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Holiday Dinner: How To Set The Table

ANN ARBOR (WWJ) - Many of us can get confused when it comes to properly setting the table for a holiday dinner. Luckily, Sharon McRill, owner and president of The Betty Brigade, is sharing some simple tips for setting a semi-formal table.

The fork goes to the left of the plate. The knife, then the spoon, go to the right – with the knife's sharp edge facing the plate.

Memory tip: "fork" and "left" both have four letters, while "knife," "spoon" and "right" all have five letters. Also, utensils are placed in alphabetical order, from left to right — thus, F (fork), K (knife), then S (spoon).

If you want to serve salad, you'll need a salad fork, as well. This smaller fork goes to the left of the dinner fork.

The centerpiece should be low enough for guests to see each other across the table. If the meal is served family style (with serving vessels on the table), keep centerpiece small and candles close to the centerpiece to avoid accidents when passing dishes.

For a holiday meal, don't place a plastic cover over the tablecloth. If you're lucky enough to have a beautiful tablecloth or runner, use and enjoy it for your holiday meal. Few stains are permanent nowadays.

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