There is saying “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” This means that if you go to other countries, you have to respect and follow their traditions. Nowadays, people go abroad very often, so we have more chances to experience the cultures of other countries. If you go to a different country, you should understand the culture of the country.
Table manners are etiquette when you eat meals. Table manners are different in each country. In this article, I will describe the table manners of Italy and France.
In Italy, the basic manner is no hand on the table during meals. Also if you go with a group to a restaurant, you wait for the hostess to begin eating and to leave the table. If you don’t wait for the hostess, people think you are rude. In addition, don’t touch or fix your hair at the table. When you put food on your plate, you should use tongs. However, when you eat spaghetti, you should use a fork not a spoon. If you are thirsty during the meals, first, clean your lips with your handkerchief. Then, you can drink water. Lastly, espresso is drunk after the meal, not during the meal.
In France, you need to use a fork and knife. The knife is located on the right of a dish, and the fork is located on the left of a dish. You first use the fork or knife which is placed on the outside. During the meal, the fork and knife are positioned like a /, and when you finish the meal, you put the fork and knife together. Bread is on the left side, and you shouldn’t cut bread with the butter knife. The wine glass and water glass are located on the right side of the main dish. When you eat soup, do not make any sound. Lastly, during the meal, you shouldn’t leave the spoon in the soup dish.
Like this, the two countries have their own table manners. It is better to respect table manners when you are in those countries. Understanding international manners is necessary if you want to be polite in any country.
