AE & Associates LLC

12/09/2022

ROLE OF A HOST FOR BEST FLOW OF CONVERSATION AT DINNER TABLE

According to social historians, the art of small talk, as we know it today, developed quite recently. By the 19th century, public education was increasingly available to the masses, creating new conversation topics and etiquette rules for the dining table. Soon enough, negative themes such as politics, religion, family crisis, personal finances or illness, began to be considered in bad taste and poor class at the dining table.

As a host, your main role is to create a pleasant environment for your guests. One of your main concerns should be to avoid unpleasant disagreements, strongly opposing views, or monopolization of the conversation. You can avoid this situation by not seating together two people of the same profession, such as two lawyers or two doctors. The same rule applies for two employees of the same company, etc... What you want is a lively flow.

12/05/2022

Napkin Etiquette
One of the most important tools at the table to show we know!

The napkin is often a neglected item at meals, but it really reveals how much we may know about dining etiquette. Let’s review some important tips:

- If there is a host or the most senior executive at the dinner party, wait for them to take their napkin off the table before you take yours. If there is no host or senior executive at your table, wait until everyone is seated, and pick up your napkin.
- Unfold your napkin in a smooth motion - without shaking or snapping it – fold it in two and place it in your lap.
- Never clean your silverware or wipe your face with your napkin.
- Never wear your napkin like a cravat or bib, or tuck it in your belt, skirt, or necklace.
- Please, never blow your nose with your napkin!
- At the end of the meal, the host signals it is over by placing his/her napkin on the table. Follow the lead and place yours to the left of your dinner plate – with no soiled areas showing – No need to refold it neatly. Never place it on the chair you sit or on the plate.
- Remember this easy mnemonic device when placing your napkin at the end of the meal: LL for “Loosely” to the “Left” (tip from The Emily Post ETIQUETTE Institute).

11/27/2022

Where does the expression "TOAST" -- as in drinking to one's health -- come from?

Honoring a person or the ancient gods by raising a glass of wine was common practice for millennia. But the earliest wines were often bitter and contained unpleasant sediments and odors, leading to the practice of adding sugar or fruits to improve the taste. This concept evolved by dropping a piece of spiced and charred bread into an alcoholic beverage using the exotic spices of cinnamon or ginger brought to Europe by the early explorers. The piece of toasted and spiced bread would absorb the unpleasant deposits, and thus alter the acidity and bitterness. The toast was often removed after it had flavored the drink and absorbed the sediments. By the 16th Century, the word “toast” itself began to appear in the English language. In The Merry Wives of Windsor, William Shakespeare has Falstaff say: “Go fetch me a quart of sack; put a toast in’t”. Consequently, as the practice developed, today making a toast in honor of a person, would figuratively add flavor to the event by his or her presence just as the spiced toast did to the drink!...

11/23/2022

GIVING A TOAST ETIQUETTE

Giving a toast is a tradition fraught with possibilities for mistakes. Please know the fundamental rule. Anyone, male or female, can propose a toast, but it is important to remember that only the host may offer the first toast, not the guests. Guests should never make the first toast. It is customary to make the first toast at the beginning of the meal, and it is often a "welcome toast". If there is a guest of honor, the host will propose a toast to that person later during the meal, typically at dessert.

11/19/2022

Why do we say “Bless You” after someone sneezes?

This practice dates to the 6th Century. On 16 February, 600 C.E. – Pope Gregory I (also known as Gregory the Great) commanded that anyone who sneezed, immediately be blessed, out of fear that it was a sign that they had contracted the PLAGUE (Bubonic Plague). The Pope hoped that if a sneezing person was bombarded with blessings, the collective prayers would save this individual from the deadly disease.

Even though such “blessings” remain popular in many cultures and languages today, At AE & Associates we recommend our clients to ignore the sneezes -- and say nothing -- even if it might seem a little difficult for you to appear that you did not see or hear the person sneeze. The person who just sneezed do not need any attention at that moment. All they need is a handkerchief or a tissue paper.

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11/16/2022

Today's Tip - Ordering Food at a Business Meal.

At a business lunch or dinner, it is important to pay attention to the food you order. Regardless how much you may like some dishes, avoid anything that is messy to eat, or food you would like to eat with your hands. Spaghetti sauce, fried chicken or some sandwiches are better enjoyed with family or friends, not at a business meal.

The best tip is to follow the lead of the host, and order according to his or her choice: “casual” or “formal”.

11/16/2022

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