Abstract：

Dining etiquette is indispensable in the cross-cultural communication. It is influenced by and closely related to culture and environment. There are many cross-cultural barriers and misunderstandings due to lack of knowledge of different cultures, which otherwise might be avoided. As a result, it is very important to deal with these troubles when peopel get along with others of different cultures. This thesis aims to analyze the six differences between Chinese and Western dining etiquette and the four reasons. The six reasons are: attendance time；seating arrangement；food serving order；table manners；gifts for the host/hostess and use of tableware. The paper concludes the four reasons which are the different ideology；different values on life；different philosophy of life and the different way of diet.

Key words：dining etiquette；Chinese and Western cultures；culture differences；cross-cultural communication

摘要：

餐饮礼仪是跨文化交际中不可缺少的一部分，是一个受文化熏染的潜移默化的过程。由于东西方不同的文化历史，人们在交流的过程中产生了许多的障碍和误会。因此，理解和处理好由于文化差异所带来的麻烦尤为重要。本文的研究目的主要是对中西方餐饮礼仪产生的六点差异以及产生差异的四点原因做对比分析。这六点差异分别是：出席时间，座位安排，上菜顺序，餐桌礼仪，携带礼物，餐具使用。总结出四点原因分别是：不同的意识形态，不同的价值观，不同的人生观以及不同的饮食方式

关键词: 餐饮礼仪；中西方文化；文化差异；跨文化交际

1. Introduction
Dinging etiquette refers to the moral regulations and standard behaviors which people should follow in dinner party. It is a concept which has wide and complicated context, and it includes “politeness, courtesy, appearance." Sometimes, it also expresses certain ritual. During the dinner activities, the way of getting along with people should be elegant and the way one speaks should be modest. Politeness is the fundamental requirement of civil behavior. And the dining etiquette is based on it.
    Although dining etiquette has the strong constraining force in dinner, it serves as “an eternal introduction letter”. In dining activities, etiquette can show one’s cultivation, bearing and charm effectively. It reflects one's cognition level and honor degree to others and society.