Because the royal halls all have political meanings and have their own uses. Therefore, the royal banquet is held in different halls according to the nature of the banquet and the identity of the guests. Officials, gentry and wealthy families choose places according to the identity and nature of the guests. The guests came for business. They held a banquet in the hall. If it is entertaining, feast in the open-air hall or flower pavilion; If the guests are close enough to the host, they will hold a banquet in the back hall. As for ordinary people, there are only two or three rooms, and only banquets are held in the hall. If there are many guests, simply feast in the yard; Or borrow a bigger place to eat.
According to the "Etiquette and Custom of Banquet" in "Etiquette and Custom of Ancient Interpersonal Communication in China", the whole process of ancient banquets has corresponding etiquette:
1, the banquet needs to be sent a few days in advance. On the day of the banquet, some people will send out other invitations, so please be sure to come.
2, sometimes entertain guests, please accompany them. The status and professional rank of accompanying guests and guests should be roughly equal or higher than them to show their respect.
3, guests eat, men and women can not sit together. Birthday, wedding and other wedding banquets, male and female guests often come together, so the host family should arrange for men and women to sit separately, otherwise it is impolite and the guests will not come to the table.
4. In ancient times, people paid attention to the pecking order. The host should arrange the guests to sit in the corresponding seats according to their identity, and there can be no mistakes. The distinction between superior seats and inferior seats is very complicated and varies from place to place and from time to time. Representatively, the seat facing south is the most respected place, followed by the seats facing east and west, followed by the seats facing west and east. The south is generally empty, there is no seat, or the host takes this seat.
5. The host and the guests sit down. The host asks the guests to sit down first, and the guests are polite to each other, then sit down, and the host finally sits down. When you hold a banquet for the humble and young, you will sit behind the humble and young. Sometimes the guests invited by the host don't have a host, and the host doesn't arrange seats for the guests, but the guests give their seats to each other, so the guests should decide their seats according to their identity and age. Guests who have been demoted to a distinguished position should thank them before taking their seats, and then take their seats.
6. During the dinner, the host toasted the guests, calling it a "reward". The guest responded by calling the host "Qiang". This ceremony is called "a gift for entertainment". The host's repeated toasts are more complicated and the guests are more restrained. It is more casual to accompany the guests to persuade each other. When toasting, fill the glass first, and the toasting companion often drinks it all at once, so as to ask the host and guest to drink more, which is called "cheers".
7. If the host has the conditions, the identity of the guests is important, and there are songs and dances at the banquet to entertain the guests.