Often the housewives have a question: how to set the table, if the celebration of the New Year will be held at home? Today we will talk in detail about what appliances and utensils can be used, what kind of tablecloth will come in handy and what is customary to decorate the table with.
Tablecloth selection
In America and Europe for the New Year it is customary to cover the table with a green or red tablecloth - these colors symbolize the onset of a new milestone in the life of mankind. In Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, another tradition - it is believed that the tablecloth should be white. However, according to etiquette, the color of the fabric does not play a significant role. Nowadays, it is often picked up to match the decoration of the room - just like they do when setting the table during other holidays.
It is advisable that the tablecloth be long - the rules of etiquette do not prohibit its edges hanging up to the floor. But it will not be a mistake to use a short tablecloth - if it hangs on all sides by 30–35 cm, this will be enough so that guests do not get confused in the folds of fabric and make the table look solemn.
The main thing is to iron the tablecloth well. It should not have even the smallest creases and folds.
Napkins
For everyday use, only a few people fold napkins, giving them bizarre geometric shapes. But before the New Year will have to try - at the festive table, they also serve as a decoration.
There is an opinion that only linen napkins are suitable for a festive feast. This is not so - it is acceptable to offer guests also paper ones. The difference is only in the serving:
- tissue napkins are placed to the left of the diner plate of each of the guests;
- paper put on the table in special holders.
By the New Year, you can buy napkins with a thematic pattern or embroidery, but it will not be a mistake to use ordinary ones - white or plain.
Cutlery and dishes
What kind of plates, glasses and appliances will give guests depends on the list of dishes on the menu. But overall, the serving method remains unchanged:
- The distance from the edge of the plate to the edge of the table should be 2 cm.
- The main appliances are located to the right of the plate in the following order: first a knife (with a blade to the plate), then a tablespoon (curved side down). Forks are laid to the left (face up).
- Glasses, glasses and glasses are placed behind the plate. They are placed in height - from large to small. Dishes for drinks should not be too much.
The main course - usually meat (baked duck, chicken or pig) - is placed in the center. Snacks are on either side of it. Next are sauces, vegetable slices and salads. Drinks are placed at regular intervals along the entire length of the table. If there are a lot of guests, it is better to immediately divide the food into portions and serve each on a separate plate.
To create a New Year’s atmosphere, often use plates and cups with thematic patterns or decorate dishes, focusing on the main attributes of the holiday. For example, spread a salad in the form of a Christmas tree, and then decorate with fresh sprigs of dill and pomegranate seeds; gingerbread cookies in the form of bells and figures of Santa Claus; lay out on a plate the clock from pieces of cheese, sausage and olives, exposing their hands at 23:55.
Candles
Candles are one of the main attributes of the New Year's holiday, so their presence on the table is required.
The appearance of the candles must comply with the following rules:
- The color is selected to match the rest of the serving (tablecloths, napkins, dishes). If it is not possible to buy candles of the desired shade, take white ones - they will always be welcome.
- If the candlestick is low, you need to put long candles in it, and vice versa, in the high - shorter ones.
It is not forbidden to create compositions by combining multi-colored candles (for example, white, blue and gold or blue, red and green).
Sometimes candle holders are decorated with fir branches, snowy cones, tinsel, serpentine, artificial berries of viburnum or mountain ash, small tangerines.
When buying candles, you should give preference to wax rather than paraffin. The second ones are much cheaper, but during burning they release toxic substances that can cause an asthma attack or an allergy in one of the guests.
Christmas composition
It is also customary to decorate the table with a New Year's composition. If it’s large, then one is enough, but small ones are worth putting a few - at different ends of the table. The simplest version of this decor is spruce or pine branches in a vase, decorated with bright toys and tinsel. Well, if there is a place nearby for New Year's characters - Santa Claus and Snow Maiden. They may be plastic, but it is better to use chocolate or marzipan figures - at the end of the feast guests will eat them as a dessert.
An important rule is that decorations should not obscure guests or obstruct access to food plates.
It turns out that the New Year table setting differs from the usual only in additional attributes - candles, themed decorations and, at the request of the owners of the house, the presence of festive drawings on the dishes. As for the rules for serving dishes, they remain unchanged.