Do you tell people “bon appetit” and “bless you”? You’re making blunders without even knowing it

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Each of us should know the basic principles of savoir-vivre. Thanks to this, we will avoid mishaps at the table, we will be able to behave correctly at a business meeting, and our friends will perceive us as people with high personal culture. The basic principle of savoir-vivre is respect, i.e. the right to one’s own opinion or political views. But that’s not all.

Savoir-vivre at the table. Did you know about it?

If you receive guests at home, as the host, you should go first and lead them behind you. Then there is no possibility that the guest will get lost or go to a different room than he should. When we go to a restaurant or visit friends for a gala dinner, we can start eating only when the last person at the table gets his plate. We don’t say “bon appetit” because it may offend the host or the cook. By saying such words, we make it clear that we doubt the good taste of the dish and suspect that it may be bad or stale. Behind this saying there is also a suggestion that the meal must taste good and there is no right to do otherwise. – We just have to like it and that’s it. And we ourselves have the right to decide about the value of what we have on our plate – explained Anna Dąbrowska, an expert in savoir-vivre, in an interview with “”. If we want to say something, we should use other phrases, such as “It was served to the table”, “I invite everyone to the table” or “I wish you a good appetite”. You can also try the French “Bon apetit”.

How to behave when someone sneezes? You may be surprised

You need to remember the rules of good behavior not only when eating, but also on a daily basis. When someone sneezes next to us, we instinctively say “bless you.” Turns out it’s rude. In this way, we draw the attention of everyone around us to the person sneezing. This may make her feel embarrassed. Everyone interrupts conversations to wish the sneezer good health, which makes the sneeze a big event and raises its profile. In fact, it is an ordinary human reflex that we have no influence on (just like coughing), so in accordance with the principles of savoir-vivre, we should ignore it.