中美餐桌禮儀Table manners between China and America

THEDIFFERENTTABLEMANNERSBETWEENCHINAANDAMERICA

Tablemannerisanessentialpartofacultureandit’samirrorofcertainculture.Differentcountrieshavedifferenttablemanners.AmericacanbethemosttypicalcountryintheWest,whileChina,thecounterpartintheEast.Also,theUnitedStatesisthebiggesteconomyanddevelopedcountryintheworld,whileChina,thesecondbiggesteconomyandthelargestdevelopingcountry.Forthesereasonsandculturalgaps,thedifferencesintablemannerscanbelarge.WhatispoliteinchinamaynotbepoliteintheUnitedStates.TheWaytoInviteGuests Chinesepeopleregardbanquetasanimportantwaytofacilitateinterpersonalrelationshipandanessentialpartofsocialcommunication.TherearetwotraditionalwaystoinviteguestsinChinadependsontheimportanceofthebanquet.Oneisthefamilymeal,thehostcantelltheguestsorally.Theotheroneistheformalbanquet,thehostmusttomeettheguestpersonallywithaformalinvitationcard.Theseprocessesarenotonlyamethodofexpressingcourtesybutalsothewayofshowingthesocialstatusoftheguestsandthevalueofthebanquet.Nomatterwhetherthebanquetistheordinaryoneortheformalone,hosthastheresponsibilitytoinformtheguestsofthetime,locationandthelistoftheparticipantsinadvance. Forafamilymealitmaybeseveraldaysinadvance,whileforaformalbanquetitmayneedmonthsinadvance.Thehostshouldstandatthedoortowelcometheguestspersonallybeforetheguestscometoattendthebanquet.Whenthemosthonorableguestsenterintotheroom,thehostsstanduntiltheguestofhonorisseated.Beforethebanquet,hostusuallypreparessomegoodteatoentertaintheguests.TeacanbeanindispensablepartofaChinesebanquet.Teahastheeffectofrelaxtheguestsandmakeacomfortableatmosphere.Thehostthenordersthedishesbrought,andtheguestshouldbesilent.Thedisheswillbebroughtintothetable.Thehostwillmakeabrieftalktostartthebanquetwhensomegooddishesareonthetable.Traditionally,themostimportantguestswillbethefirstonetostarttoeat. InAmericawhenpeoplesaythatheorshewanttoinviteyoutohaveameal,youshoulddifferentiatethesituation.Ifthehostdonotinformyouofthetimeandlocationofthebanquet,it’sjustforpolitenessandthehostdonotreallywanttoinviteyou.ThiscanbepuzzlingtoChinese.Whenyouareinvitedtoabanquet,theguestsmusthavethesenseofpunctuality.It’srudetocomeinadvanceorcometoolate.Justminutesbeforetheorderedtimecanbeappropriate.AlsoinAmerica,theguestsshouldtakethefoodwhentheyjoinaparty.Thewaytoeat UnliketheAmerican,wherepeoplehavetheirownplateandeatseparately,thedishesareplacedonthesameplateandallthepeopleinthebanquetshares.Nomatterofthebanquetisaordinaryfamilymealoraformalbanquet,allthepeoplesitaroundatthesametableandsharefoodtogether.Wheneating,Chinesealwayshavethehabitsofsharingregardlessofage,gender,socialstatus.ForChinesepeoplesharefoodinsomeplatecanbeasignalofgoodrelationshipandsameinterests.Whenyouhaveamealwithsomeonenotveryfamiliar,it’srudeandimpolitetoeatseparately.Chinesepayagreatattentiontothecuisineandtakeprideinthecultureoffood.Nomatterwhethertheyareeatingathomeorattherestaurant,thehostalwaystriestheirbesttoentertaintheguest.Foroldfriends,Chinesepeopleusuallyordertheenoughfood.Ifforfriendswhoserelationshipispoliteoratabusinessbanquet,Chinesepeopleusuallyorderalargeamountoffoodwhichmorethanenough.Bythesethehostcanexpressthefriendlyandrespectfortheguestsandcanmaketheguestsknowthatthehostisapersonworthtogetalongwith.DiningAtmosphere

InChina,almostateverybanquet,peopletendtourgeotherstodrink,fetchfoodforothersandchatloudly.Thelivelyatmosphereservesasasymbolofreunion.Alcoholisabigpartofeatinginchina,especiallywhendiningwithChinesehosts,youcanexpectthebeertoflowfreelyandmanybeistobeGanBei.Besidesbeer,theofficialChinesealcoholicbeverageisBaijiu,high-proofChineseliquormadefromassortedgrains.Therearevaryingdegreesofbaijiu,andsomearefamous,suchasMaotaiandWuliangye.Tourgepeopletodrinkisatraditioninchina.ForChineseregarddrinkingtogetherasasignalofgoodrelationshipandintimacy. Manypeopleinchinastillholdtheoldsay,whenyouaregoodfriendsandthefriendshipisdeer,youshouldalwaysdrythebottle.Whenaskingpeopledrinkatoast,thetoastermusthavesomecausestocongratulatethedrinker.Thiscalledtoastinchina.Ifapersonaskssomeonetodrinkatoast,theonebeingaskedmustrespondpositivelyanddrinkwithoutanyhesitation.Themoreagroupofpeopledrink,thecloseristheirrelationship.Ifyoudonotdrinkthetoastermaythinkthatyouarenotfriendlytohimanddonotgivehisface.Duringthebanquet,especiallytheoneforbusinessorofficialissues,peopledressformallyandbehavegracefully.Differentbanquetsaskgueststodressdifferentclothes.It’simportanttodressapp