New Year is just around the corner!We are all waiting for this magical holiday as if enchanted. And, of course, we are actively preparing for it! We tidy up the house, buy gifts, think over the menu for the New Year's feast and try to decorate the house in accordance with established traditions. One of the most important stages of preparation for the New Year is setting the New Year's table. This is, perhaps, the final and very important stage. Therefore, you need to approach the New Year's table setting creatively. There are rules of table etiquette, but there is a place for creativity here too! And the New Year is probably the most suitable occasion to show your talents as a cook and designer. In addition, each New Year has its own symbols (according to the Eastern calendar). And this allows us to combine traditions and innovative ideas in the design and setting of the New Year's table. So how to set the festive table for the New Year 2012, the year of the Black Water Dragon? Let's consider the possible options for setting the home New Year's table.
General rules for serving the New Year's table 2012
If we focus on Eastern symbolism, thenWhen celebrating the Year of the Dragon, you should take into account its colors and elements. The Dragon loves everything that sparkles, shimmers and glitters. Therefore, sparkling tinsel and shining Christmas tree balls will not be superfluous on the festive table. Use them in the central New Year's composition, in a Christmas wreath or garland for the table. The traditional colors of the Year of the Dragon are yellow, black and green. It will be quite appropriate to have these colors on dishes, napkins or tablecloths. The elements of the Dragon are fire (traditionally) and water (for 2012). Therefore, the Dragon will also like lit candles on the festive table, as well as water decorative compositions. For example, heads of fresh flowers or Christmas tree balls floating in a wide vase. And burning floating candles are generally an ideal option for the Year of the Water Dragon. Classic colors in New Year's table decoration are white, red and blue. They can also be used for table setting (tablecloth, napkins and dishes). New Year's Christmas drawings have always been and remain relevant - snowflakes, bells, bows, pine branches, snowmen, frost patterns, Santa Clauses, etc. The easiest way is to find paper napkins with such drawings. But if desired, you can decorate a tablecloth or fabric napkins with such symbols, for example, make embroidery or applique. And, of course, no one has canceled the basic rules for setting any festive table (including New Year's). They say that for a festive table setting it is necessary that the table be covered only with a tablecloth (no oilcloths, even very beautiful ones!), so that the dishes and cutlery are in the same style and match the color of the tablecloth and napkins.
Serving the New Year's table for a big family holiday
A big family holiday is usuallymany people, a long and cheerful feast. Therefore, it is necessary to organize the New Year's table so that all guests and household members are, first of all, comfortable. The table for a family holiday is set in the most spacious room of the house, placing it in the center and covering it with a beautiful tablecloth. The tablecloth should hang evenly from the table (by 25-40 cm). To decorate the New Year's table, you can use two tablecloths, matching or contrasting in color. This combination will look especially beautiful on a round or oval table. For each person sitting at the table, put a shallow dinner plate, and on it - a snack (pie) plate. The distance between adjacent plates should be at least 50 cm. The knife is placed to the right of the plate, turning the tip towards it. The fork is on the left, with the tines up. Dessert spoons are placed next to the knife (to the right of it). If the table setting does not include knives and spoons, then forks are placed to the right of the plate (simplified home version). Shot glasses, wine glasses and glasses are placed behind the plate (closer to the center of the table). Cloth napkins are placed on top of the plate. They need to be carefully folded (like a boat, a fan, a house) or simply rolled into a tube and tied with a colored ribbon or Christmas tree tinsel. Textile napkins can also be placed under the plate or to the right of it. In the case when a flat-folded napkin lies on the plate next to it, all cutlery can be placed on top of the napkin: forks, knives, spoons. Paper napkins are placed in napkin holders. When setting a home festive table, it is also acceptable to place large beautiful paper napkins next to each guest's plate. Common appetizers (salads, cold meats and cheese, sandwiches) are placed so that all guests can easily take them. For a large table and a large number of guests, it is advisable to duplicate each dish so as not to pass plates from one end of the table to the other. Fruits on the festive table are placed in vases. Grapes are divided into small bunches, tangerines are peeled and broken into segments, oranges are cut into circles, apples and pears - into slices. Alcoholic drinks, juices, lemonade and mineral water are placed at both ends of the table or on a separate table.
Serving the table for a youth New Year party
It's very suitable for a youth New Year's partya suitable option would be to set a buffet table (Swedish, buffet table). This is exactly the option when it is not an ordinary feast, but an evening with dancing, games and other entertainment. In this case, all guests are given complete freedom in both movement and communication. In addition, a buffet table frees the hostess from many responsibilities, since a buffet table implies self-service, and takes up much less space. How to properly set a buffet table? Such a table is installed near a wall or window, covering it with a wide and long tablecloth almost to the floor. For convenience, a buffet table is arranged in tiers, using stable boxes, shelves or drawers for this, which are also covered with a tablecloth. On a flat buffet table, dishes are arranged in sectors (meat, fruit, fish, vegetable, dessert). On a tiered buffet table, sweets and fruits are placed on top, and vegetable, fish and meat snacks are on the lower tier. The buffet table should only have dishes that can be taken with a fork (without a knife): tartlets, cold cuts, toasts, canapes. Serving a buffet table will not be inferior to a regular table in its solemnity if the dishes are beautifully decorated and laid out. Stacks of plates, glasses and forks are placed at both ends of the table. Sauce boats and cutlery with spices are also placed along the edges of the table. Drinks are placed on the buffet in open bottles or poured into jugs and decanters. There should also be free space on the buffet table where guests could put their filled plates. Another option for a buffet is several different tables. Only appetizers are placed on the large table, drinks on the second, and dishes and cutlery on the third. And it is also important not to forget about a separate table (a cabinet with a tray) on which guests could put used dishes. Such New Year's table setting does not exclude festive decoration. Here you can also use traditional colors for tablecloths and napkins, you can decorate the table with New Year's compositions. By the way, for unpretentious youth, disposable tableware is quite suitable, various colors of which can also be successfully used for a festive entourage. In a word, whichever option you choose, remember that setting the New Year's table at home is a task no less responsible than compiling a festive menu and preparing dishes and snacks. Approach this process creatively, show your design talents and then this holiday will fully correspond to the magical atmosphere of New Year's Eve and the expectation of a miracle! We advise you to read:
