New Year's on the doorstep! We are all enchanted waiting for this magical holiday. And, of course, we are actively preparing for it! We restore order in the house, buy gifts, think through the menu of the New Year's feast and try to decorate the house in accordance with established traditions. One of the most important stages in the preparation for the New Year's Eve is serving the New Year's table. This, perhaps, is the final and very responsible stage. Therefore, you have to approach creatively to lay out the New Year's table. There are rules for drinking 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, every new year has its own symbolism (according to the Eastern calendar). And this allows us to combine traditions and innovative ideas in the design and layout of the New Year's table. So how do you design a festive table for the New Year 2012, the Year of the Black Water Dragon? Let's consider the possible options for serving a New Year's table.
General rules for serving the New Year's table 2012
If you focus on the eastern symbolism, thenmeeting the year of the Dragon, it is necessary to take into account its colors and elements. The dragon loves everything that sparkles, shimmers and shines. Therefore sparkling tinsel and shiny Christmas balls will not be superfluous on the festive table. Use them in the central New Year's composition, in a Christmas wreath or a garland for the table. The traditional colors of the Dragon Year are yellow, black and green. It is quite appropriate to have the presence of these flowers on dishes, napkins or tablecloths. The elements of the Dragon - fire (traditionally) and water (for 2012). Because lighted candles on the festive table will also like the Dragon, as well as water decorative compositions. For example, heads of real flowers or Christmas balls floating in a wide vase. And already burning floating candles - in general an ideal variant for year of the Water Dragon. Classic colors in the design of the New Year's table are white, red and blue. They can also be used for serving (tablecloth, napkins and utensils). New Year's Christmas drawings - snowflakes, bells, bows, coniferous twigs, snowmen, frosty patterns, Santa Clauses, etc., have always been and still are relevant. The easiest way is to find paper napkins with such drawings. But if desired, such a symbolism can decorate a tablecloth or tissue napkins, for example, make embroidery or applique. And, of course, no one canceled the basic rules of serving any festive table (including New Year's). They say that for solemn serving it is necessary that the table be covered only with a tablecloth (no glues, even very beautiful ones!) So that the dishes and cutlery are of the same style and combined in color with the tablecloth and napkins. 
Serving the New Year's table for a big family holiday
A big family holiday is, as a rule,a lot of people, a long and cheerful meal. Therefore, it is necessary to organize a New Year's table so that all guests and household members are, first of all, comfortable. A table for a family holiday is laid in the most spacious room of the house, placing it in the center and covering with a beautiful tablecloth. The tablecloth should be evenly hung from the table (25-40 cm). To design a 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 a table put a shallow dining room plate, and on it - a snack bar (pirozhkovoy). The distance between adjacent plates should be at least 50 cm. The knife is placed to the right of the plate, turning to it with the point. The fork is on the left, the prongs up. Dessert spoons are placed next to the knife (to his right). If there are no knives and spoons in the table setting, forks are placed to the right of the plate (simplified home version). Glasses, wine glasses and glasses are placed behind the plate (closer to the center of the table). Tissue napkins are placed on the plate from above. They should be neatly folded (boat, fan, house) or simply rolled into a tube and bandaged with a colored ribbon or a fir-tree rain (tinsel). Textile wipes can also be put under the plate or to the right of it. In the case when a flat folded napkin lies on a plate next to it, on top of the napkin you can put all the cutlery: forks, knives, spoons. Paper napkins are put in napkins. To serve the home festive table, it is also acceptable to put large beautiful paper napkins next to a plate of each guest. Common snacks (salads, meat and cheese sliced, sandwiches) are arranged so that all guests are comfortable to take them. For a large table and a large number of guests, it is desirable to duplicate each dish so as not to transfer the plates from one end of the table to the other. Fruits on the festive table are arranged in vases. Grapes are divided into small brushes, tangerines are cleaned and broken into slices, oranges are cut into slices, apples and pears are slices. Alcoholic drinks, juices, lemonade and mineral water are placed on both ends of the table or on a separate table. 
Serving the table for a youth New Year party
For a youth New Year party verythe appropriate option will be serving a buffet table (Swedish, buffet table). This is exactly the option when it's not supposed to be a usual feast, but an evening with dances, games and other entertainments. In this case, all guests are given complete freedom in both movement and communication. In addition, the buffet table relieves the hostess of many responsibilities, since the buffet involves self-service, and takes up much less space. How to properly serve a buffet table? Such a table is set near a wall or a window, covering it with a wide and long tablecloth almost to the floor. For convenience, the buffet table is arranged with tiers, using for this purpose stable boxes, shelves or boxes, which are also covered with a tablecloth. On a flat buffet table, the dishes have sectors (meat, fruit, fish, vegetable, dessert). On a tiered buffet table, sweets and fruits are put on top, and vegetable, fish and meat snacks are placed on the lower tier. On the buffet table there should be only such dishes that can be taken with a fork (without a knife): tartlets, slicing, toasts, canapés. Serving the buffet table will not yield to the usual in its solemnity, if the dishes are beautifully decorated and arranged. At both ends of the table place stacks of plates, glasses and forks. Also on the edges of the table are saucers and appliances with spices. Drinks put on a buffet in open bottles or poured into jars and decanters. Also on the buffet table there should be a free space where guests could put their filled plates. Another version of the buffet - several different tables. On the big table, only snacks are placed, on the second - drinks, on the third - dishes and cutlery. And more importantly, do not forget about a separate table (bedside table with a tray), on which guests could put used dishes. This Christmas 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 unassuming young people disposable tableware is quite suitable, different colors of which can also be successfully used for a festive entourage. In short, whatever variant you choose, remember that serving the New Year's table at home is no less important than creating a festive menu and preparing meals and snacks. Come to this process creatively, show your design talents and then this holiday will fully meet the magical atmosphere of the New Year's Eve and the expectation of a miracle! We advise you to read:
