“礼出于俗，俗化为礼”

                                               —《管子·枢言》

     “Ritual come from Costume, and Costume form the Ritual ” . China started to develop their etiquette, because when people meet their requirements of basic necessities of life, people begin to refine their necessities.

Table is the place that all the rule happened. People make rule in front of table, political make In the process of the establishment and implementation of etiquette, the essence of etiquette that gave birth to the Chinese patriarchal system (see Chinese patriarchal law) is the way to govern people and is a derivative of ghosts and gods. People think that everything is invisible to the ghosts. Manipulating etiquette is to please the ghosts and gods. Therefore, etiquette originated from the belief of ghosts and gods, and it is also a special embodiment of ghosts and gods. The appearance of “three ceremonies” (“Rituals”, “Book of Rites”, “Zhou Li”) marked the mature stage of etiquette development. During the Song Dynasty, etiquette and feudal ethics and morals were mixed, that is, etiquette and etiquette were mixed and became one of the effective tools for the implementation of ritual education. Salute to serve Germany, red tape to its best until modern times. The etiquette was really reformed. No matter whether it is the etiquette of the country’s political life or the people’s life etiquette, it has changed into a new content without ghost spirits, thus becoming a modern civilized etiquette.

 

 

   Ritual also helped Social communicate between each other, people use these etiquette, social means to help people develop their relationship. At the table, a person’s etiquette often reflects the sincerity and intentions that he wants to express. Good people who do well in etiquette often get a good first impression from others.

 

Talking about ritual help social communicate for people. In the Three Kingdoms period, Liu Bie(刘备), Guan Yu(关羽)，Zhang Fei(张飞) It’s a good explanation of this. They should never know each other. They knew each other at the bar. In the process of communicating with each other at the table, their etiquette shows apart from their different personalities. Liu Bei is benevolent, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are heroic and brave. After the conversation, the three of them were congenial. Three of them decided to become sworn brothers. In Zhang Fei’ house there is peach orchard with full bloom, they prepared the ox and white horse (which is the sacrificial offering,a white horse offering sacrifices to heaven and ox sacrifices to earth) ,and offered sacrifices to heaven and earth, burning incense and worship again, and became brothers with different surnames. In front of the table, they propose toast to the sky, to the earth and to each other. All of those etiquette is develop of ritual. Then Liu become big brother, Guan and Fei also have to toast to him first, Liu will toast back to them, and they will drink the wine all up together.

 

Banquet is also the way to show the effective of ritual on social communicate.Chinese banquet has become an important aspect of China’s  culture. It embodies the characteristics of Chinese society and culture. The discussion of the etiquette in the ancient Chinese banquet activities is of great significance and function to the understanding of Chinese ritual culture, and even the Chinese traditional culture. At the same time, the essence of ancient banquet etiquette is also of great reference value to the formation and development of contemporary Chinese civilization etiquette.

• Reception etiquette
  • “请” ：please : How to entertain guests with wine and food? There are detailed provisions in “Zhou Li”, “Ritual” and “book of Rites”.In the various etiquette system of the ancient banquets, the etiquette of the seat is the best expression of the high and inferior of the banquet, the seat, the sitting method, the mat and so on are limited by the strict system of etiquette, and the violators are rite. Under the strict regulation of the banquet system, people take their seats according to their social status, status and clan relations, so the banquet process is in order. 
• Banquet etiquette: During the banquet some element is essential.
  • Blessing 
  • Wine
  • Dance and music
• Guest etiquette
  • Toast to the host
• The courtesy of the send guest
  • “保重” taking care

 

The whole banquet activities, need good atmosphere , in order and the banquet people always feel relaxed, enjoy the rich food, and enhance the friendship between each other. The etiquette and etiquette throughout the banquet is not the shackles of the taste of eating, but the expression of people’s moral culture, and the embodiment of a form of beauty.