Charger (table setting)
Encyclopedia
Wedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
s, and other special events. While the charger plates have been around since the 19th century, they returned to popularity in the late `90s. Since food is not actually served on chargers, they are often called underplates or chop plates. The word, charger, originated in 1275 - 1325 from the Middle English chargeour. Formerly, a charger signified either a large platter or a large, shallow dish for liquids.
Charger plate etiquette
Etiquette
Etiquette is a code of behavior that delineates expectations for social behavior according to contemporary conventional norms within a society, social class, or group...
and use varies among caterers and restaurants. Some professional catering
Catering
Catering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, public house , or other location.-Mobile catering:A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose...
companies remove the decorative charger plate as soon as the guests are seated. Often a decorative charger plate is left on the table as a large coaster for the soup and salad courses and then removed for the main entree. Others keep the underplate, charger or chop plates together until the end of the entire meal.
They are usually large in size and bigger than most common dinner plates. Since they do not have the function for serving food, charger plates can be found in variety of materials, from traditional china, to metal, wood, glass, and pearl.
There are several ways of setting charger plates inscribed by tabletop setup etiquette. One custom is to have charger plates placed on the tabletop before the arrival of guests and to remove them once food-bearing dishes are served. More commonly, charger plates are kept on the table during the serving of soups and first courses, and act as a base on which food-bearing bowls and dishes are placed. In other instances, when the design of charger plates compliments the design of dining plates, charger plates are left on the table throughout the course of meal. However, charger plates are always removed before serving desserts.
Culture
In Mark 6:25, KJV and Matthew 14:8, KJV, the "daughter of Herodias"Salome
Salome , the Daughter of Herodias , is known from the New Testament...
requested John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
's head in a "charger" from Herod Antipas
Herod Antipas
Herod Antipater , known by the nickname Antipas, was a 1st-century AD ruler of Galilee and Perea, who bore the title of tetrarch...
as her reward for dancing at his birthday party.