Those who have been to Shandong know that if you are not drunk at the wine table in Shandong, Shandong people will not, at the bottom of their hearts, treat you as a friend. As long as you drink once, Shandong people basically recognize you. Therefore, the easiest and fastest way to become friends with Shandong people is to understand Shandong's wine culture.

So, where does Shandong's wine culture come from? Why do Shandong people pay particular attention to wine etiquette? In fact, the keywords of Shandong wine culture are two words: rules. About these two words, the earliest source can be traced back to the Western Zhou Dynasty

Centuries of Wang Mao, come from Fu Jiu

Shandong people pay great attention to wine etiquette

Let's explain the meaning of 'rules' first, which can be summarized as:

1There are rules when entering the seat. Shandong's wine tables have main and accompanying guests, main and secondary guests, three accompanying guests and four accompanying guests. In a wine party, everyone plays a different role according to the seat order, cannot mess around

2There are rules for drinking. The number of cups offered by the main and accompanying guests when to salute, the length of the toast, etc. all have certain rules. How long the elders and juniors drink, how the juniors salute the elders, etc. all have rules

Many foreigners living in Shandong for more than 10 years cannot adapt to this wine culture. Regarding this, some people think that Shandong's wine culture is backward and old customs. But maybe many people don't know that Shandong's wine culture is a representative of traditional culture and etiquette. Why is this? because—

There are rules when entering the seat, there are rules for drinking

1Shandong's wine culture comes from the sky-worshiping and earth-worshiping sacrificial etiquette. In ancient China, 'sacrificing must drink, drinking must sacrifice'. Wine is believed to be able to communicate with gods and spirits. Sacrificial rituals were also called 'Sacrificial Rituals', which were the most honorable of the Six Rituals. Sacrificial rituals were one of the most important ceremonies in the country. During the sacrifice, wine had to be offered, and sometimes blood was added to the wine to show sufficient respect, sometimes even dripping into the wine

Zhou Ritualrecords 'When sacrificing, supply five kinds of wine, three wines, and fill eight wine pots'. This means that as long as you sacrifice, you must supply five kinds of wine, three wines, and fill eight wine pots. 'Five kinds of wine' refer to: Fan Qi, Li Qi, Ang Qi, Ti Qi, and Chen Qi. 'Three wines' are the names of three wines: Thing Wine, Old Wine, and Clear Wine

Sky-worshiping and earth-worshiping sacrificial etiquette originated in the Xia and Shang dynasties, solidified in the Qin and Han dynasties, flourished in the Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties. In each dynasty's sacrificial rituals, wine occupied an important role. King Zhou even issued the 'Wine Oracle', stipulating the ritual of wine sacrifice. Moreover, after the autumn harvest, ordinary people could also participate in the joyful activities of offering gifts to heaven and ancestors and drinking wine

2Shandong's wine culture comes from 'selecting talents and recommending talents' through wine etiquette. This etiquette originated in the Western Zhou Dynasty and was the ceremony of the local magistrates inviting 'local scholars' talents. After that, local officials all used 'wine etiquette' as the most important matter during their tenure

'Wine etiquette'

InRitualandBook of Etiquettethere are descriptions of 'Wine etiquette'. For example, it stipulates that people over 60 years old can sit and listen to the elders, 50 years old should stand to serve the elders; 60 years old eats 3 dishes, 70 years old eats 4 dishes, 80 years old eats 5 dishes, and 90 years old eats 6 dishes

The procedure for drinking is stipulated as follows: after entering the door, the host and the main guest perform 3 bows and salutes to come to the steps, and then lift the steps again, the host and the main guest perform 3 bows again; after reaching the hall, the host bows to the main guest to thank him; after sitting down, the host offers wine to the main guest, the main guest returns the wine, and the host drinks it first before encouraging the main guest to drink… this process of pushing and shoving is very complicated

For the main guest and other people, the etiquette is reduced, for example, the host's relationship with 'intermediaries' is reduced a lot. 'Intermediaries' are those who specially transmit information between the main guest and the main guest. Other guests have no seat on the wine table, only to accept the wine on the west steps, and when they drink the wine, they don't need to return the wine to the master, they can leave

Shandong's wine culture comes from traditional culture and etiquette

3Shandong's wine culture also needs to keep up with the times

Shandong's wine culture comes from traditional culture and is part of Qi Lu culture. However, traditional culture also needs to keep up with the times, it is not immutable. More importantly, wine culture sometimes generates all kinds of strange phenomena, such as the following popular wine rhymes:

If you can drink one two, this comrade is generous; if you can drink two two, this comrade needs to cultivate; if you can drink half a jin, drink one jin, and drink one barrel, this comrade is most intimate; if you can drink one jin and drink one barrel, next time promotion as deputy general… so the importance of wine has surpassed the work. Therefore, wine culture also needs to be authentic and true, and keep up with the pace of development of the times. We advocate:

As long as there is emotion, drink whatever wine; as long as there is a deep relationship, raise a glass and be happy; as long as there is a good relationship, drink as much as you want