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Did you know . . .
. . . That toasting one’s dining companions used to serve a very different purpose? “During medieval times, legend says that one drinker would knock his glass against his companion’s with enough force to slosh a little of his drink into his potential assailant's cup as a way of thwarting any possible poisoning attempt,” says etiquette expert Constance Hoffman, the owner of Social & Business Graces Inc.
. . . That some people believe the word tips may have originated from an acronym? “It is believed to come from the phrase ‘to improve prompt service’,” says etiquette expert Elaine Swann.
. . . That dinner knives used to be a symbol of status? “During the Middle Ages, most people ate with their hands off of slices of four-day old bread known as ‘trenchers,’ Hoffman explains. “Only the wealthy used knives, and not so much because they were perceived to be necessary, but because they were impressive. Among the nobility, male diners brought their personal knives to eat with and were expected to cut food for the women when necessary.”
. . . That white wasn’t traditionally worn to weddings, christenings and baptisms until the 1900s? “People used to wear extremely brilliant colors at such ceremonies, as color was very much associated with class,” explains etiquette expert Ava Carroll-Brown, the author of Where IS Your Mother? “Red and cobalt blue actually have gold in them, so those were prominent. In the early 1900s, people began using white as it became to mean purity and ‘first time.’ This is now the social standard and aligns with etiquette.”
. . . That the tradition of tipping one’s hat comes from medieval times? “This hat-tipping custom has the same origin as military saluting, which came from the raising of medieval knights’ face visors to show friendliness,” Hoffman says.
. . . That wedding rings haven’t always been worn on the left hand? “It used to be proper for the wedding ring to be worn on the right index finger, as that was an extension of God,” explains Carroll-Brown. “In the mid 1800s, it changed to what’s now known as the ring finger on the left hand, as that finger is said to be a direct blood line to your heart. If someone were to wear their wedding ring on their right index finger, or any finger other than the left ring finger, they would be thought of as not following proper etiquette in today’s world.”
...That there’s a reason why you’re supposed to point the blade of your knife toward your plate? “In the Middle Ages, this was a sign of good intentions,” explains etiquette expert Liz Stover, the founder of www.EliteManners.com and the Gracious Living For Young Girls curriculum. “In those days, placing the knife with the blade pointing outward meant that you were ready to fight with your enemy.”
