Kovács Ferenc et al.: Fardagály és kámvás rokolya. Divat és illem a 19. században (Budapest, 2010)
Egy kis 19. századi illemtan
Л Little 19TM Century Etiquette után, és csak tisztán ittak (A szódavíz elterjedésével a század utolsó harmadára divattá vált a férfiak körében az ebéd utáni fröccsözgetés, de az étkezéshez felszolgált bort soha nem hígították.) Ivás előtt és után meg kell törölni a szájat. A bort kiitták a pohárból, nem illett kóstolgatni. Koccintás csak bizalmas körökben fordult elő. Ünnepibb alkalmakkor cirkalmas pohárköszöntőkre is sor került, de ilyet csak az idősebbek, rangosabbak mondhattak Ha vendégek voltak, az étkezés mindig több fogásból állt: leves, főétel és többféle desszert követte egymást: sajt, gyümölcs - szigorúan késsel-villával! -, sütemények, fagylalt. A kínált nyalánkságokat nem illett visszautasítani. Az ebédet feketekávé és likőr zárta, melyből egy cseppnek sem volt szabad maradnia. A század elején ebéd után szokás volt vízzel öblögetni az asztalnál. Nagy szé-Táncrend, 1880-as évek Dance Card', 1880s for men to drink a spritzer - a refreshing mixture of wine and soda water - after lunch, but wine served with the meal was never diluted.) The mouth had to be wiped both before and after drinking. Wine was drunk down; it was impolite to sip it. The clinking of glasses was only done in very intimate company. On more important occasions elaborate toasts were sometimes made, but these could only be spoken by the oldest and more highly ranked gentlemen present. If there were guests, meals always consisted of several courses: soup, the main course and various desserts: cheese, fruit - strictly with a knife and fork! - cakes and ices. It was impolite to decline any sweets that were proffered. Lunch ended with black coffee and liqueur, of which not a drop was permitted to remain. At the beginning of the century it was customary to rinse one’s hands with water at the table at the end of the meal. It was a huge disgrace if someone happened to drink the water from the hand bowl by mistake or out of ignorance. By the end ofthe century this custom had gone out of fashion and eventually became impolite. An hour and a half after the coffee was served guests were expected to thank their hosts, say their goodbyes and leave. The Pinnacle of Social Gatherings: the Ball As soon as a girl became eligible for marriage, she was taken to the ball. This was the primary theatre for the unfolding of new romances, where young ladies could meet “suitable” young men. The elite balls ofPest, such as the “Jurists Ball", the “Hungarian Housewives Ball” and the "Debutantes Association Ball ”, were held at the Vigadó. Invitations were compulsory, except in the case of the Vigadó Fool and Masquerade Balls, but of course the participants of these were not of such standard... “When two hall organisers in top-hats, tails and patent leather shoes ceremoniously invited the family of the young lady to the elite hall, mother and daughter - much like today - spoke not a word to father, but ran down to Alter and Kiss or Monaszterly and Kuzmik to have their thousand-frilled, gathered tarlatan dresses sewn - white for the first ball and usually light pink or forget-me-not blue for the others; They bought the white ball shoes and made an appointment with Dorics, the master hairdresser of Kígyó Square, who for two Forints curled the most magnificent crown of hair for the world's young ladies of class." After all these preparations had been completed came the time to flatter and coax the head of the family, who had to foot the bill. The father paid twelve Forints for a family ticket, then rented an old-fashioned landaulet (a fourseated horse-drawn carriage with a leather top) for the whole evening to provide them transport. It would have been impossible to walk wearing those
