to the rules of etiquette, you can not drink tea or coffee from a spoon. A slice of lemon in tea is squeezed out with a spoon and placed on the edge of the saucer. Special devices are provided for dessert dishes, they are used to eat cakes, puddings, ice cream, creams, etc. Sponge cakes and cake are eaten with a dessert fork or a teaspoon, hard cakes that crumble easily - with your hands. Cookies, waffles, pies and sweets are taken by hand. When choosing fruits lying in a vase, you should take the one you like without touching the rest. Fruits can be peeled with your hands, but you need to eat on a plate with a knife and fork. Bananas are peeled and eaten with a knife and fork, cutting off circles. The peel of an orange is cut crosswise, removed and divided into slices. Neither oranges nor tangerines peel in a spiral! Grapefruit should be served cut across with the pulp separated from the peel. It's sprinkled powdered sugar and eat with a spoon. At the table it is not customary to talk about illnesses and troubles. Don't worry about the cost of food and drinks. It is impolite to continue eating or chatting with neighbors while someone is toasting. You have to listen silently. After the toast, it is not necessary to drink all the wine poured into the glass. They don't clink glasses with beer. You should not drink when there is food in your mouth. Having finished eating, the devices are placed parallel to each other, interrupting - crosswise. The initiator of the meeting usually suggests leaving the restaurant first. The calculation is made when everyone has finished eating. Money is put on a plate on which the bill is submitted. Try not to draw attention to yourself when you pay - it's ugly.

Solid "not" you say. Do not be upset, you can: be cheerful, cheerful, attentive and even witty!