The size and the form of dining table should correspond to a table code of conduct. Generally, tables may be of two forms: round (oval) and square (rectangular). What is such distinction for and which table is more serviceable in certain circumstances?
The advantages of a round table is more likely psychological, as guests feel like more comfortably sitting round it than at the square one, which visually “divides” persons by its corners. Concerning politics and diplomacy, they say “to gather at a round table”, that means a conference or discussion, involving several participants aimed to come to consensus. On the other hand, round tables have a disadvantage — they cannot be made up; therefore they are unusable for banquets.
On the contrary, square (rectangular) tables are very easy to arrange. The common way of placing tables for a banquet includes T (or half-T) shaped and U-shaped (or E-shaped) arrangement.
The T-shaped arrangement works well in extended rooms. Tables, whenever possible, should be 30x60 inches in size (80x160cm). The most honorable place is the head, “crossbar”, which allows the chairpersons to view all the guests. It is much easier to serve the T-arranged tables from different directions, and, as a side benefit, if any sudden visitors come, it will be enough space to seat them by placing one more adjoining table.
The U-shaped configuration is useful for both halls and small rooms. Guests are offered to seat at each table in couples or in fours so that nobody sits in front of table legs. During a celebration it is possible to use both inside and outside edges of tables. Guests of honor sit at the table head, so the inside edge of the “crossbar” is free of chairs. The main disadvantage of such table arrangement is that the visitors, whose seats are at the inside transverse edges, sit backwards to the guests of honor.
The E-shaped table arrangement is concerned as an enhanced issue of the U-shaped configuration and is serviceable only for large rooms, or the space between tables will lacks.
Let’s tell a little about the table size. It should be wide enough so that all utensils are laid properly on the table, and visitors feel like comfortably during meal, avoiding bunting each other with their elbows. Round tables should have not less than 40x50 inches (110-120 cm) in diameter, and those square and rectangular — not less than 35-40 inches (90-100 cm) in width. Ideally, it requires 20-30-inches (60-70 cm) space for each cover (plates, glasses, knifes, forks, spoons). While laying places, take care to put things so that nobody of visitors could bump into table legs with their knees.
The height of a dining table should be about 30 inches (80 cm).
It is better to place tables so that each visitor could leave freely and do not bother another guests. In that case that nobody has to jostle through obstructions while leaving, they place tables about 30 inches (75 cm) away from the wall and 50 inches (120 cm) away from cases.
The proper chairs height should be approximately 20 inches (47 cm). Pay attention to a significant point: the chair should not be propelled under a table; instead, its edge should be placed level with the table edge and avoid touching the tablecloth.
How to sit on a chair at a table properly? The most significant thing: the whole seat surface should be occupied, that means you should sit close to the chair back, at the butt joint. Otherwise your back will get tired: do not forget, that in Russia extremely long feasts are accepted. Forgo to hold your legs out under the table (or you can accidentally touch your vis-à-vis), and do not keep ankles crossed under the seat. Good old manuals of table manners recommend to sit with your foot adjoined and your knees bent at right angles. To be honest, such a pose is not quite comfortable, i. e. after a while knees tend to split apart in the accordion-player-pulling-bellows manner, and there is nothing to do with it.
Perhaps it is better to keep such direction: as you sit on the chair, bend your knees at an angle approximately 135°, then cross your ankles (men keep holding this position), and incline legs a bit aside (guess, the last recommendation concerns women). True, in this case, knees will do split apart a little, but, so to say, within a “norm”.
Just a few words about hands. Surely no problems crop up during a meal because hands are occupied with utensils. When hands are free, e.g. ahead of a meal or between rounds of courses, it would be really confusional. As you leave them out of control (for you usually have your attention set on the talk with neighbors), hands tend to thrust elsewhere, touching table setting, rolling the edge of the tablecloth up, etc. Women hold mindlessly a review of their accessories, fingering earrings, taking off and putting on rings, playing with necklaces and chains. Men play with their lighters, or click finger joints, unfasten and fasten metal wristlets over and over again, etc.
To check your hands without thinking about it, follow this course: put your hands on your knees, lock fingers (except for thumbs), quite loose, and then abut your right thumb against the center of the left palm, and put left thumb over it.
Let us tell about the table code, which directly refers to the way you should have a seat. There is nothing special about sitting down on a chair itself: just pull the chair from a table not far away (the initial position of a chair is when the edge of the seat is level with the edge of the table), pass into the gap, and, as you are sitting down, move the seat closer up to the table. The key condition here is to make it without much noise.
It is art indeed for a man to help a woman to take the seat. Raising a chair, the gentleman removes it angle-wise to his left (the angel depends on, pardon, the woman’s build), the lady passes to the table, and, when is polite offered “Please sit down”, drops into the offered chair not looking round. The women, who are fond of too wide skirts, should mind that, it is out of line with good manners to lift the skirt while sitting down. First of all, you may rumple such skirt, leaning it with your back against the chair back. Then, a figure in a frame of magnificent folds looks losing: you will more closely resemble a sitting hen in a nest. The conclusion: while sitting down, straighten your skirt beneath yourself.
What distance is appropriate to sit from the table? It should be enough short so that you don’t have to bend forward table for another piece of food and you could try all the utensils. To evaluate the exact distance, clasp your fingers tight: the space between your “stomach” and the edge of the dining table should be the same.
Pay attention to the order in which visitors will be seated at a table. By Russian tradition, very important persons are offered to take the places at the head of a table, the other guests have seats wherever they wish. But during official and grand meals, the system of seniority is acceptable, and there is much to do with this point to take it responsibly.
Remember that all places at the dining table could be rated as more honorable and less honorable. Corresponding to international rules, the v.i.p. male guest takes the seat on the right hand of the hostess, and the female one — on the right hand of the host. Next places by the range of honor follow to the left hand of the hostess and to the left hand of the host.
The further the place from the host the less honorable it is considered.
Anyway, planning how to arrange guests at the table, adhere to the following code:
— The place on the right is more honorable, than one on the left.
— Men take places on the left hand of ladies.
— Men are usually placed next to the hostess on her right and left, while the host is surrounded by ladies. Then places alternate: the place next to a woman could be taken by a man, and vise versa.
— A woman shouldn’t be offered to take the place next to other woman, or a place at the table ends.
— Any married couple should never sit together at the table; on the other hand, a newly-married couple and those who are engaged shouldn’t be separated, but in a year after wedding, it is supposed to place husband and wife separately.
— Two foreigners from the same country shouldn’t take place next to each other.
Being equipped by this tips, it is much easier to make arrangements whenever it happens to receive guests. To date, the most common types of placing guests are featured on the picture above.
If the holiday is a casual event (e.g. it is a party), places at the table can be fixed by throwing lots, besides, it will highlight the party with some spontaneity. Just make up couples at the table as follows: the new coming ladies are given a flower as a present, and men draw cards with the flower names: roses, asters, carnations, etc. Another thing, you may put down such renown names as Romeo and Juliet, Adam and Eve, Tristan and Iseult, then let the ladies to draw the cards with female names and the gentlemen — those with male names. It would be developed in a lottery with playing cards, words with opposite meanings, writers and their books, etc. Mind that this is a good idea only when you are sure that all visitors are familiar and on good terms with each other.
See also articles:
Table Serveware — Plates
Flatware Table Setting
Table Setting Guidelines
