Napkins

The table setting impacts the appearance of the food you serve. Moreover, the table setting indicates people’s feelings about partaking in a meal together. The extra effort of including a well-folded napkin on the table shows people that you consider them essential and appreciate their presence.

Napkins comprise rectangular or square clothing that is in use commonly for wiping the fingers and mouth while eating at the table. A napkin or face towel or serviette is usually tiny. Other people produce them in designs and shapes. The antique type remains on the side of the setting outside the outermost fork on a table. To protect the clothes, one needs to unfold table napkins and place them on the lap. After completing a meal, the linen napkin is returned to the table. Cloth napkins are often in use for formal dinners, while paper types are common during casual events, including cocktail receptions. In brief, they serve both decorative and practical purposes.

History of napkins

The name napkin originated from the Middle East, in which nappe is a French term meaning a table cover. The first one had a lump of dough which was made by cutting a mixture into tiny pieces while rolling and kneading it at the table. This custom fostered the use of bread for wiping hands after a meal. Napkins were available in small and large lengths in Roman antiquity. In the early Middle Ages, they were no longer in use, and people wiped their mouths with whatever was available such as the back of the hand. Another invention was there in which three clothes were laid on the table in a different design. By the end of the 17th century, one could find them in diverse sizes for varying events.

Defining characteristics of napkins

People uniquely fold them to increase the aesthetic value of a dining table. The folding refers to the art of determining the design a napkin would take when placed on the table. There are variations in the decorative folding whereby a glass, ring or rectangular type is standard. For instance, a glass design is suitable for wedding napkins as it creates an amazing visual effect on the whole dining area. The initial instruction manual for artistic folding came into existence in 1639. The shift from simply laying a tablecloth flat on a table to a folded art object occurred in the 16th century. Though perceived as a complicated task at first glance, the art of folding is an easy way of transforming the appearance of a dining table for varying occasions.

Uses of napkins

The ones with prints are common to signal the start of a meal. For instance, if one is hosting some guests, one needs to alert by placing kitchen napkins on the lap for them to follow suit. A napkin is common for gently wiping one’s side of the mouth to eradicate sauces and crumbs. One should hold it in a manner that the inside of the top layer is in use for wiping to avert having a visible stain napkin on the lap. An individual should cover the nose and mouth with a napkin to keep the germs contained. However, people should excuse themselves and leave the table in case of persistent coughing. Therefore, it serves as a decorative element as well as a protective rudiment.

Types of napkins

Dispenser napkins are suitable for entertainment joints such as bars and restaurants. In other instances, people fold and place the napkins on top of each other in the dispenser. Beverage type folds in multiple layers and has funny writings on them. They are of high-quality materials to increase their absorbing capacities. The dinner type is fairly large to ensure complete coverage of the lap. This protects one’s clothing from accidental spill-offs. Dinner napkins should be thick for them to use for an entire meal without forming holes. Hence, the design, type, and size of napkins depend on the purpose.