5 golden rules for your Christmas table

5 reglas de oro  para tu mesa de Navidad

Do not miss the golden rules established by the protocol to have your Christmas table ready.

 

Hello

And today, we want to give you 5 protocol rules for your Christmas table.

We are not very fond of taking protocol to the letter, but some ideas can work for us, always at some point they may be needed.

Well, here we go with the first one;

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An essential part of the table is the table linen,

If we want to show off an elegant table, we must take into account the following:

*Tablecloth: The tablecloths white or neutral colors are the best option, since they give a feeling of spaciousness and cleanliness, although if you have a Christmas reason it is also a great idea!

Y  play with  Colors like red, green or gold will give that more traditional look.

Do not forget that the tablecloth must cover the entire table, including the legs.

If you use a linen tablecloth you will further enhance that elegance and good taste.

*Napkins: They also have their important role and ideally they should match the tablecloth, and although it is less formal, the use of paper napkins with some Christmas motif could also be used, although if you abide by a full-fledged protocol , it is better to discard the paper ones.

The napkins should be placed on top of the plate, but in the case that we want to place a card on the plate  for our guests, the napkin can be placed outside it but on the left side, never on the right. 

The right side is  where they are placed when used.

It is also not recommended to place them in glasses or cups.

Cutlery

The placement of the cutlery is key on a table. Remember to clean them first with a cloth beforehand so that they shine. 

The fundamental rule for the placement of cutlery is the following:

*They are placed in the reverse order of their use, that is, the first ones that we are going to use, are placed on the outside, from the outside in.

*You have to place them in the order of arrival of the food.

*Knives should go with the cutting side in, spoons and forks up. 

*The knife and spoon are placed on the right and the fork on the left.

*The dessert cutlery is placed on top of the plate, between the glasses and the plate, the spoon  for dessert it will go with the handle to the right and the fork with the handle to the left.

Glassware

The glasses and glasses in which we drink must also be given importance, it is part of the food and the placement of the crockery on the table.

For everything to look perfect, the following must be taken into account:

*All glassware must be of the same model.

*All glasses must be set before diners are seated.

*The order is from left to right:

-water, white wine, red wine and  glass of champagne.

Plates

One of the things that we have to take into account is how many diners we will have at home and it is important to know, in order to  to know the space and chairs you will need, and all the aforementioned, glasses, cups, napkins, etc.  How many plates of each will you need per diner?

The dishes to use  that have to be taken into account are the bajo plate, the flat plate, the deep plate and the bread saucer.

*Bajo plate: We often forget it, but it is a very good option to use it, since it It brings an extra to the decoration of the table. It is not removed at any time, it always has to be present.

*The dinner plate should never be larger than the subplate.

*The deep plates should not be alone on the tablecloth, they should always be on top of a plate.

*The saucer for the plan should always be on the left.

time to serve

It all depends on whether it's lunch or dinner, dinner being a little softer. If it is a more abundant meal, the ideal is to serve the food from softest to strongest, the most copious meals at the end, such as meat and seafood. 

The way to serve the food recommended by the protocol and that must be taken into account is the following:

*We will serve the food on the side  left and we will remove it from the right side, although if the dish is already plated from the kitchen or on the same table, it can be served from the right.

*The bread can be accompanied by a small detail such as butter to make the wait more enjoyable.

*The ideal is that everyone has their own plate and does not have to be served directly from the table, that not everyone handles the food, it is rather a hygienic measure, although we already know that it enters the family, because it stays in the family.

*Always have everything placed on the table and thus not have to get up every moment and make your guests wait.

*The cups should never be filled. The correct measurement is the following:

*One third for white wine.

*Two thirds for the red

*Never more than half a glass for cava.

These have been some points to take into account, but you know, what  what we love is to enjoy the moment with family and friends, laughing, talking  and in a very cozy environment, our home.