There are countless reasons and themes for Chinese people to treat guests to dinner.
For example: the opening of the company, the closing of the meeting, welcoming guests and friends, entertaining leaders, anniversaries, etc. are absolutely must-eat. Even if you are an ordinary family, you may celebrate holidays, weddings and weddings, promotions and transfers, birthday celebrations for the elderly and birthdays for the younger ones. If you don't invite that person, who won't eat it? Those who have just arrived need to "welcome", and those who have left need to "farewell"; going to higher education is called the Zhuangyuan Wine and thanking teachers; moving is called the settling-in banquet; classmates are called classmate banquets, and those who serve in the military are called comrades-in-arms banquets. Neighbors get together when they have nothing to do, and friends often have to talk to each other. , it is inevitable for brothers to drink two cups. Those who invite you should take care to arrange the food, and those who invite you should pay attention not to be too late in replying to the invitation, and so on. From this point of view, we Chinese are indeed the nation that loves to treat guests to dinner in the world.
Any habit of a nation has cultural genes. Listen, the most distinctive greeting of the Chinese people is probably the one that is popular all over the world: "Have you eaten?" A few days ago, a friend from the south called me, and he opened his mouth and said "Hello, hello!" , but "Did you drink the soup?"
I think this must not be an exception. It seems that "eating" indeed occupies an extremely important position in Chinese culture. I remember a senior person said that Western culture is about love between men and women, while Chinese culture is about love from gluttonous food. From this point of view, it is not surprising that Chinese people love to treat guests to dinner. But if you think about it carefully, its connotation goes beyond that.
According to very unusual ideas and rules, treating guests to a meal is either beneficial or asking for something. There is no benefit, no profit, no matter what, treat guests to dinner every day, and tease the RMB, isn’t that being careless! Therefore, the Chinese dining table is very strange. Chinese people have been restrained and educated for thousands of years. Reservedness, restraint, or hypocrisy have become deep-rooted habits. This is why when borrowing money, you must pretend to have a strong relationship with the other party. Check in with each other, communicate with friends and family at home and abroad. Then he sighed, frowned and shook his head and began to complain about how tight money was and how miserable the situation was. The person who knew the situation took the initiative and said, "Brother's business is my business." Of course it is best to pay for it while talking, otherwise the owner of the loan will definitely... Hold on until the last second before showing off your cards.
In fact, it’s not just about borrowing money. When talking about business, making friends, and begging for friends, it’s all done with subtlety and grace! Think about it, if you want to discuss business with the other party, you can't just put some tea in a disposable water cup and be done with it. ! This business is so impersonal! If he loses his temper, the business may be ruined.
It would be very different if it were on the dining table. The environment has changed. The conference room is work and the dining table is life. The human affairs and emotions of life and work naturally blend just right! Since it is life, the environment and atmosphere have changed, and there is no longer the fetters of rules and regulations. There is no longer the coldness of official documents and business. It is the so-called "the chopsticks are pointed, the plate is round, the wine glass is on one end, everything is relaxed!" Life and work, people and emotions, naturally blend just right! Therefore, in China, the taste of most things is to be eaten at the dinner table. This may also be regarded as a Chinese characteristic!
To say that the dining table has a long history, it is not only used by the common people, but also by emperors and generals. I think Emperor Taizu Zhao Kuangyin used it once. It has become a millennium classic. Emperor Taizu was not an upright emperor, and was promoted to him by his brothers who were "dressed in yellow robes". Therefore, when Emperor Taizu actually became emperor, he was worried that his subordinates would repeat their old tricks and defeat him. So he performed a show on the wine table to release his military power over a glass of wine. After three rounds of drinking, everyone became talkative and handed over their military power one after another. A meal and a glass of wine solved a major problem of consolidating the throne. It must be said that it was such a classic dinner table.
However, if you think that treating guests to a meal in China is just about giving and taking bribes, you are totally wrong! Treating guests to dinner is usually more of an important way to communicate feelings. What kind of communication method? You can't communicate with your brothers face to face in the same room, right? There is neither emotion nor emotion left.
But when you get to the dinner table, drink heavily, eat large pieces of meat, and put a few pairs of chopsticks on a plate, then you can say "it's all in the wine!"
From the Chinese perspective, inviting someone to a meal is a form of deep friendship; accepting someone else's invitation to a meal is a sign of great respect and a lot of face. Chinese people value loyalty. Of course, this kind of loyal respect is not difficult to repay. I'll give you a meal, and I'll give you a table in return. Come and go, no matter what happens, the joints will be established, the faces will become familiar, and the feelings will be established.
This is also true. Very few people who are invited do not respond to the invitation. And often after replying to the invitation, one has to ask again with a reply to the invitation. In short, the cycle repeats endlessly. Let the friendship last forever, but it is cheaper for the boss who opens a hotel to make money.
Of course, there are also cases where you do not need to respond to the invitation, that is, the person being invited has a very high level and a very senior qualification. It is already a great honor for him to come and eat with you, so you still have to ask for help. How can you expect others to invite you back? This is a one- or two-shot deal.
But no matter who got the advantage, or whether it was a one-time deal, everyone ate together, communicated, and explained.
Eating together is a simple and convenient opportunity that is very satisfying. Food is the most important thing for the people, and they need to eat every day. Asking you to have dinner doesn't waste time, it doesn't matter what your schedule is, it's reasonable, and it's hard to refuse. This is why the success rate for ordinary people to go hunting, racing, clubbing, playing cards, etc. is not as high as eating. We know that Chinese people eat together, whether it is a family reunion or a banquet with guests and friends, with chopsticks and spoons serving the same purpose. You held me and waited, you chewed and I held it. Everyone ate and tasted, discussed what dishes to order, sang lively, and chatted quietly. While eating, the most complete and natural emotional exchange was completed. And this kind of communication is the catalyst for other communication. With this harmonious communication, there will be more harmony of communication. Don’t underestimate this form of communication. For example, "Ah! Mr. Liu! Do you think today's meal is acceptable? If you don't eat well and drink well, I'll take care of it." With this first sentence, you can deduce "Do you think this project was contracted to us?" Huh!" is the topic. Obviously, this kind of communication cannot be completed in the conference room or under the meal-sharing system in Western countries.
In addition, the dinner table also provides time for communication. You can't spend hours communicating with colleagues and friends in the company corridor or school classroom! But just at the dinner table. You can’t just stare at the table and eat before the food is served! The exchange begins! In fact, the current Chinese way of treating guests to meals is just a way of communicating feelings. That's true, we Chinese can't use "Hi, dear, I want to have a heart-to-heart talk with you tonight!" instead of the cordial and casual "Hey! Let's go, buddy, I'll be hosting tonight!"
Another secret of treating guests to a meal is the aforementioned delicious food. What Chinese people value is not eating, but eating together. The host and guest must eat the same thing and even use the same tableware. Don’t the so-called brothers just eat and drink together without distinction? It is often said that food and clothing are the parents, you invite me to eat together. The feeling of brother and sister affection is still there! So whether you and I know each other or not, as long as we have dinner together, we are acquaintances! This is why we often say when we are together sometimes: "Oh! Remember! We had dinner and drinks together that day, there and that day! We are our own people." Having a meal together means that we are good at eating. Yes, there have been emotional exchanges. I’m afraid this is what the so-called fair-weather friends are like!
The word "acquaintance" is interesting. The more you cook it, the better it will be. The more you eat and the more you cook, the more cooked it will be. Once you are familiar with it, it will be easy to talk. If you refuse something, it is equivalent to making something cooked raw. In China, you must not behave like this. The raw ones can be cooked, but if the cooked ones become raw, it will be troublesome! Cook it! It won’t be cooked! Eat it! Can't eat it! So, it’s easy to handle once it’s cooked!
It’s fun for Chinese people to treat guests to dinner. The Chinese dining table is larger than the territory of China, and there are many interesting things to eat in China. I think I can never finish this thing. Chinese culture needs to eat it every day. Today is full of horse racing, talking about that and that. A pastime. I hope everyone can keep eating, enjoy the content, and enjoy the excitement. Everyone, if you have nothing to do, please come and eat twice!
(Collected and compiled by Jinyang Old Man Network)