Western Cultural Dining Etiquette
I've done many searches online to find the rules I want to enforce in my home and teach my kids. But then I end up with multiple print-outs and have to cut and paste the things I like. So here's my own compilation for your use if you like. 1. Don't hold your fork or spoon like a shovel. I say this repeatedly - probably twice a week - in our home. Thankfully, my kids are pretty good at it now. Here is why it bugs me: - It makes you look like you're starving and need huge volumes of food to enter your mouth NOW. - It makes you look impatient. - It forces you to raise a 'wing' (which will appear later in my list). - It may be appropriate in other cultures/contexts (think youth group binges of some sort), but not in Western dining situations - It typically raises your hand/arm to above your lower lip (another no-no). Here is my description of holding a spoon like a shovel: Th...