From The “Who Knew” Files ... Idiosyncrasies Of German Table Manners

So...you are traveling through Germany, and while you are in Bonn, you visit your Aunt Hilda. In your honor, she invites ten of her closest friends, as well as a few acquaintances, and promises a wonderful lunch. You, barely able to make yourself understood, suddenly remember that the field of German interpersonal etiquette and table manners is strewn with landmines and booby-traps.

Yet, not wishing to disappoint good Aunt Hilda, you go along with the plan. The appointed day arrives, and you enter the dining room, only to find a small army of folks, some of whom appear to be relatives, some friends, and some acquaintances of good old Hilda. While here in America this is the stuff that nightmares (or Thanksgiving dinners) are made of, you are in a foreign country with strange rules of etiquette...now what?

Here are a few simple rules to help you keep your cool and your relatives happy, both at the same time:

• When you are introduced to people, always shake hands. Standing aloof, just nodding in someone's general direction, or (worse) waving at them are serious faux pas. Yes, it takes time. Yes, Uncle Bruno might have just sneezed into his hand. Yes, you are nervous and your hands are sweaty. Get over it. The handshake is a German institution, and not observing this simplest of customs may very easily cloud someone's opinion of you.
• You have made it through the introductions, and have discreetly visited the bathroom (WC in German) and washed your hands. Now is the moment of truth. The food is sitting in front of you and you are ready to dig in. Not so fast! In Germany it is customary to wish each other a "good appetite" (Guten Appetit) prior to eating. So please wait until Aunt Hilda is seated and wishes everyone a Guten Appetit!
• You are eating soup and by force of habit want to put your free hand into your lap. Resist this urge! German table manners dictate that the hands stay on top of the table at all times.
• Suddenly, Uncle Reiner brings in a bottle of Kellergeister. Yes, even you can tell it's cheap wine, but that is beside the point. He is serving everyone at the table and you are about to pick up your glass, when hopefully the realization will strike you that you need to wait until everyone's glass is full, and a toast has been made. Next to handshakes, toasts are another important aspect of German social life. So, raise your glass and say "Prost!", "Prosit!", or "Zum Wohlsein!"
  The copyright of the article From The “Who Knew” Files ... Idiosyncrasies Of German Table Manners in Germanic Culture is owned by Sylvia Cochran. Permission to republish From The “Who Knew” Files ... Idiosyncrasies Of German Table Manners in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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