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What's the most interesting traditional or formal politeness behaviour or table manners in your culture? Or for any service personnel, in your restaurant? (kbin.social)

submitted 7 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I love all the ritualized behaviour, secret meanings and unexpected taboos - standing up when someone of higher status stands, elaborate rules for serving and eating, tapping the table to thank the server, never refuse a toast from a superior, stuff like that.

Whether it's about meals or anything else, I'd love to hear about any uncommon politeness standard or similar social behaviour that goes on in your location, culture or restaurant!

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[–] [email protected] 24 points 7 months ago

standing up when someone of higher status stands

There's a great story about this. It's probably apocryphal, but it's a fun enough story anyway. Like any such myth, there are variations, but this is the one I first heard.

There's a tradition in classical music of standing when the Hallelujah chorus of Handel's Messiah is performed. The story goes that the reason for this tradition is that at its premiere, King George II was so enthralled by it that he rose from his seat. And respect dictated that if the king was standing, so must everyone else be, so the entire audience stood.