chinesetable.docx

chinesetable.docx

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chinesetable

ChineseTableManners

BecausetheChinesehavedevelopedanexquisitecuisineandregardfoodasbeingmostimportantinaman’slife,theydonotgreeteachotherwith“Howareyou”butinsteadtheyask,“Haveyoueaten”

Thisgreetingisoftengivenwithoutaparticulardesiretoknowwhetherthepersonhaseatenbutratherwhetherheorsheisfeelingquitewell.

TheChinesenotonlycreatedcountlesswaysofcookingbutalsoinventedchopstickstoeatwith.Theoldestchopstickswerefoundinagravedatingbacktothe13thcenturyBC.Apairofchopstickscanbemadeoutofivory,plastic,bambooorwood.

ChineseTableManners

Manytraditionaltablemannersarestillobservedtoday.ItisbestifthetableusedforaChinesedinnerisround.Onceeveryoneisseatedandthefoodisservedtheguestswaitforthehosttoinvitethemtoeatbysaying“qikuai”（letstarttousethechopsticks）.Somestillpractisecallingthenamesofpeoplediningwiththemasaformofcourtesy.

Do'sandDon'ts

Do's

Thebowlofriceisheldwiththelefthandandbroughtclosetothemouthwhilethericeisliftedintothemouthwiththechopstickswhichareheldintherighthand.Oneshouldnotmakeanynoisewhenchewingthefood.

Whilewaitingforthenextcourseoffoodoneshouldplacethechopsticksneatlyonthechopstickrestandavoidcrossingthemorputtingthemonthericebowl. 

Wheneveroneattendsaweddingdinneroneshouldbringapresentwrappedincolourfulorreddishgiftwrap（neverblackbecauseitrepresentsgrief）orcashinaredpacket（neverinawhiteenvelopebecauseitisacolourformourning）.

Presentsmustsymbolizegoodluckorblessingsuchasgoldpendantswithsymbolsofluck（neveraclockasthewordforclocksoundslikezhong,meaningdie）.

WhenoneisinvitedtoaChineseNewYearpartyoneshoulddresscheerfully（nevercompletelyinblackbecauseblackisasolemncolour）andbringone’shostsorangesandnewyearredpacketforluckandgoodwishes. 

Wheneverteaisservedoneshouldsay“thankyou”ormakeagestureofthanks.

Ifyouwishtotakeadrinkofwineataformaldinner,youmustfirsttoastanotherdinerguestregardlessofwhetherheorsherespondsbydrinking.Ifyouaretoastedanddon’twishtodrink,simplytouchyourlipstotheedgeofthewineglasstoacknowledgethecourtesy.

Itisincumbentuponthehosttourgethegueststoeatanddrinktotheirfill.Thismeansorderingmorefoodthannecessaryandkeepinganeyeoutforidlechopsticks.

Itispolitetoservetheguestofhonourthebestmorsels,suchasthecheekofthefish,usingapairofservingor“public”chopsticksorwiththebackendofone’schopsticks.

Ifyouhavehadenoughtoeat,yetyourhoststillpliesyouwithfood,orifyoudonotwishtoindulgeinfishlips,seacucumberorduckweb,graciouslyallowyourhosttoplacethedelicacyonyourplate;leavingfooduneatenindicatesyoudonotcareforit.

ItissociallyacceptableinChinatospitbonesonthetable,belch,slurpsoupandnoodlesandsmokewhileeating.

Ricecanbeeatenbyraisingthebowltothemouthandshovellingthegrainsinwiththechopsticksinarapidfanningmotion,eventhoughthismayresembleaBeijingduckforcefeedingitself.

Chinesebanquetscommonlyhave12-20coursesinsuccessionandcanlastforhours,butthedinnerisoverwhenthehoststandsupandoffersthefinaltoast;oneisexpectedtoleaveimmediatelythereafter.

Don'ts

Thespoonshouldnotbeusedatthesametimeasthechopsticks.

Toothpicksshouldnotbeusedduringthemealbutratherattheend,andalwayswhilstcoveringthemouth.

Don’tpointwithyourchopsticksanddon’tstickyourchopsticksintoyourricebowlandleavethemtherestandingup,forinthispositiontheyresembleincensestickssetbeforeagrave.

Don’tuseyourchopstickstoexplorethecontentsofadish.Locatethemorselyouwant-ontopofthepile,notburiedinthemiddleofit-withyoureyesandgodirectlyforitwithyourchopstickswithouttouchinganyotherpieces.Await-and-see-attitudeisrecommendedifyouwishtolandthewhitemeat,thewingorthechickenheart.

SeaCucumber

ChattingatthetableovercoffeeafteramealorretiringtothedrawingroomisnotpartofChineseetiquette.

FormalitiesinReception

•Whentheguestsarriveatdinner,theymustpresentagifttothehost.Thisgivesagoodwelcomethanksmessagetothehost.Itisveryimportantforthegueststoappearinfrontofthehostasheneedstoknowhowmanyguestsarearrived.Thisisbecausehemustknowaboutthenumberofguestsashedidtheseatingarrangement.

•Ifincaseastrangerisinvitedtoadinner,thejobofthehostistogetfamiliarwithhim.Tomakehimfeelcomfortable,awarmwelcomeisnecessary.

•Whenyouaregoingondinner,keepatightcheckonthetime.NeverbelateasitisconsideredasrudeintheChineseculture.Thehostofthedinnerprepareseverythingatleast15-20minutesbefore.Hence,itisimportanttoarriveonthetimesothateverythingremainsgoodduringthewholetime.

•Ifyouarealow-rankingguest,youcandecideonbringingagiftforthehost.However,ifyouareahigh-rankedguest,youcanchooseabottleofqualitywine.

Invitingtheguests:

ThisistheoneofthemostimportantpartsofthemannersintheChineseculture.Therespectanddignityoftheguestisconsideredtoholdtheprimeimportance.Ifaguestisnotinvitedinacertainmanner,itthoughtthatthehosthasunderminedthetraditionswhichmightresultinthecuttingofftherelationsandconnectionswiththehost.Therefore,theinvitationsaremadeverycarefully.

Althoughtherearesomeminorvariationsarefounddependinguponthepersonalpreferencesregardinginvitingaguest.However,therearesomestandardruleswhichshouldbefollowedinthisregard.Firstofall,thearrivaloftheguestintothediningroomiswelcomedbythestandingovationofthehost.Itisconsideredill-manneredonthepartofthehosttogetseatedbeforetheguestdoes.

TheEquitiesofSeatingArrangement

ThewayChinesepeoplegetseatedisalsoaninterestingpartofthetablemanners.Yes!

ThismightsurpriseyouthatatypicalseatingarrangementisasignofetiquettesintheChineseculture.Therefore,itisensuredtoleavethebestplaceonthediningtableforelders.Ifagroupofpeopleishavingmeal,therespectablemembersaregiventheplaceattheheadofthetablewhiletheresttaketheirseatsaccordingly.

EquitiesofSeatingArrangement

Rules

Theguestsarerequestedtositontheassignedseatsbythehostwhentheyreachthedinnerplace.IntheChinesetradition,theseatingarrangementfollowssomestrictrulesandit’scomplicated.Thefirstthingthatisrequiredistoseewhotheguestis.Usually,thefirstplaceandimportanceisgiventotheoldestmemberofthefamily. IntheAmericanWildWest,theguestofhonorisnamedas“WildBillHickokSeat.” 

Thefirstseatthatisgiventothemostrespectedpersonofthefamilygivesthebestviewoftheroom.Ifincasethereisnotseatattheentranceoftheroom,thenthe“seatofhonor”willbetheonefacingtheeastwardpositionoftheroom.

Thenextrulethatgovernsintheseatingplanislinkedwiththe‘socialranking’ofaperson.Thisrulewillbeappliedevenifthedinnerisoffamilyget-together.Theydoittomaintainclosenessbetweenthefamilymembersandthehostofthedinner.Inbanquets,theseatingarrangementisfollowedonthebasisofreligion.

Thepersonwiththehighestrankgetsacloserseattothe‘guestofhonor.’However,thereisnofixedrankingbetweentheseatsontheleftsideandrightside.Thisprovidesahugeflexibilitytotheguests.

Thefirstseatisgiventothe‘guestofhonor’.Afterthat,theseatsontheleftsideofthechiefguestandnumberedinevenliketwo,four,andsix.Ontherightsideofthechiefguest,theseatsarenumberedinoddslikethree,five,andseven.Hence,themostprestigiouseatsafterthe‘guestofhonor’willbenumbertwoandthree.

Banquets

Inabanquetfunction,theguestsoccupyseveraldifferenttables.Atthispoint,the‘guestofhonor’takesthecentertable.Thiswayheisvisibletoeveryoneandheisbecomingacenterofattention.Thetablesthatareontherightandleftsideofthechiefguestarefilledbytheordinaryguest.Here,theranksofguestsarekeptinthemindagain.Theonewithhighestrankpointwillgetaclosertabletothe“guestofhonor”anditgoesonlikethis.

Thehostofthebanqueteventwilltrytobeintouchwitheveryrankedguestsothatagoodenvironmentwillprevail.Hewillmakesurethateveryguestisattendedinthebestpossiblemanner.ThegoodthingaboutChinesetraditionisthatetiquettesarebeingfollowedwholeheartedly.Thisway,therearenochancesofanyaccidentorun-unusualevents.Thisisthebestexampleoftheworld’smostcivilizednation.

OneCase

Incaseofateacherdiningwiththestudents,teacherisgiventheseatofhonorwithstudentssurroundingtheteacher.Ifthediningtableisrectangular,theeldermembersitsontheshortestsidewithhisfacetowardsthefrontdoor.Therestofthepeoplewouldgetseatedinthedescendingorderoftheirages.However,ifyouarediningonaroundtable,theeldermembershouldbeseatedontheinsideseat.

Offeringtoothers:

Itisnotonlythedutyofthehosttoofferthedishestothefellowmembersbutitisregardedasgoodmannersifyoumakeanofferofaparticulartoyourpartnerbeforeyoutakeashareforyourself.Thisindicatesthatyouhavecomefromaneducatedbackgroundandknowhowtosocializearound.

WhatisLazySusan

TherichcultureofChinaisamatterofinterestonaccountof