Pass the Food
Now we are ready to eat. But there isn’t any food on our plates! What’s going on here?
At many formal dinner parties, the food is served in bowls and on platters that are passed around by the guests.
I bet you figured out there are guidelines for passing the food, too.
Unless the hostess indicates otherwise, pass the food to your right in a counterclockwise fashion. Serve yourself with the utensils that are with the food you are passing, not your own silverware.
Only take what you intend to eat, leaving plenty for others. Once everyone has been served and you have eaten what is on your plate, you may ask for the plate to be passed again. Even when getting seconds, make sure you leave some for others.
Unless you have an allergy to a particular food, try some of everything. And “I don’t like it” is not an allergy.
If you are not sure what something is, just take a little bit to try. You can ask for a second helping later. Many consider it rude to ask, “What’s this?” The person planning the meal took the time and effort to plan a meal she thought her guests would enjoy. Try it all and you may find a new favorite food.
Once you have touched it, it is yours. Don’t rummage through the rolls looking for the best one. Take the first one you touch.
Put a small amount of butter on your plate and use the butter on your plate to butter your roll. Don’t butter your roll directly from the butter dish.
If someone has asked you to pass a dish and you have decided that you would like some too, pass the dish first and then ask for it to come back to you.
Hold your glass by the rim. This is especially true if you are passing the glass to someone else. If you want to try this out, put some chalk on your fingers; touch the rim of the glass as you pass it to someone. Then see if they really want to drink out of it. I don’t think so.
If you get confused, watch those around you. Especially watch the hostess, because she sets the tone for the meal.
Now that we have food on our plates it is time to start eating. Right?
The answer is “maybe.” Wait for the hostess to tell you to begin eating or wait for her to begin eating herself. Then it is finally time to eat!
Tags: children, dinner etiquette, education, Manners, people skills, Table Manners
Table Manners | lifeskills | March 2, 2009
