Table manners
Table manners are the rules of etiquette used while eating and drinking together, which may also include the use of utensils.
There is a section on table etiquette in the deuterocanonical Book of Sirach,[1] dated to around 200-175 BC.
[2] Traditionally in Europe, the host or hostess takes the first bite[3][failed verification] unless he or she instructs otherwise.
[9] It is also rude to slurp food, eat noisily or make noise with cutlery.
Should a mobile telephone (or any other modern device) ring or if a text message is received, the diner should ignore the call.
In exceptional cases where the diner feels the call may be of an urgent nature, they should ask to be excused, leave the room and take the call (or read the text message) out of earshot of the other diners.
Placing a phone, keys, handbag or wallet on the dinner table is considered rude.
Modern etiquette provides the smallest numbers and types of utensils necessary for dining.
[11] A tablecloth extending 10–15 inches past the edge of the table should be used for formal dinners, while placemats may be used for breakfast, lunch, and informal suppers.
If food must be removed from the mouth for some reason—a pit, bone, or gristle—the rule of thumb, according to Emily Post, is that it comes out the same way it went in.
This stems from aristocratic views that drawing the spoon toward oneself portrayed negative images of either hunger or gluttony.
(See Fork etiquette) The napkin should be left on the seat of a chair only when leaving temporarily.
Generally, one should not leave the table before the host or the eldest person finishes his or her food.
It is also considered impolite to leave the table without asking for the host's or the elder's permission.
It is considered important to finish each item on the plate out of respect for the food being served.
Certain Indian food items can create sounds, so it is important to close the mouth and chew at a moderate pace.
At the dining table, attention must be paid to specific behaviors that may indicate distraction or rudeness.
Seating and serving customs play important roles in Chinese dining etiquette.
When everyone is seated, the host offers to pour tea, beginning with the cup of the eldest person.
It is considered rude and unhygienic for a diner to use his or her own chopsticks to pick up food from communal bowls and plates when such utensils are present.
The last piece of food on a communal dish is never served to oneself without asking for permission.
It is considered virtuous for diners to not leave any bit of food on their plates or bowls.
On occasion, there are some dishes which require additional cooking or serving at the table.
Alternatively, soup may be served in a single large communal pot to be consumed directly or ladled into individual bowls.
Often some form of protein (meat, poultry, fish) will be served as a main course and placed at the center of the table within reach of the diners.
The last piece of food on a communal dish should not be served to oneself without first asking for permission, but, if offered the last bit of food in the communal dish, it is considered rude to refuse the offer.
