When I was growing up, I remember holiday meals were always served on my mother’s best china and her silver. The silver was a pain since we had to polish it for her. With so many folks, spoons, plates and glasses, it was difficult to determine what goes where and which to use when! Long gone are the days of sitting at the table enjoying several courses of dinner. Sometimes that type of extravagance is found at upscale restaurants but not often enough to know the proper dinner table setting. Follow these instructions for a “properly” set holiday dinner table.
What silverware you will need for a table setting for 4
4 – salad forks 4 – knives
4 – dinner forks 4 – small spoons
4 – dessert forks 4 – soup spoons
What dinnerware/glassware you will need for a table setting for 4
4 – dinner plates with salad plates or soup bowls on top of it
4 – bread plate with butter knives
4 – coffee cups
4 – water glasses
4 – wine glasses
4 – liqueur glasses
Okay, now you are ready to set your proper holiday dinner table. Start with placing your dinner plate with the salad plate or soup bowl first. Center it in front of the dining chair your dinner guest will be using. Now the rest is easy if you think of your dinner plate placement like a face of a clock. Next set your bread plate with knife at “11:00 o’clock” of the dinner plate. Set your coffee cup at “1:00 o’clock” of the dinner plate, your water glass is placed to the top left of your coffee cup and your wine glass is placed to the top right of the coffee cup. The glassware arrangement is somewhat of a triangle shape.
Now you are ready for the proper silverware placement. At “3:00 o’clock” you will place your knife, your teaspoon next to the knife and last, your soup spoon. Your dessert fork is directly at “9:00 o’clock” followed by your dinner fork to the left of the dessert fork and the salad fork to the left of the dinner fork. Repeat these steps exactly for the remaining place settings and you will have an elegant and proper holiday dinner table.
Napkins are important for you table and there are many folding variations. The napkin placement totally depends your personal preference. Just be sure to include napkins when you set your proper holiday dinner table.