Napkins on the table: learn to choose
We will consider the appearance of napkins as a new milestone insystem of etiquette. In general, to speak abstractly, napkins on the table existed at all times, only their role was played by various subjects: the ancient Greeks and their patrician neighbors had the custom of baking thin tortillas (analogous to modern lavash) and placing them on the table for feasting in a folded form. Then they got their mouth wet and sent there. Although the Romans excelled and pohlesche: near the hand of an important reclining senator was a charming youngster with magnificent hair, about which the uncle and wiped his hands every time after using the gifts of Dionysus.
Asians in this regard are more delicate - napkinson the table looked like a bowl with rose water, later - with the addition of citrus, which was wetted by fingers after eating fatty foods. In this form, the tradition has reached us - many Japanese restaurants and seafood establishments offer this option of cleaning hands.
Modern napkins are derived from nasalshawls, that's just in Latin, they are not nasal, but for wiping sweat. The guests brought long pieces of cloth with them, eventually carrying away the remains of food - perhaps, hence the "tablecloth-samobranka" is like.
Modern napkins on the table
After the invention of plugs and habituation to themEuropean nobility, in the 18th century the napkins on the table were substantially lost in size: a small square served as a decoration of the table rather than an applied object. It was considered to be the highest skill to eat from a fork so that a napkin was not needed (for modern people).
Today, cloth napkins are almost completelyreplaced disposable - paper napkins on the table. Elegantly folded, made of corrugated, painted, shiny paper, it will be an ornament of any table - from New Year's to wedding. Nevertheless, cloth napkins have not gone anywhere - fine restaurants consider it their duty to serve the table only like this. In addition, the satin napkins look expensive, the napkins on the table, made of cotton or linen, keep the shape well and are well washed.
By the way, there is a rule: if large, 35x35 cm napkins are served for breakfast, dinner, or dinner, then 25x25cm napkins are accepted for tea.
How to beautifully roll napkins?
It is not enough to buy and spread napkins - this is the last century: now it is necessary to surprise the guests with their correct geometric thinking, having learned to put them down to the ancient technique of origami.
Here are a couple of ideas on how to beautifully fold the napkins onto the table:
- "Loop" - add up diagonally, we gettriangle. Now you need to combine the left and right corners with the top. The resulting diamond is folded in half with respect to the horizontal - again we get a triangle. We put the right corner in the left - the napkin will look like a "layered finger", the edges of which, if bent - there will be a real plume.
- "Southern Cross" - bend in turn all the corners tocenter and turn the napkin face up. Again, bend the corners to the center and turn it over. Repeat the procedure, then pull out, beginning with the upper right corner. It turned out to be a cross, just like an ambulance. And this help is for your table! </ ul </ p>
