People who go to a formal Western dinner party for the first time may be surprised by table manners in Western culture. Knowing them will help you to behave properly.
First you should know how to put knives and forks. The forks are always on the left while knives on the right of the plate. When you see two spoons, you should know the big one is for soup and the small one for dessert. When you sit down at the table, you can take your napkin, unfold it and put it on your lap.
Then dinner starts with a small dish. Some people pray before they start eating, and other people may keep silent for a moment. After that everybody starts. After the small dish, you will get a bowl of soup-but only one bowl of soup and never ask for a second. Many Westerners like to use their fingers when they eating chicken or other birds at table, but never touch beef or other meat in bones. It is polite to finish eating everything on your plate, so don't take more food than you need. Of course you should try to speak quietly and smile a lot, but do not laugh all the time at the table.
However, table manners change over time. They follow the fashion of the day. Beside, table manners are only important at formal dinner parties. If you're not sure what to do, you can always follow your hosts. Although good manners always make you look good, you do not need to worry about all these rules while having dinner with your friends or family.
