Since childhood, we have been trying to teach our children to use good manners. Walking through life, everyone has situations in which it is simply necessary to use the rules of etiquette in order not to be trapped.
Familiarity with good manners
So, we get acquainted with the subtleties of guest etiquette.
Briefly about the basics
Etiquette is the behavior of people in society according to certain rules. Communication style, the ability to dress properly, the form of communication and mutual greetings, the ability to keep in society, to properly behave at the table - all this can be called etiquette. Besides the fact that parents teach the etiquette of their children, teachers are engaged in the preparation of schoolchildren in lessons about the rules of behavior in society.
Decent girls should conquer their behavior by good behavior, and not “fall face in the dirt” in society. The same applies to the guy, a real man should know the rules of modern etiquette, demonstrate the ability to behave on the street, at a party and at the table.
Guest etiquette is a kind of instructions that must be followed when visiting, or in the event that you invite someone to yourself. Throughout their lives, people visit each other and it is necessary to behave so that only good impressions remain about you. After all, good manners at a party contribute to the acquisition and strengthening of friendly relations between people.
How to invite?
If you decide to invite someone to visit, namely a few friends or a large company, you must notify everyone in advance about the date, time and reason for holding the event.
You can do this in person, by phone call, you can write a message by e-mail or phone. Do not forget to give time to the guest you invited to make the decision to go or refuse the invitation.
You should not be offended by a person, if for some reason he refused to come to visit, it was probably due to the relevant circumstances, there is no need to find out the reason - it is a sign of poor tone.
It is much easier to invite relatives than unfamiliar people. It is necessary to take into account the interests of all those invited, as well as calculate the opportunity to arrive on time at the appointed place of each guest.
When compiling guest lists at your reception, of course, you know if there are children or pets in a family that you can come with. It is better to discuss their presence in advance or, on the contrary, to make it clear that this is undesirable in this company. Thus, you immediately eliminate the presence of awkward situations at your event.
If guests came to you
After clarifying the guest list, you can prepare for their reception and it is better to do everything according to the plan, without haste. We need to clean the house and decorate it, but not too much. When decorating a house with flowers, do not forget to leave a few vases for flowers that guests will bring. It is better to fill them with water immediately, so as not to waste time on this when you meet your guests.
Take care of a place for smokers. Prepare ashtrays and free them from cigarette butts in a timely manner.
Do not forget to prepare towels in the bathroom, which guests will be able to wipe their hands after they have been washed. It is better to put a basket for used towels or thick disposable napkins, if you decide to replace them with towels.
Do not forget that using a master towel is a sign of bad taste, do not create awkward situations for your guests.
According to the rules of etiquette to meet guests on the threshold of the house should the owner.He helps guests to undress and escorts them to the hostess, who, in turn, introduces guests to each other.
If the guests have brought you any gift, be sure to thank them and unwrap it in their presence. It is better if you immediately find a place for gifts in the room.
If the guests brought some kind of dish or wine, according to the rules of etiquette the hostess should put it on the table. In the event that the guest mentioned that it is intended personally for her and her family, then the right to put the dish on the table or not remains for the hostess.
By the time the guests arrive, the hosts must change clothes. Even if the head of the house decided to do without a tie and jacket, then the men's shirt must be perfectly clean and perfectly ironed. Mistress should look good. Clothes should fit the event, but not be too bright and elegant, hair should be in order, neatly arranged in a hair. If the owner goes to the guests from the kitchen, she should wash her hands and take off the apron.
The host should help guests sit at the table. Men and women should be invited to sit alternating. Then each lady will have a gentleman who cares for her. The lovers should be planted nearby, but the spouses can and should be seated separately.
Seating guests at the table, the owners of the house should ensure that guests have everything in close proximity. If a dish is at a distance from someone, it is appropriate to get up and invite it to serve.
It is necessary to conduct conversations that will be of interest to everyone, without disturbing the guests to enter into the conversation, to give everyone the opportunity to speak if they wish. The same goes for entertainment:
- you can see photo albums;
- listen to music or watch a movie;
- someone prefers board games;
- You can interest the guests playing a musical instrument.
It is necessary to ensure that all guests present enjoy the general pastime and not stand aside.
You're in someone else's house
The culture of guest etiquette suggests that you should not go on a visit without an invitation, especially without warning the owners of the house. Another thing, if you received an invitation.
The invitation is a great honor, you have been allocated and invited to share your triumph, or simply invited to visit, which means they want to see you. It is mandatory to give an exact answer to the invitation, whether you accept it or not. It is necessary to come a little earlier than the appointed time, so that all the other guests would not wait for you at the laid table, but you should not come much earlier.
Going to an event, you need to think about the gift. If it is a birthday, wedding or housewarming, then, of course, you need to think in advance about what you will give to the heroes of the day. And if you go simply to visit, there will always be sweets, a cake, a bottle of wine or a small souvenir brought to the place;
It is necessary to dress according to the event and the venue. Do not dress in defiant outfits. Guest dress should not overshadow the attire of the hostess.
If you are going to go on a visit, you should not take with you strangers who are not invited to the event. If there is no opportunity to go alone, it is better to call and explain to the owners the reason for your absence, postpone the visit.
Standards of conduct for people who are at the table in the company of other persons:
- Do not lean on your elbows or set them apart while sitting at the table.
- Do not bend too low over the plate, it is necessary to bring a spoon or fork to his mouth.
- There is no need to stretch your legs, thereby demonstrating the lack of good manners.
- Having fun with cutlery, twisting a tablecloth is also a sign of bad manners.
- The napkin should be folded on the lap.
- Before you knife and fork, hold the knife in your right hand, and the fork should be in your left. You can not touch them - it's ugly.
- At the table it is necessary to eat, slowly, and soundlessly.
If you are visiting, where there are not very many guests, then do not forget to thank and praise the hostess for the treats. In the case when you are at the official reception with a large number of guests, it is better to refrain from praise.
The guest should strive to take part in conversations, maintain conversations with other guests and hosts of the event. Do not retire with someone from the guests or whisper.
If the guest has a need to leave earlier, wait for the right moment, say goodbye to the hosts and quietly move away. Your departure should not be a sign of the end of the event. It did not work to leave unnoticed, bow out to everyone at the same time and leave.
In any case, you should not linger long away. Remember, the owners spent a lot of time and effort in preparing for this event and they also need rest. Thank you politely for the invitation, invite them to pay you a return visit, which you will arrange later by phone or in person.
Memo for every day
Not only at a party you need to use the rules of etiquette. Every day you spend in the company of other people, whether they are relatives, classmates, classmates, co-workers or just strangers. You should always behave in such a way that neither you nor others will be ashamed of you.
Starting with a greeting person, your behavior at the table, even if you are having dinner alone, and ending with saying goodbye to people, you demonstrate to everyone that you have good manners. And it is better if they are perfect. Then the environment will be appropriate to your requirements - polite and decent people.
It is never too late to learn the rules of etiquette, but how they help in life!
A polite, cultural, decent person will always be a prominent person in society. How to behave in a party for men and women? How to be an exemplary hostess at home? About these standards of behavior can be found in the following video.
