A Royal Dining? How To Sit Straight, Put on the Napkin and Grab Cutleries

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Dining alone at home or with your family does not need any strict code. However, if you are invited to your fiancée’s house for a dinner with his or her parents, etiquettes would be first thing to focus before anything. The way you talk, the way to eat and the way to do everything on the table explains a lot about your personality. In such condition it is always better to follow the basic rules of behavior and avoid making your attitude, body language and your gestures the subjects of discussion. There will be several occasions when one would need to follow the basic manners on the dining table.

Also Read : The Hot Trends to watch for Food and Fine Dining

How to sit?

First impression is the strongest. Research suggest that the first impression is created in just seven seconds of meeting a new person. Thus, building a strong positive impact on the persons mind is important. To do this, posture plays the most significant role. A slumping posture presents a negative vibrancy and depicts an air of lethargy about the personality. Such persons seem to be unenthusiastic about knowing people or even talking to them. In a party or meeting, such posture should be avoided.

While sitting, the correct way for women is to sit keeping their knees and feet together, and slant a bit. Men should sit as if they are seated on a big egg. The position should be slightly forward from the back of the chair, with an upright backbone.

Image Text 1: Sitting with correct right posture creates the first impression of a person.

What to do with the Napkin?

The next is to do the right thing with the napkin on the table. Place the napkin on your lap, and the corner section kept free without folding anywhere. Napkins are folded in a particular way so that the folded section is tucked into your dress to prevent food from falling on your clothes while eating. The lose end or the napkin is for wiping any remnant away from your mouth. After the meal, always place the napkin neatly at the back of your chair. Placing the napkin there would also mean that you are done with the dinner.

How to hold the knife and fork?

Using the array of cutlery on the table comes up as a daunting job, if you don’t have an idea beforehand. Forks are placed on the left side of the plate and knives on the right. Forks and knives placed closest to the plate are to be used for the main course dinner. The fork is held facing its tines down on the left hand. Hold the knife on the right hand and use it to move food to the fork on the plate.

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Image Text 2: Napkin are for protecting your clothes from spills and to wipe.

Forks or spoons put on top of the plate or at the edge of the table are for eating dessert. While eating, placing the fork and knives in the center of the plate with the fork’s tines placed downward means you are still going to eat and it is not over.