Have you ever hosted an international feast at home? Here are some basic advice on hosting a perfect family feast for international guests.
As a host:
Appropriate decoration on the table：
There should be some flowers on the table, and they should not be in the line of sight of the guests. Especially for a big feast which includes more than 8 people, small and lower flowers are better as they will not block the sight of guests.
However, flowers have various meanings in different countries. In China, flowers should be as bright as the table decoration, like red roses and pink peonies, white flowers should never be set on table which means death in Chinese culture. In Japan, the amount of flowers on the table should not be 4, 6 or 9 which are pronounced the same way as death, rascal and pain in Japanese. In France, chrysanthemum is the flower which should only be used at a funeral and also should not be set on a feast table.
Use cooking utensils as a decoration. Sometimes when the dishes are too much, plates and bowls may seem slightly insufficient. However, it is not wise to go shopping for tableware whenever you are going to invite guests. If you observe carefully, you will find some dishes do not need to be poured out from the pot to a plate. Setting a good-looking container directly on the table is a clever approach of table setting. This way, you not only save the tableware, but also retain the original smell and taste of the food.
Invite guests to cook together:
The host can invite guests to cook with them. You can not only free yourself, but also avoid the embarrassment of guests having to be alone. Moreover, this time can also be fun with talking and laughing.
In Spain and Italy, it is quite an enjoyable process to invite your guests to cook together. However, in China, it is a little bit impolite to invite elderly people to cook with you.
Games before the feast:
In order to avoid the embarrassment of the guests, games for young and old are essential. Try poker, Monopoly and flying chess.
Most Western people enjoy simple games before the feast like poker and puzzles. On the contrary, in most Asian countries, people usually do not play games before dinner, but after.
As a guest:
If you are invited in an international feast, it will be better to prepared some gifts to the host.Bring a bundle of simple flowers. Put the flowers into a vase on the table after entering the room. Also be aware of the meanings of flowers.Do not bring white flowers for Chinese, do not bring chrysanthemum flowers for French and Spanish, but chrysanthemum is a good choice in Germany.
If you want to bring the kitchenware as a gift, it would be better that it conforms to the design of your friend’s house or choose the simplest shape of knives, forks, plates or tea sets.
A bottle of wine or champagne is suitable for all kinds of family feasts and also can help create a comfortable atmosphere. But do not forget to keep it in the right temperature before bringing it to the host.
