What does China's proverb "Father and son don't sit at the same table, uncles don't drink" mean?

As the saying goes, "Father and son don't sit at the same table, and uncles don't drink." . Father and son can't eat at the same table, and uncle and nephew can't drink together when attending the party.

The superficial understanding is that a father and son can't sit at the same table. And a pair of uncles are not allowed to toast each other when they are seated.

Rural people naturally have their own set of rules. They generally don't have such strict requirements at home or in ordinary life. However, generally speaking, when one's family members or others organize weddings, they must respect this rule, otherwise they will be unruly and impolite.

Extended data

In China, we attach great importance to the etiquette of seniority. When going out for a banquet, the elders usually sit at the same table, the table is located in the center of the front row, and the younger generation also sits together according to their generations. The table is surrounded by guest seats, that is, the tables and chairs of the elders. Father and son can't sit together on such occasions, otherwise it will violate the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation.

Even if the family eats, the elders should sit in the upper seat, and the younger generation can only sit in the lower seat. If other elders come to visit at home, if there are not enough tables and chairs, the younger generation must wait for the elders to finish eating before sitting at the table. The reason why uncles can't drink together is because alcohol can paralyze people's nerves and make them talk nonsense after drinking, which is rude.

Uncle is also an elder. Drinking with your nephew will inevitably make a fool of yourself. After three rounds of drinking, everyone will call each other brothers and play jokes on each other, losing the etiquette, etiquette and respect between the elders and the younger generation. It is not allowed to happen in a conservative and traditional place like the countryside. Nephews can toast their uncles, but they can't drink too much.