Mars

Chinese Dining Customs Some Chinese dining customs I have learned is that when you slurp at the dining table when you eat the food that a host has made for you, it is actually a good thing and the proper thing to do, to show them their food is very good and you enjoy it. You should also wait to eat until the older people say “lets eat” and then you are allowed to start to eat.You should pick up your bowl with your thumb on the mouth of the bowl, first finger, middle finger the third finger supporting the bottom of the bowl and palm empty. You should also try to refill your bowl with rice and along the way fill others around you. When an elder fill your bowl with more rice you should be very thankful and show your gratitude. Do not reach over people or get the food that is most difficult to access. Serve yourself with the food nearest and right in front of you and don’t star at the food or down at your plate. When getting food, make sure not to push and shove to get it or take too much. Portion the amount you get nicely and don’t consume it too quickly. Do not stick chopsticks vertically into your food when you are not using them, especially not into rice, because that will make Chinese people think of funerals. You shouldn’t wave your chopsticks around too much or stab the into your food because its childish and rude. At the table, you should always show elegance and grace. Even though in America you should also have good table manners, some people forget and are very rude. Today, it has gotten to the point where table manners are not shown in the right ways and generations after generations are not being taught the proper way of behaving. I think it is great that in China there are so many rules to eating at the table with people and it is still shown in America with Chinese families everywhere. Social grace is very important and needs to be respected more.