How to Arrange For a Festive Meal

When you want to organize a festive meal it is very important how you arrange it. There are certain rules to be followed.

The plate for the first dish is placed on top. On it you must put a neatly folded napkin. The forks shall always stay in the left part of the plate. These will be aligned left to right in the order of their use and will be placed with the teeth above. On the other side of the plate, in the right part, the knives will be placed with the sharp side towards the plate and in the order of their use, as well.
The order to use the tableware is the following: the farthest from the plate is used for the first dish. You should not place more than three knives and three forks. The little spoons and the small knives for the dessert must not be on the table, but on a service table or buffet, to be at hand.

For a festive meal, usually four plates are used: the plate for appetizers, the soup plate, the main course plate and the dessert plate. The bowls for the clear soup (consome) should not be placed on the table from the beginning. They will be brought together with the tureen or already filled on a tray.

At any respectable meal, three types of glasses are required: one for brandy, one for wine (note: red wine glass is lower than that for white wine!) and one for water. These glasses should be part of the same set. After using them, brandy glasses should be removed from the table. Do not remove them by introducing your fingers inside them, grab them from the bottom and then put them on a tray. This way, you will not have to do unnecessary walks with only two glasses in your hand.



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