Custom or superstition?

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Yesterday my neighbors brought me an apple pie - a real apple pie, not a store bought apple pie so tonight I am baking bread.

Where/who I'm from the idea of returning an empty dish is terrible bad manners. I cannot really even conceive of returning a dish empty.

I think it might be more of a superstition than a custom but I'm not sure. All I know is that I can't do it.

What customs/superstitions are you loathe to break?

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Not the same thing (or... maybe it is!) but ...

When dining at someone else's house, I never completely eat everything on my plate. One forkfull of something must be left. That's to let the host/ess know that the food was delicious and exactly the right portions. Two forkfulls (is "forkfull" a word?) would suggest that I didn't like something, an all-clean plate would suggest that I didn't get enough food.

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I've always returned the dish empty and only made sure it was clean. Of course, not much is expected of bachelors.

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If I'm giving someone a pie in a pie plate, I'm not expecting to see the pie plate again. It's part of the gift.

(that's why I stock up on Christmas cookie tins and pie plates in the after-Christmas sales - to be ready for the next season)

I don't expect the container I give food in to come back. Except in some specific potluck situations (office etc).

I'd be insulted if the pie plate came back. I can't even imagine what I'd do if it came back - with other food in it. It would probably start some kind of oneupmanship war. I'd have to make something better, deliver it with the pie plate, and a pie server Confused

or some napkins (or would the napkins be part of the third round?)

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ehBeth wrote:

If I'm giving someone a pie in a pie plate, I'm not expecting to see the pie plate again. It's part of the gift.

(that's why I stock up on Christmas cookie tins and pie plates in the after-Christmas sales - to be ready for the next season)

I don't expect the container I give food in to come back. Except in some specific potluck situations (office etc).

I'd be insulted if the pie plate came back. I can't even imagine what I'd do if it came back - with other food in it. It would probably start some kind of oneupmanship war. I'd have to make something better, deliver it with the pie plate, and a pie server or some napkins (or would the napkins be part of the third round?)

Good grief!!!

What kind of thing would this look like after eight bouts?

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I think "never return this dish empty" is a midwest folkway.

These days I can ignore the first star in the sky, but I always wish on a load of hay.

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I so want to get into a pie fight with eBeth!

I think the leaving of a bite or two is very much the same kind of thing, Tico. I've never thought of it that way but it makes a lot of sense.

"Bale of hay, bale of hay, make a wish then turn away" was the rhyme our mom taught us for wishing on hay! Long car trips through the mid-west gave me lots of opportunity for wishing.

I know that the empty dish custom has not penetrated this part of the world as I have had to explain it to a few people before. I still can't bring myself to break it.

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I always return the dish and never empty. What if it's part of the china?
When invited to dinner at a private house, I always try to finish off
everything that's on my plate. Where I come from, it's unpolite to leave
something behind. I also would never come empty handed to an invitation.

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i understand that english children were taught that a bit must be left on the plate for MR. MANNERS - is that true ?
i also understand if you want to be truly english , you must put the peas on the BACK of the fork and not use the fork as a SHOVEL !

in hamburg it was understood that if you emptied your glass of beer , it was a signal for the waiter to get you a refill without waiting for your order .
hbg

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hamburger wrote:

i understand that english children were taught that a bit must be left on the plate for MR. MANNERS - is that true ?
i also understand if you want to be truly english , you must put the peas on the BACK of the fork and not use the fork as a SHOVEL !

in hamburg it was understood that if you emptied your glass of beer , it was a signal for the waiter to get you a refill without waiting for your order .
hbg

Properly speaking, peas are eaten with a knife coated with honey.

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Oh. Hamburger, I always kept the drink on the coaster or napkin till I was done fiddling with the ice cubes. Leaving it directly on the bar brought a refill. Sometimes.

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Tico wrote:

Not the same thing (or... maybe it is!) but ...

When dining at someone else's house, I never completely eat everything on my plate. One forkfull of something must be left. That's to let the host/ess know that the food was delicious and exactly the right portions. Two forkfulls (is "forkfull" a word?) would suggest that I didn't like something, an all-clean plate would suggest that I didn't get enough food.

I was told that this custom was started amongst the rich, so that the servants in the kitchen would have something to eat. So, this custom must be quite old.

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