A while back I was watching a movie called “Pride and Prejudice”. In this movie a lady, Lady Catherine, scolded a man for sitting next to his wife at a dinner party. She told him to get up and move and that he can not sit next to his wife.

At the time, I thought that this was a strange custom. Then, recently, I heard that in other countries it is customary for the husband to not sit next to the wife because it hinders the flow of conversation. People might be reluctant to address the two of them individually because they are together when they sit with one another. If they were to sit separate from each other at the table, they would both be able to meet and talk to more people and they would have more to talk about when they get home. I believe that could be true, but I was amazed that this was the first time that I had heard about it. It really is very uncommon in America.