The frantic pace of life that has plunged humanity into a stream of quick snacks on the go, street food and fast food, now, on the contrary, encourages people to spend more time with their families and revive the culture of joint meals. Festive feasts, planned in advance, or a secluded dinner for two – any option implies table setting. Often, we do not pay attention to the unfolding of appliances, and that is why competent table setting for an event that excites you will bring new impressions to life, reveal the importance of this aspect for making an overall impression of the event.
The history of table setting is rooted in antiquity – in the days of Ancient Egypt, when the pharaohs and the elite close to them celebrated their conquests on a grand scale. In the process of these riotous feasts, the first rules were formed, which, however, in comparison with today’s ones, look completely unpretentious. The arrangement of dishes and utensils was not at all important, because the main element of serving was a demonstration of wealth, and precious stones and metals were in special honor.
The ancient Greek and Roman eras also did not elevate serving to an advanced level: although the patricians paid special attention to dinner, during it it was customary to take food with their hands, comfortably sitting in the box. But because of this custom, there was a special dish for washing hands on the table. In the Middle Ages, feasts also continued to be primitive for a long time. And only during the reign of Charlemagne, King of the Franks, the table setting began to take on a modern shape: tablecloths, napkins and expensive cutlery began to be used, meat began to be eaten with a knife, even refectory halls were decorated with various decor.
It is interesting that the traditions we are accustomed to began to emerge at the moment when women began to be admitted to the celebrations. With their appearance, feasts took on a more calm, civilized look thanks to the appearance of the first rules of etiquette. Although it was still not forbidden to wipe your hands on the tablecloth for a long time, the culture of eating began to develop rapidly, many traditions of those times have survived to this day.
Modernity offers many ways of serving, but three of them are considered the main ones: Russian, French and English. We will tell you about the rules, advantages and disadvantages of each, so that you can choose the serving option that is most suitable for you and your guests.
