Setting the table for the New Year: correctly, beautifully, conveniently

Housewives often have a question: how to set the table if the New Year celebration takes place at home? Today we will talk in detail about what cutlery and utensils can be used, what tablecloth will come in handy and what is customary to decorate the table setting with.

Choosing a tablecloth

In America and European countries, it is customary to cover the table with a green or red tablecloth for the New Year - these colors symbolize the onset of a new milestone in the life of mankind. In Russia, Ukraine and Belarus there is a different 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 chosen to match the decoration of the room - just as 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 from hanging all the way to the floor. But it would not be a mistake to use a short tablecloth - if it hangs 30–35 cm on all sides, this will be enough to prevent guests from getting tangled in the folds of the fabric and to make the table look solemn.

The main thing is to iron the tablecloth well. There should not be even the smallest creases or folds on it.

Napkins

For daily use, only a few people fold napkins into fancy geometric shapes. But before the New Year you will have to try - on the festive table they also serve as a decorative item.

There is an opinion that only linen napkins are suitable for a festive feast.This is not true - it is acceptable to offer paper ones to guests as well. The only difference is in the serving:

• cloth napkins are placed to the left of each guest's appetizer plate;
• paper ones are placed on the table in special holders.

For the New Year, you can buy napkins with a themed pattern or embroidery, but it would not be a mistake to use ordinary ones - white or plain.

Cutlery and crockery

Which plates, glasses and cutlery will be given to guests depends on the list of dishes on the menu. But in general, 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 utensils are located to the right of the plate in the following order: first the knife (blade facing the plate), then the tablespoon (curved side down). The forks are placed on the left (face up).
• Glasses, shot glasses and glasses are placed behind the plate. They are arranged in height - from large to small. There should not be too much glassware for drinks.

The main dish - usually meat (roasted duck, chicken or pig) - is placed in the center. Snacks are on either side of him. Next are sauces, vegetable slices and salads. Drinks are placed at equal 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, they often use plates and cups with themed patterns or decorate dishes based on the main attributes of the holiday. For example, they lay out the salad in the shape of a Christmas tree, and then decorate it with fresh sprigs of dill and pomegranate seeds; bake gingerbread cookies in the shape of bells and Santa Claus figures; Place a clock made of pieces of cheese, sausage and olives on a plate, setting their hands to 23:55.

Candles

Candles are one of the main attributes of the New Year's holiday, so their presence on the table is mandatory.

The appearance of 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 come in handy.
• If the candlestick is low, you need to put long candles in it, and vice versa, in a tall one - shorter ones.

It is not forbidden to create compositions combining multi-colored candles (for example, white, blue and gold or blue, red and green).

Sometimes candlesticks are decorated with fir branches, snow-covered cones, tinsel, streamers, artificial viburnum or rowan berries, and small tangerines.

When buying candles, you should give preference to wax rather than paraffin ones. The latter are much cheaper, but during combustion they release toxic substances that can cause an asthma attack or allergy in one of the guests.

New Year's composition

It is also customary to decorate the table with a New Year's composition. If it is large, then one is enough, but several small ones should be placed 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. It’s good if there is a place nearby for New Year’s characters - Father Frost and Snow Maiden. They can be plastic, but it is better to use chocolate or marzipan figures - at the end of the feast, guests will eat them as dessert.
An important rule is that the decorations should not obscure the guests or make it difficult to access plates of food.

It turns out that the New Year's table setting differs from the usual only in additional paraphernalia - candles, themed decorations and, at the request of the owners of the house, the presence of festive designs on the dishes. As for the rules for serving dishes, they remain unchanged.