Countries Customs Around the World Pags. 41

8/20/2019 Countries Customs Around the World Pags. 41

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The Dos and Don'ts for theUSA

• The United states is an extremely

diverse, multicultural society. Assuch, all of the following rules willchange depending on the location,setting, and people involved.

• Not looking someone directly in theeye when speaking can be seen asevasive; this is in contrast to much ofthe rest of the world, where lookingsomeone directly in the eye may berude.

• Not leaving an appropriate tip orgratuity at a restaurant typically !"#$"% of the bill& will make any dinnerguests at your table feel extremelyuncomfortable. 'n the U.(., tipsrepresent a large portion of a waiter)sincome and your guests may feel

embarrassed if the tip was considered too small. Ten percent can beconsidered a rebuke to the waiter,!*% is considered an average tip, and $"% is typically given for satisfactoryto excellent service. Tips higher than$"% can be considered ostentatiousby dining companions thoughundoubtedly appreciated by the waitsta+&.

•

Tipping is also customary for taxidrivers, barbers and hair stylists, forthose who deliver food to your homeor oce, for casual handymenneighbor teens who cut the lawn,and the like& and some others.Tipping for food deliver usually is twoto -ve dollars as opposed to being a

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tip


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percentage of the food cost&.

• 't is considered impolite to ask peoplehow much money they earn. 't is not

considered rude to ask someone what he or she does for a living.

• 't is considered impolite not to coveryour mouth and nose when sneeingor coughing. /hen someone elsesneees, it is customary to say 01lessyou.0 The 2erman word for health,02esundheit0, is also generallyacceptable.& 'f someone says 01lessyou0 to you, it is customary to reply

with 0Thank you.0

• At an initial introduction, it is

considered awkward to ask someoneif they are married or have aboyfriend or girlfriend.

• At an initial introduction, it isconsidered awkward to ask someonetheir political views.

• 't is considered impolite to ask a

woman how old she is or in3uireabout her weight.

• (trangers in America interact withone another generally in a friendly,informal way. This varies from regionto region. 'n the (outh, for example,greetings such as hugging and patting on the back are considered

friendly. 4owever, in the Northeast,interaction tends to be more reserved and such greetings are seen asoverbearing. 5any foreigners whotravel to America thus un6ustly -nd Americans super-cial. Although Americans treat one another in a very friendly way, they nevertheless


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understand and maintain the limits of their relationships and the distinctionbetween ac3uaintances and friends.7onversely, foreigners who cannot

interact with Americans in a relaxed,casual manner, may be perceived asawkward, aloof, rude, or evenarrogant.

• 't is considered a rude violation of personal space to stand within anarm)s length of another person,unless you are very close friends. 'ncrowded situations it is tolerated, butmakes some Americans uneasy.

• 8rofane words are not allowed onbroadcast television or radio, andgenerally are seen as lower class touse in common discussion, but many people use them regularly in familiardiscussion.

• 9mitting any odor or smell, whether

due to lack of hygiene, diet, orapplied perfumes, is considered aviolation of others) personal space.:nly in close personal proximity is thedetection of perfume or colognetolerated.

• 2etting the attention of waiters,servers or store workers withgestures or by snapping -ngers, isconsidered o+ensive. 't is better tomove toward a sales clerk and say

something along the lines of 09xcuseme . . .0 'n a restaurant, simplymaking eye contact with the waiter,or eye contact with a slight smile andnod should be enough to signal yourneed in crowded situations, eyecontact and raising the hand casuallyabout shoulder high with index -nger


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extended up is -ne.

• 7alling a (outhern person a 0


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• 't is usually impolite to refer to how

someone looks at all>mentioningsomeone)s weight is very impolite.7omplimenting someone on lost

weight can be acceptable if remarkedupon honestly.

• =eferences to someone)s ethnic orracial identity are inappropriateunless the sub6ect is broachedgenerally.

• 't is generally considered impolite tobegin eating one)s dinner before allseated have been served. 'f one)s

food hasn)t arrived and is likely totake a long time or already has takena long time&, it is appropriate for that person to invite the others to begineating.

• :ne must address those signi-cantlyolder than them as 5r., 0(ir0, 5rs.,05a)am0, 05adam0, 5s. or 5iss. ?orexample, it would be rude to addressa friend)s parent by their -rst nameunless he has invited you to do so.7onversely, addressing someone near to your own age group by title isusually considered standosh unlessit is in a professional setting.

• (catological, bodily function and

sexual topics are considered o+ limitsexcept to close friends. Americanshave a cultural history of

conservative behavior, and 6okesabout these sub6ects is uncomfortableand rude. ?ull or upper body nudity isforbidden for females, but males mayremove shirts in instances of hardwork or extreme heat. Nursingmothers are allowed in public, but itdoes make some men uncomfortable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss


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5ales are uncomfortable with smallclothes on the lower half of the bodyof men, but sexually mature womenare encouraged to wear revealing

bathing suits in a beach or poolsetting before middle age.

• 5any Americans embrace informality

and would consider taking faux pastoo seriously a sign of snobbery. 'ngeneral one must 6udge the situationand respond accordingly This is most likely true for most countries placedon this list&. 2iving reference to a listof this type, and to how people

0should0 act to an American can causea response of mild amusement to mild o+ense depending on the person youare speaking with. A plain T(hirt and 6eans is acceptable dress in almost all public context.

AFRICA

Ghana

• When greeting people in a home, it isconsidered improper if the guestignores an person present! Guestsare e"pected to ac#no$ledge andgreet e%er person at a socialoccasion, including children and&a&ies, & sha#ing hands! Whensha#ing hands, it is appropriate forthe guest to rst greet the person onhis(her right)hand side and $or# their$a left! This ensures that the guest'spalm ma#es contact $ith the palm ofthe person recei%ing the handsha#e )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghana


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touching the &ac# of the hand insteadof the palm is considered insulting!Guests are e"pected to &egin &greeting the most elderl person

present! The same ritual is e"pectedto &e o&ser%ed upon lea%ing as $ellas arri%ing!

• In Ghana, as#ing a person to a sociale%ent *e!g! a &ar or restaurant+implies that the person oering thein%ite $ill &e paing for e%erthing!In%iting a person out and thene"pecting them to pa for their o$ndrin#s, etc is considered e"tremel

rude!

South Africa

• It is the custom to loo# someone inthe ee $hene%er touching glassesfor a toast! -aring superstitiousresults can follo$ should ou not doso!

• Con%ersel, it is considered rude andinappropriate in man of SouthAfrica's cultures to loo# an elder or asuperior in the ee $hen one is &eingspo#en to! .umilit and traditiondictate that one should cast one'sees do$n$ards in such a situation!This can easil &e misinterpreted as asign of inattention or indierence,$hen it actuall indicates greatdeference and respect!

ARA/ C0U1TRI2S

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa


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• Throughout most of the 3iddle 2ast the left hand is reser%ed for &odilhgiene and considered unclean!Thus, the right hand should &e used

for eating! Sha#ing hands $ith one'sleft hand is considered an insult!

• 4u&lic displas of $omen are fro$nedupon!

• Displaing the soles of one's feet ortouching some&od $ith one's shoesis considered rude!

• In Ira5, the 6Thum&s Up6 gesture isconsidered an oensi%e insult!

• In some Ara& cultures, it is considereddisrespectful to not stand $henspea#ing to elders or $hen the entera room! Similarl it is e"pected thatelders $ill &e the rst to &e greetedand ser%ed in social gatherings!

• 2ntering the li%ing room $ith shoes

on is considered rude!

• In some 3iddle 2astern countries it isconsidered rude for an indi%idual tostep a$a $hen another indi%idual isstepping closer!

• In most Ara& countries, it isconsidered polite and a sign offriendship to hold hands $hen$al#ing! This does not ha%e the

romantic connotations it does in theWest!

• /ringing all %e ngers together $iththe ngers pointing up$ards is a signmeaning ) slo$ do$n, gi%e me %eminutes! It should not &e mista#en for

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Easthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thumbs_Uphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Easthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thumbs_Up


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a st and a sho$ of threat!

• In 3orocco, after sha#ing hands theright hand is commonl placed

against the heart ) a sign offriendship! In other settings $hen ahandsha#e is not possi&le ) such asacross the street, or $hen one's handis dirt ) the right hand placed o%erthe heart can su&stitute for thea&sent handsha#e!

• It is not uncommon to &e in%ited tolunch or dine & some&od ou aremeeting for the %er rst time7 it is

&est not to decline if ou cannotaccept the in%itation, &ut ratherpostpone, adding 6inch'Allah6 *if God$ills it+ to our oer of a rainchec#!

• .osts $ill often feed guests untilliteral e"haustion ) and still oermore! Westerners, $ho usuall seeinsistence after their refusal as a signof rudeness, should lea%e thismentalit at the doorstep, andinstead refuse $ith good humour7perhaps see it as a game, a &attle of$ills! It ma &e ad%isea&le to slo$ thepace of consumption so that $henoered more, ou can accept the rstfe$ times, then nall decline!

South and 2ast Asia

• Confusing or thoughtlesslconsidering groups of %er distinctAsian peoples *eg8 9apanese, Chinese,:oreans etc+ as 6all the same6 isconsidered rude and impolite!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Asiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Asiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asia


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• It is common in man Asian countriesthat the person coo#ing a meal $illsa that there $as something $rong$ith it *60h, it $as too salt!6+ ;ou are

e"pected to disagree *61o, no, it $asincredi&le


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Chinese8 + in Chinese ispronounced 6s>ng ?h@ng6 in3andarin, $hich is a homophone of aphrase for 6terminating6 or 6attending

a funeral6 *&oth can &e $ritten as 終 *traditional+ or *simplied++!

Cantonese people consider such a giftas a curse!

• Gi%ing someone a fan or an um&rellaas a gift is fre3uently unfriendly ! The$ords fan 6shn6 *扇+ and um&rella6sǎn6 *Traditional Chinese8 傘,Simplied Chinese8 伞+ sounds li#e the$ord 6sn6 *散+, meaning scatter or to

lose! 6sn #Bi6 *Traditional Chinese8 散開, Simplied Chinese8 散开+ means tosplit up!

• Gi%ing someone a #nife as a gift is afau" pas, indicating that ou meanthem harm or ou $ish to #ill them!Gi%ing them e%en num&ers of #ni%esD02S 10T negate them!

• As a &oo# *Traditional Chinese8 書,Simplied Chinese8 书, pinin8 sh+ isa 3andarin homophone of a loss*Traditional Chinese8 輸, SimpliedChinese8 输, pinin8 sh+, carring orreading *loo#ing at+ a &oo#*Traditional Chinese8 帶書, 看書,Simplied Chinese8 带书, 看书, pinin8di sh, #n sh+ $hen &etting, suchas gam&ling or in%esting in stoc#s,ma &e considered an unluc# fau"pas $hile &eing homophones ofcarring or loo#ing at a loss*Traditional Chinese8 帶輸, 看輸,Simplied Chinese8 带输, 看输, pinin8di sh, #n sh+! This unluc# fau"pas does not appl to carring orreading ne$spapers *TraditionalChinese8 帶報, 看報, Simplied Chinese8

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Mandarinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Mandarinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_character


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带报, 看报, pinin8 di&o, #n&o+ asne$spapers *Traditional Chinese8 報紙,Simplied Chinese8 报纸, pinin8&o?h ǐ + are not &oo#s!

• Traditionall, the &ride gi%es herparents a fan, sm&oli?ing that she islea%ing them for her hus&and!*Chinese societ is traditionallpatrilocal!+ E

• Sharing a pear $ith our lo%ed ones isunlucky ! 6Sharing a pear6 *分梨+ is ahomophone of 6separate6 *TraditionalChinese8 分離, Simplied Chinese8 分离+, &oth pronounced 6fHnl6 in3andarin! Sharing $ith distantfriends is o#a!

• When eating at a reunion dinner onthe e%e of the Chinese 1e$ ;ear,eating sh completel is $idelconsidered an unluc# fau" pas! SeeReunion dinner for the reason $hpartiall)eaten sh is customarilstored o%ernight!

0ther fau" pas

• It is considered polite to decline a gift$hen it is rst oered and the gi%er ise"pected to oer it multiple times!Also the gifts are generall notopened in the gi%er's presence!

• Gi%ing a married man green)colored

head $ear as a gift is unfriendly ! TheChinese saing 6$earing a green hat6*Traditional Chinese8 戴綠帽, SimpliedChinese8 戴绿帽, 4inin8 di lǜmo+means that someone's $ife isunfaithful! The gift $ould &e an insultto the couple!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrilocal_residencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_faux_pas#_note-15http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year#Reunion_dinnerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrilocal_residencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_faux_pas#_note-15http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year#Reunion_dinnerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_character


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• At a dinner ta&le, al$as ser%e theoldest person at the ta&le rst! If oudo not #no$ their age, ser%e theguest rst! It is %er important to

sho$ respect to the elders!

• Stic#ing our chopstic#s into our riceand lea%e them standing there is a%er unluc# fau" pas! This loo#s li#estic#s of incense in a &o$l used tohonor dead ancestors, and such asm&ol of death is e"tremeloensi%e at the dinner ta&le! InCantonese funeral tradition, a pair ofchopstic#s is used to stic# a salt)

preser%ed duc# egg into a &o$l of riceon the altar as an oering to thedeceased!

• Attending a Cantonese $edding $hileou are still in mourning for a death inthe famil is unlucky ! It is &elie%ed to&ring &ad luc# to the marring couple!

• Tapping ones chopstic#s against theside of a &o$l imitates the gesture of&eggars on the street, and isconsidered a sign of e"treme hungeror impatience, similar to &anging for#and #nife on the ta&le!

• Gi%ing $hite Jo$ers is consideredunluc#, as the e%o#e the ritual of$hite Jo$ers at a funeral!

• It is considered impolite for a person

to pour their o$n drin#! Generall anindi%idual $ill oer to pour acompanion's drin# and thecompanion, in return $ill pour theindi%idual's drin#!

• It is considered &ad luc# for a

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pregnant $oman to attend a funeral!

India

• It is ad%isa&le for men and $omen toa%oid $earing re%ealing clothes inpu&lic! For $omen, &i#inis, shorts#irts, and dresses $ith e"posedshoulders are fro$ned upon! Shortsshould &e a%oided & &oth genders, ifpossi&le! A plain $hite sari ( dressshould &e a%oided & $omen as it isthe traditional $ear of a $ido$ inmourning!

• 2ntering the 6poo=a6 room of a house*$here the altar of the gods is placed+$ith shoes on is considered impolitein .indu culture!

• In most .indu homes, shoes are notpermitted &eond the foer! :eeping$ith .indu norms of hospitalit, thehosts $ill ne%er o&=ect if ou do $al#in $ith shoes *especiall foreigners+!Though it is appreciated if the guestsdo ta#e their shoes o &eforeentering! If it is a traditional Joor)sit)do$n dinner, then the shoes mostdenitel must come o!

• If ou accidentall touch someone$ith our feet or if the feet come incontact $ith some o&=ects of respectli#e coins, currenc, &oo#s, paper etc,ou are e"pected to apologi?e! The

accepted norm of apologi?ing for thisis touching the o&=ect ( person $ithour right hand and placing the handon one's forehead! The &od isconsidered sacred and touching $iththe feet is considered an act ofdisrespect!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India


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• While dining in an .indu household,food $ill &e oered multiple times!These are generall second and third6rounds6 and it is ne to decline

them!

• Guests are generall oered food ordrin# depending on the season andthe time of %isit! 3eal times $illusuall result in an in%itation to themeal! It is accepta&le to decline theoer if ou are not staing for a longtime! 0ther$ise, ou might &edelaing the host's meal!

• 0ther than meal times, it is perfectlaccepta&le to decline or accept $hatis &eing oered! Ki#e in man othercountries, as#ing for coee*especiall in south India+ or tea $ill&e polite! If the da is too hot, oucould as# for $ater!

• It is considered immature and hoggishto open a gift in front of the person$ho has gi%en it! This is in star#contrast to man Western cultures!Gifts are opened in pri%ate!

• As in man other countries, India $ithall its %aried languages has three%ersions of you *polite, friendl andinformal forms, see T)- distinction+ ine%er language ) not using themappropriatel can &e a cause of lot ofdisappro%ing fro$ns!

• Accepting goods or ma#ing paments$ith the left hand *the left hand isconsidered unt and dirt+ isconsidered impolite! The right handshould al$as &e used! .o$e%er,using &oth hands together is a sign of

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-V_distinctionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-V_distinction


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e"tends especiall to Westerners!

• For a man to comment to anotherperson a&out the appearance of the

latter's adult female relati%e *$ife,sister, daughter, etc+ is consideredinappropriate &eha%ior! .o$e%er, it isaccepta&le for a $oman to do so!

• 2ating should &e done $ith onl theright hand!

• In India, as#ing a person to a sociale%ent *e!g! a &ar or restaurant+implies that the person oering thein%ite $ill &e paing for e%erthing!In%iting a person out and thene"pecting them to pa for their o$ndrin#s, etc is considered e"tremelrude!

• In India, &irthdas are cele&rated &the host gi%ing a part! 4eople $hoattend the part are not re5uired tospend mone on the host!

9apan

5ain article@ 7ustoms and eti3uette of apan

• /usiness cards should &e accepted$ith &oth hands as a sign ofdeference!

• In 9apanese culture it is considered

polite to decline a gift $hen it is rstoered and the gi%er is e"pected tooer it multiple times! Also the giftsare generall not opened in thegi%er's presence!

• In greeting or than#ing anotherperson, it ma &e a little insulting if

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customs_and_etiquette_of_Japanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customs_and_etiquette_of_Japanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customs_and_etiquette_of_Japanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customs_and_etiquette_of_Japan


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someone does not &o$ lo$er than theother person $hen the other person isolder or has a higher social status!

• Guests entering a 9apanese home aree"pected to remo%e their shoes in thefoer and ha%e soc#s or stoc#ings ingood condition!

• .olding anthing $ith chopstic#s &t$o people at the same time, orpassing an item from chopstic#s tochopstic#s is considered %erimpolite, as it $ill remind &standersof the 9apanese funeral ritual! Stic#ing

them into food *and especiall rice+ sothat the stand straight up has similarconnotations!

• It is considered impolite for a personto pour their o$n drin#! Generall anindi%idual $ill oer to pour acompanion's drin# and thecompanion, in return $ill pour theindi%idual's drin#!

• /lo$ing the nose in pu&lic *also, the 9apanese do not use theirhand#erchief for hanakuso, literall'nose shit'+ *.o$e%er, if ou nd thatou must, ou must!+

• 1ot using polite language andhonorics $hen spea#ing $ithsomeone ha%ing a higher socialstatus! *Though most 9apanese are

%er lenient $ith Westerners in thisregard!+

• 2"pressing out$ard anger, annoanceand losing one's temper causes themto lose face in 9apanese culture!*3uch li#e Western culture))$hat isour opinion of the man screaming at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowing_(social%2529http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chopstickshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_funeral#Cremationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_honorificshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Face_(social_custom%2529http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowing_(social%2529http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chopstickshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_funeral#Cremationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_honorificshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Face_(social_custom%2529


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the customer ser%ice des#N+

• 1ot sending a 1e$ ;ear's postcard tosomeone $ho sent ou one!

• Sending a 1e$ ;ear's postcard tosomeone $ho suered a death in thefamil during the past ear!

• Tipping is considered rude and isne%er done in 9apan! .o$e%er, gifts of cash at holidas *for e"ample,otoshidama for 1e$ ;ear's Da+ areconsidered accepta&le, unli#e in manWestern countries!

4hilippines

• It is impolite to refuse an oer ofhospitalit if ou are a guest insomeone's home! Ta#e it as a greatcompliment if the oer a room fromone of the mem&ers of the household!

• When ou are attending a funeral,

a%oid $earing an loud color,especiall red! It is considered rude ifou $ear a red shirt at a funeral!/lac#, $hite, gres, muted and earthtones are proper colors for funeralattire! 3one, Jo$ers or praer cardsare accepta&le gifts!

• Cupping our chin $ith our hands atthe dinner ta&le is considered rude!

• It is usuall the &irthda cele&rant$ho treats e%erone for his(her&irthda! If ou #no$ that ou arein%ited & the cele&rant to a &irthdacele&ration at a restaurant, do notassume that ou are &uing thecele&rant dinner *unless ou areoering to pa for e%erone's meal, as

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a gift+, unless specied! /ring a giftinstead!

• Gift gi%ing is important to an

occasion! Coming to a part empthanded is considered rude! If oucan't get a gift on short notice, &usomething for the part instead *andthat is $h ou $ill often see O&irthda ca#es at a &irthda part+!

• 3ost Filipinos are Juent in 2nglish,and most insults and gesturestranslate prett $ell, e%en the snide,sarcastic insults! The language is also

Spanish)&ased, so do not tr to passo Spanish insults as $ell!

• Traditionall, it is rude to tr to as#someone out on a date at a pu&licplace! Women usuall don't as# menout on dates!

• Gentlemen rules8 ou al$as gi%eour seat to the handicap, pregnant$omen, elderl, and $omen ingeneral! If ou are a $oman, don't&other getting up to gi%e up ourseat, someone else $ill oer ou theirseat e%entuall!

• As for introductions, introduce thesenior to the =unior rst! Introducethe man to the $oman! Introduce thegroup to an indi%idual *&ecause theindi%idual is not e"pected to

remem&er all the names at rstintroduction+!

• Al$as ac#no$ledge the presence ofthe elder in the room rst, & sha#ingtheir hand or if ou are man earsounger, as# for their hand *65ano6+and &ring it to our forehead! *1ot to


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&e confused $ith the custom ofhand(ring #issing! There are no #issesin%ol%ed $ith this gesture!+ There areno rules for 6clean6 6unclean6 hands!

• In restaurants, condiment use isaccepta&le! The $aiter usuall onlcomes se%eral times to ta#e ourorder, rell our drin# and &ring ourchec#! 3ost $ill not as# ou if ouneed anthing else, ou $ill ha%e to6summon6 the $aiter if ou do! It isrude to ell 6Waiter


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surroundings, especiall if ou are aforeigner! ;ou are a guest, and it isoensi%e if ou are not happ!

South :orea

• Wiping or &lo$ing our nose in arestaurant, e%en if the food is spic, isconsidered mildl oensi%e! It ise"pected that ou should ta#e a tripto the toilet if ou need to do this!

• In :orean cultures, it is considereddisrespectful to not stand $henspea#ing to our elders or $hen theenter a room! Similarl it is e"pectedthat elders $ill &e the rst to &egreeted and ser%ed in socialgatherings!

• When entering a restaurant ou aree"pected to ta#e o our shoes andlea%e them & the door! Somemodern, $estern stle, restaurantsare an e"ception! These can &eidentied as the ha%e higher ta&les$ith chairs! This also includes $al#inginto an homes in :orea!

• In restaurants and &ars, pouring ouro$n drin# is considered rude! ;oushould #eep an ee on our neigh&ors'glasses and ll them if the areempt! In return, the $ill ll ourglass $hen it's empt! If ou do not$ant to get drun#, tr to lea%e our

glass half full!

• When pouring drin#s, hold &ottle inright hand, lightl place left hand onforearm near el&o$, as a sign ofrespect! Also $hen drin#ing ourdrin#, turn head and loo# a$a and

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drin#!

• 1e%er sho$ the &ottom of our foot!This is a sign of disrespect!

• 4atting the head of an elder or asuperior is e"tremel insu&ordinate! Itis not accepta&le to call elders &their rst name, this includes parents!

• Kea%ing tip(gratuit is usuall oralmost al$as not accepted ore"pected!

Thailand

• Touching some&od on the foot *in/uddhism the foot is the most impureregion of the &od+! Strictl spea#ingthis also applies to children!

• Touching some&od on the head!Thais regard the head as the highestpart of the &od, literall andgurati%el! If ou accidentall touch

someonePs head, oer an apologimmediatel! This doesn't appl totouching the head of a child or people$ho are ounger than ou!

• Stepping o%er or standing on &ills orcoins *mone is another sm&ol ofgood fortune and prosperit+ signiesdisrespect! Currenc usuall depictsthe :ing, and it is a sign of utmostdisrespect to place our foot a&o%e

the head of the :ing! Similarl, lic#ingthe &ac# of a postage stamp ) $hichalso features the :ing's image ) isalso considered disrespectful!

• 4ointing our sole or foot atsome&od! Follo$ing the logic thatthe head is the most sacred part of

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the &od, the foot is the least sacred!In /uddhist temples particularl, it isimportant to sit $ith the soles of ourfeet not pointing at the /uddha!

• :issing in the streets and an pu&licdispla of aection are consideredrude!

3alasia

3a=or Fau" 4as8

• When entering 3alasian homes,shoes must &e left outside! Wearingshoes into the house is e"tremelrude!

• As $ell, ne%er enter a 3uslim mos5ueor Indian temple $ithout remo%ingour shoes! For other Chinese*/uddhist, Taoist, etc+ temples,o&ser%e the local customs carefull$ith regard to foot$ear *some allo$,some don't+!

• Though handholding *and other minoracts of aection+ is tolerated amongthe Chinese communit, pu&licaection $ith a 3ala $oman is morethan a fau" pas8 it is considered a6:hal$at6 *close pro"imit+ oence$hich could lead to an arrest*tpicall punished $ith nes+!

• In some States $ith a more Islamic

ma=orit *e!g! :elantan, Terrenganu+,a $oman should not $ear re%ealingclothes in pu&lic *it is considered%ulgar+! This includes shorts *or mini)s#irts+, halter tops, slee%elessgarments, anthing that sho$s &ellor clea%age, etc!

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• 1udit *as is toplessness $ith regardto $omen+ is a&solutel prohi&ited onthe man tropical &eaches!

• 4lacing(slapping an open palm on thetop of a side$as held st of theother hand is a rude gesture!

• As $ell, inserting the thum& &et$eenthe fore and middle ngers of a closedst is a rude gesture!

3inor Fau" 4as8

• 4ointing $ith our forenger isconsidered impolite *especiall $henpointing at people+! Instead, a closedst held side$as *thum& at the top+$ith the thum& pointing the directionis used!

• 3an Indians and 3alas *esp! in ruralcommunities+ eat $ith their hands ) ifou are in that circumstance, it iscustomar to follo$ their lead, using

onl our right hand to eat! Using theleft hand to handle food is impolite,as it is considered unclean!

• Sha#ing hands should onl &e done$ith the right hand! Among 3alas, itis customar to lightl hold the rightforearm $ith the left hand $hensha#ing hands *as $ell as $hengi%ing(recei%ing mone+! As $ell, it iscustomar to touch our heart(chest

$ith the right hand immediatel afterending the handsha#e! It is onl %erminor fau" pas if these customs arenot o&ser%ed *esp! $ith Westerners+!

• Touching anone's head! Some3alasians, li#e Thais, also regard thehead as the most important part of


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the human &od! If ou touchanone's head, oer an apolog!

• Crossing our legs in the presence of

elderl people is sometimesconsidered impolite!

• Addressing strangers in formalsituations & their names *e%en ifthe ha%e nametags+ is rude! Instead,use the honoric 62nci#6 *pronounced6in)chec#6+ for a man, or 6Ci#6*6chec#6+ for a $oman ) ou maappend their name after the honoric!63ister6 and 63iss6 are also

accepta&le *esp! for Westerners+!

-ietnam

• When going out to eat $ith otherpeople, it is considered %er polite topa for the meal! It is therefore alsorude to pre%ent someone $ho hasoered to pa from doing so *don'targue+! If ou $ant to pa for a meal,then, simpl ma#e sure ou oer todo so before the other person! This$ill often occur &efore ou e%enarri%e at the restaurant! 0er as earlas ou can!

0C2A1IA

Australia

Re5uesting items li#e a fann pac# inAustralia can &e considered o&scenedue to the usage of 6fann6 asreferring to a $oman's %ul%a! /um&agis an accepta&le local %ariation!

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When riding alone in a ta"i, it isconsidered polite to sit in the frontpassenger seat ne"t to the dri%er!

When using pu&lic transport, al$aslet passengers lea%e the &us(train&efore attempting to &oard!

When paing a cashier, al$as placethe mone in their hand! 4lacing themone on the ta&le(&ench isconsidered rude!

When paing at a restaurant, it is,ho$e%er, accepta&le to lea%e themone on the ta&le!

While gi%ing someone a gift, it ispolite to remo%e the price tag! It isconsidered inappropriate to indicatethe %alue of our gifts!

;ou should sha#e hands $hen lea%ingthe compan of a person ou ha%e

=ust met or someone ou ha%e not

seen for a long time!

Queuing is e"pected $hen there isan demand for an item! The onle"ception to this is a pu& or &ar,$here nding a space at the &ardisplas our intention! .o$e%er it isstill considered rude to allo$ a&arperson to ser%e ou &eforesomeone $ho has &een $aiting longerthan ou

When as#ed to 6&ring a plate6 to ane%ent such as a part, &ring a plate offood and not =ust a plate!

Tipping is not e"pected in Australia inan situation! Tipping someone


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personall can &e une"pected ora$#$ard7 some emploees arefor&idden from accepting tips!.o$e%er, if ou ha%e recei%ed

particularl good ser%ice in a cafe orrestaurant, it is polite to add a fe$coins to the 'tip =ar' on the counter,$hich is usuall shared among sta!It's also accepta&le to suggest thatta"i dri%ers or $aiters '#eep thechange', especiall if the dierence issmall!

1e$ ealand

Re5uesting items li#e a fann pac# in1e$ ealand can &e consideredo&scene due to the usage of 6fann6as referring to a $oman's %ul%a!/um&ag is an accepta&le local%ariation!

When riding alone in a ta"i, it isconsidered polite to sit in the frontpassenger seat ne"t to the dri%er!

In 1e$ ealand, &us fares shouldne%er &e handed directl to the dri%er,&ut should &e placed on the small traused for that purpose!

Confusing Australians $ith 1e$ealanders! The mista#e $ill generall&e ta#en in good humor, pro%ided anapolog is gi%en7 it $ould, ho$e%er,&e considered ignorant and &oorish to

dismiss the dierence!

In the 3Bori communit of 1e$ealand, it is a fau" pas not to remo%eone's shoes $hen entering a 3Borisacred &uilding, such as a marae! Inthe dominant 2uropean communitnot remo%ing shoes $hen entering a

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&uilding is not a fau" pas, therefore2uropeans can sometimes forget too&ser%e this tradition! This can oend3aori and sometimes cause tension!

Sitting on or resting one's &ac#sideagainst a ta&le or des# can alsooend 3Bori! The des#)top is $hereone focuses one's mind, so should not&e touched & the 'dirt' netherregions!

;ou should sha#e hands $hen lea%ingthe compan of a person ou ha%e

=ust met or someone ou ha%e not

seen for a long time!

Queuing is e"pected $hen there isan demand for an item! The onle"ception to this is a pu& or &ar,$here nding a space at the &ardisplas our intention! .o$e%er it isstill considered rude to allo$ a&arperson to ser%e ou &eforesomeone $ho has &een $aiting longerthan ou

When as#ed to 6&ring a plate6 to ane%ent such as a part, &ring a plate offood and not =ust a plate!

Tipping is not e"pected in 1e$ealand in an situation! Tippingsomeone personall can &eune"pected or a$#$ard7 someemploees are for&idden from

accepting tips! .o$e%er, if ou ha%erecei%ed particularl good ser%ice in acafe or restaurant, it is polite to add afe$ coins to the 'tip =ar' on thecounter, $hich is usuall sharedamong sta! It's also accepta&le tosuggest that ta"i dri%ers or $aiters'#eep the change', especiall if the


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dierence is small!

A%oid using the term 6mainland6 forspecicall either the 1orth or South

Islands of 1e$ ealand as this is asensiti%e issue!

It is considered rude not to greetsomeone $hen passing in the street!

Correct pronunciation of 3Bori place)names, and the $ord '3Bori' itself, isimportant! Careless mispronunciationor Anglici?ation can &e oensi%e to&oth 3aori and non)3aori 1ers ) itimplies a lac# of respect for the landand people!

2urope

/al#ans

Ser&ia

Gi%ing some&od an e%en num&er ofJo$ers! 2%en num&ers of Jo$ers areused at funerals!

When saing 'cheers' and clin#ingour glass $ith someone, al$as loo#

at the person in the ees!

4ointing at something and especiallsomeone $ith our inde" nger iscommon and regarded as ordinar&eha%ior!

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Ser%ing ourself an alcoholic drin#!0ne must as# other people if the$ant some, ser%ing them, and ser%inghimself after$ard!

Greece

Signifing 6%e6 or e%en 6stop6 &holding up %e ngers, $ith the palmof the hand facing the listener,especiall $hen the palm is %ertical,can &e mista#en for an oensi%egesture *similar to the nger+! Whensignifing 6%e6 the norm is to ha%ethe palm of the hand facing the

spea#er! Similarl for 6Stop6 closedngers should &e used!

The e"pression 6.ello6 is con%eed$ith a raised inde" nger and aclosed palm! The American stle hand$a%ing is considered o&scene!

6Good&e6 is indicated & facing thepalm to$ards ourself $ith ngersraised and then mo%ing the ngers upand do$n *this is e"actl li#e theAmerican %ersion of 6come here6 andis therefore a serious source ofconfusion to Americans in Greece+!

3a#ing a st $ith the thum& placed&et$een the middle and inde" ngersis an oensi%e gesture!

1odding and head sha#ing *6es6 and

6no6+ is performed & mo%ing thehead onl once! The American methodof sha#ing the head se%eral times isconsidered &i?arre, unci%ili?ed, and(orma not &e understood, although it isnot necessaril rude!

1o is sometimes con%eed & a slight

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raise of the ee&ro$s, oftenaccompanied & a 6ts#6 sound!

Gree#s re%ere $ater, and the ha%e a

saing a&out sting people thatamounts to, 6he $ould not e%en oera glass of $ater!6 It is thereforecustomar $hen ha%ing guests tooer them $ater!

When eating spoon s$eets, it isencouraged to =ust &arel lic# thes$eets o the spoon! /ecause a %isitis generall o%er $hen the s$eetsha%e &een consumed, it is rude to lic#

or eat them $ith gusto or in a fastmanner *it indicates ou can't $ait tolea%e+!

/ulgaria

Gi%ing some&od an e%en num&er ofJo$ers! 2%en num&ers of Jo$ers areused at funerals! This does not applto &ou5uets larger than a do?enitems!

When saing 'cheers' and clin#ingour glass $ith someone, al$as loo#at the person in the ees!

When ou gi%e mone to some&od,do not put them in his(her hands! Ifpossi&le, ou &etter put the mone ona ta&le or similar place close to theperson!

Central 2urope

C?ech Repu&lic and Slo%a#ia

Whistling in a clapping or cheeringcro$d is negati%e7 it is identical to

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&ooing!

It is considered mildl impolite to$ear &ase&all caps inside!

Women's last name tend to carr theappendi" 6)o%a6! For e"ample 3r!

9ohnson's $ife's last name $ould &e3rs! 9ohnsono%a! Addressing a man$ith a female form of his last name*e!g!, 3r! 9ohnsono%a+ is a seriousfau" pas!

.ungar

Simple generali?ations a&out 2astern2urope can &e considered incorrect7confusing .ungarians $ith Russians isparticularl oensi%e &ecause of.ungar's occupation & the USSR!Similarl, not #no$ing that.ungarians are not of Sla%ic origin,unli#e most of the neigh&oringnations, and that the .ungarianlanguage has dierent linguistic rootsfrom the C?ech, Slo%a# , Russian,Ser&ian etc! languages can &econsidered as rude!

In .ungar, people traditionallconsider clin#ing their glasses(mugs$hen drin#ing &eer as impolite!Clin#ing $ith an other alcoholic&e%erage, such as $ine, champagneor hard li5uor is customar, ho$e%er!*This custom ) or rather #eeping from

a custom ) is receding no$adas!+

When Transl%ania *a region inRomania $ith a signicant .ungarianminorit+ comes up in a con%ersation,don't react & mentioning Dracula orthe Roc# .orror 4icture Sho$!Transl%ania has a particular

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungaryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USSRhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavic_peoplehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czech_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovak_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transylvaniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draculahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Horror_Picture_Showhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungaryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USSRhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavic_peoplehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czech_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovak_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transylvaniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draculahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Horror_Picture_Show


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signicance in .ungarian histor, and.ungarians ma get oended $henpeople recognise this region onl&ecause of a popular horror stor!

When gi%ing Jo$ers to a lad *girl,etc!+, the num&er of them should &eodd! Unless ou are in lo%e $ith thelad and $ant to compete for her, theJo$ers should not &e red roses! Whiteand ello$ roses are 0: in .ungar,the do not ha%e negati%e meaning,li#e in se%eral other countries!

Referring to the freedom ghters or

re%olutionaries of E and EV asre&els!

4oland

In 4oland, it is considered rude to usesomeone's rst name &efore theintroduce themsel%es to ou or usetheir name rst

In 4oland, Ser&ia, and Armenia8sitting at a corner of a ta&le isconsidered &ad luc# for an unmarriedgirl, as she $ill not nd a hus&and!

In Armenia, $hile meeting or greetingsomeone, it is proper for ou sha#ehands, then #iss &oth chee#s!

In 4oland8 entering someone's homefor an e%ent(dinner $ithout a to#en

gift is impolite! This rule is rescindedamong good friends, and no longer inplace among ounger generation of4oles!

In 4oland8 greeting guests andconducting transactions *i!e! paingthe pi??a deli%er man+ o%er the

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doorstep! This is considered unluc#8$ait for the person to step inside orstep outside ourself!

In 4oland8 dressing casuall for2aster, Christmas or other familcele&rations is %er rude *onl in littleto$ns $here Christian traditionsremain strong, no longer important in&igger to$ns and cities+!

In 4oland8 eating or oering horsemeat, is a fau" pas since to man4oles eating a horse is li#e eating afriend7 a result of the E ear

tradition of the 4olish ca%alr and the$ell #no$n and admired paintings &Wo=ciech :ossa# !

In 4oland pointing at something andespeciall someone $ith the inde"nger is considered an e"treme lac#of good manners!

As#ing an unfamiliar $oman for herage is considered rude or chee#!

In 4oland, $hen oering a cigarette,open the &o" and allo$ the recei%er tota#e one out! Do not ta#e thecigarette out and gi%e & hand! It isalso customar to light cigarettes,especiall for $omen!

In 4oland, $hen oering a cand, achocolate, a small gift to for #ids,

etc! from a set or an assortment, it'sconsidered e"tremel impolite toselect one for the recei%er! It's alsoconsidered %er impolite to ta#e morethan one item $hen selecting onefrom the set(assortment!

In 4oland, in schools, it's rude for

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those children $ho cele&rate their&irthdas not to &ring $rapped candfor the $hole class!

Romania

For men sha#ing hands $hile $earingglo%es is considered impolite! Thisdoes not appl to $omen!

For men to sit $hile $omen arestanding!

Gi%ing some&od an e%en num&er ofJo$ers! 2%en num&ers of Jo$ers areused at funerals! This does not applto &ou5uets larger than a do?enitems! citation needed

4ointing at something and especiallsomeone $ith our inde" nger isconsidered an e"treme lac# of goodmanners!

4lacing a phonecall to some&od after

XX8! 1ot remo%ing the head co%er indoors

is considered %er rude!

Sitting do$n to eat $ithout remo%ingouter garments and especiall#eeping our head co%ered *e!g!$earing a &ase&all cap $hen ou eat+is considered %er &ad manners!

It is impolite to &egin eating &eforeothers ha%e &een ser%ed!

Ser%ing ourself an alcoholic drin#!0ne must as# other people if the$ant some, ser%ing them, and ser%ing

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himself after$ard!

Do not confuse the Romanianlanguage roots and associations $ith

an of their neigh&ours $ho spea#non)related languages, e"cept3oldo%ans $ho spea# the samelanguage, referring to 3oldo%an asanthing other than Romanian isconsidered an oensi%e politicalstatement!

As is the case in man languagesfeaturing a T)- distinction addressingsome&od ou don't #no$ $ell,

especiall in a formal conte"t, usingthe singular form of 6ou6!

2astern 2urope

Russia

Sitting at a corner of a ta&le is =o#ingl considered &ad luc# for anunmarried person, as it is &elie%edhe(she $ill not nd a spouse!

Greeting guests and conductingtransactions *i!e! paing the pi??adeli%er man+ o%er the doorstep! Thisis considered unluc#8 $ait for theperson to step inside or step outsideourself!

Kea%ing an empt &ottle on the ta&leis considered $rong! If after pouring a

drin# the &ottle &ecomes empt doput it on the Joor *or into trashcan iffound near&+!

When passing people in a theater ro$,face them! It is considered rude topass $ith our &ac# *or rear+ to$ard

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the other person!

Whistling indoors is considered to&ring &ad luc# *po%ert+!

4rolonged direct ee contact ma &econsidered aggressi%e or as in%itationto more intimate relationships*especiall $ith opposite se"+, so itshould &e a%oided in &usinessrelationships!

If someone enters our 6personalspace6 *a&out E meter a$a from ou+mo%ing a$a can &e considereddisrespectful, &ut often it is &est toa%oid direct contact, li#e patting etc,e"cept $ith our close friends ma&e!

1orthern 2urope

Finland

Tal#ing too much! Finns are notuncomforta&le $ith silent pauses incon%ersations7 thus, culturalmisunderstandings ma happen $hen,for e"ample, an American is tring to&e friendl & constantl ma#ingsmall tal# and a Finn is tring to &efriendl & &eing silent and listeningto $hat he is saing! The &oth mama#e an unfriendl impression oneach other!

The things listed under 1or$a,

S$eden, Denmar# also appl toFinland!

1or$a, S$eden, Denmar#

4lacing a phonecall to some&od afterXX8!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Europehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_faux_pas#Norway.2C_Sweden.2C_Denmarkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_faux_pas#Norway.2C_Sweden.2C_Denmarkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denmarkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Europehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_faux_pas#Norway.2C_Sweden.2C_Denmarkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_faux_pas#Norway.2C_Sweden.2C_Denmarkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denmark


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Sitting do$n to eat $ithout remo%ingouter garments, such as a $inter

=ac#et! This also applies to headgear,although some oung people li#e to

$ear their headgear almost all thetime!

In some Scandina%ian countries, notnishing our food implies that thefood $as terri&le and could not &eeaten! In 1or$a, S$eden andDenmar# a person does not ha%e tonish all of their food if someone elseser%ed, &ut it $ould &e rude if thedon't nish $hat the ser%ed

themsel%es! citation needed

Smo#ing indoors is illegal in pu&licplaces according to 1or$egian andS$edish la$ and smo#ing indoors inpri%ate places $ithout as#ingpermission is considered rude! 0erthe host to smo#e outside and he(shema grant ou permission to smo#eindoors! 2%en if the host smo#es orhas ashtras indoors, ou should stillas# if it is o#a if ou smo#e *as longas he(she doesn't oer ou acigarette+!

In 1or$a and S$eden it isconsidered %er impolite not toremo%e one's shoes $hen enteringsomeone's house and going further inthan the foer! This room is intendedfor e"actl shoes, coats and the li#e!

Iceland

Kighting a cigarette from a candle is& some people regarded as rude,man Icelanders are shermen and itis &elie%ed that this act 6#ills asherman6! The origin comes from the

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sourceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foyerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sourceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foyerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceland


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custom of lighting a candle in our$indo$ $hen someone in our houseis returning from sea, this $as&elie%ed to help them nd their $a!

Kighting something from the candlemight #ill the Jame and su&se5uentlthe sherman as he $on't nd his $ahome!

In Iceland it is considered %er rude tolea%e a dinner ta&le $ithout than#ingthe host for the meal! In Icelandic, thephrase used is, Ta## frir mig! Thehost then normall responds $ith-erYi Z[r aY g\Yu!

3ost of the items mentioned for1or$a, S$eden, Denmar# andFinland also appl to Iceland!

While at a dinner part it isconsidered rude to lea%e the ta&le$hile others are still eating!

2stonia

Cutting a slice of &read $ith a #nife isconsidered disrespectful! It should &eripped $ith the ngers!

If &read is dropped on the ground itshould &e #issed &efore &eing thro$na$a! This is a $a of honoring thetradition of &a#ing!

Western 2urope

Austria

In Austria it is impolite to &egineating &efore all others ha%e &eenser%ed, unless as#ed to do so & ourhost or hostess!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estoniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Europehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estoniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Europehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austria


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Referring to Austrians as Germans!

0pening a door that someone hasclosed for pri%ac $ithout #noc#ing or

other$ise see#ing permission isconsidered rude and an in%asion ofpri%ac!

Austrians tend to &e more reser%edthan e!g! Americans! The %alue theirpri%ac more and use phrases li#e6than# ou6 etc! more sparingl! Thedo not hug guests & default! To theunaccustomed ear the Germanlanguage Austrians use perhapssounds 6harsh6 *this also applies to1ordic languages+! This does notmean, ho$e%er, that the are in factless friendl!

As is the case in man languagesfeaturing a T)- distinction, addressingsomeone $ith the familiar secondperson pronoun *du+ $hen theshould &e addressed $ith the formalform *Sie+! This is &ecoming lessstrict $ith ounger people, &ut shouldal$as &e o&ser%ed in older or moreconser%ati%e circles!

4lacing a phone call to some&odafter E p!m! *XX8+ , unless &pre%ious appointment or calling afriend! Furthermore, do not call&et$een ]!O p!m! and ! p!m*E8O ) X8+, as most Austrians

$atch the prime time dail ne$s atthat time!

The tapping of one's inde" nger onthe side of the head or the $a%ing ofone's hand up and do$n in front oftheir face *palm of the hand to$ardsthe face+ are &oth considered

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-V_distinctionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-V_distinction


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oensi%e gestures! /oth of thesegestures, along $ith the phrase, Sieha&en einen -ogel *lit!8 ;ou ha%e a&ird+, insinuate that the other person

is cra? or deranged! In some cases,i!e! regarding police o^cers or =udges, the oense ma &e ned! These%erit of this oense has lessenedto some e"tent in the last decades!

Displaing a s$asti#a and other 1a?ism&ols as $ell as certain 1a?i)gestures is generall illegal in Austriaand e%en a criminal oence in somecirsumstances for $hich ou can &e

sentenced to prison! It can &econsidered rude to mention or refer to1a?i German during normalcon%ersation, unless the topic $asstarted(oered & a Austrian! 2%en forAustrians, this topic is oftenconsidered thin ice! Although mostAustrians do not feel responsi&le for$hat happened se%eral generationsago, the feel that it is important tosho$ a sensiti%e and mature approach

to their past! So, &efore ta#ing part indiscussions a&out fascism and theThird Reich in German and Austria,ma#e sure that our #no$ledge of thehistoric past is su^cient!

As#ing an unfamiliar $oman for herage *especiall if she appears olderthan ourself+!

Ketting $omen open a door for a man!3ale persons should al$as oer toopen a door for $omen! This appliesto man other aspects of life as $ell!Generall, let $omen $al# rst innarro$ spots, e"cept stairs orladders!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastikahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_symbolismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_symbolismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastikahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_symbolismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_symbolism


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Austrians are hesitant to spea# a&outmone or 6ho$ much the ma#e aear6! /ringing up this topic isconsidered crude!

/elgium

/elgians are %er reser%ed $hen itcomes to mone! The $ill not saho$ much mone the ma#e or ha%eon their &an# accounts! When ougi%e someone a gift, ma#e sure that itdoes not include a price tag! Gi%ingcash is accepted ho$e%er!

The northern part of /elgium isFlanders, $here Dutch is spo#en!French is used in the south of/elgium, the Walloon region! There isalso a relati%el small German)spea#ing communit in the east of/elgium! /oth Dutch and French arespo#en in /russels! Considering/elgium to &e a countr $here onlDutch or French is spo#en isconsidered to &e %er oensi%e! It isconsidered e"tremel oensi%e tospea# French to a Flemish local orDutch to a Walloon local!

The Flemish political part -laams/elang, $hich is the former -laams/lo# , one of the largest parties inFlanders, is e"cluded from ancoalition go%ernment8 the cordonsanitaire! This cordon sanitaire is a

%er sensiti%e political issue!Questioning it $ill often ha%e oufro$ned upon!

-oting preferences are not madepu&lic in /elgium, especiall not if thepart is -laams /elang! This e"plainsthe discrepanc &et$een e"it polls

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flandershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walloon_regionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German-speaking_Community_of_Belgiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German-speaking_Community_of_Belgiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brusselshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlaams_Belanghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlaams_Belanghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flemish_Blockhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flemish_Blockhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordon_sanitairehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordon_sanitairehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlaams_Belanghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flandershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walloon_regionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German-speaking_Community_of_Belgiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German-speaking_Community_of_Belgiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brusselshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlaams_Belanghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlaams_Belanghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flemish_Blockhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flemish_Blockhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordon_sanitairehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordon_sanitairehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlaams_Belang


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and actual election results!

France

Ki#e in man languages featuring a T)- distinction, addressing people $iththe familiar 6tu6 *li#e in 3iddle2nglish thou+ $hen the should &eaddressed $ith 6%ous6 *ou+ is seenas derogator, insulting, or e%enaggressi%e! Con%ersel, addressingfamiliars $ith 6%ous6 is consideredsno&&ish and introduces distance!

Assuming that people spea# 2nglish

$ithout in5uir ma &e foundunpleasant7 &eing a&le to greet inFrench and as# $hether theinterlocutor spea#s 2nglish is highlappreciated!

0ering chrsanthemums is in &adtaste, since the are traditionallreser%ed for mourners!

0ering red roses to a hostess or forprofessional reasons is inappropriate,as the e"press lo%e!

1ot nishing one's meal implies thatthe food is so poor one cannot nishit, or the host does not correctl&alance the 5uantit of food oneneeds!

Ser%ing ourself $ine rst! 0ne must

as# other people if the $ant somemore $ine, ser%ing them, and ser%inghimself after$ard! If ou =ust openeda &ottle, it is customar to pour alittle &it of $ine in our o$n glass sothat the little &it of cor# that $asdropped in the &ottle $hen opening it

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-V_distinctionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-V_distinctionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thouhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysanthemumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-V_distinctionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-V_distinctionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thouhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysanthemum


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doesn't go in some&od else's glass!

4utting a piece of &read on one'splate! Kea%e it on the ta&le &eside the

plate! */read is not considered a partof the meal, &ut rather more li#e saltand pepper! This is $h the do notcharge for &read at the restaurant!+

/iting into the piece of &read directl*unless ou ha%e something on it)&utter, p_t[,!!!+! 0ne should &rea# asmall piece o, and put it into one'smouth! *Same reason as a&o%e+!

It is inappropriate to rest one's handsunder the ta&le or to ha%e the el&o$son the ta&le!

Crossing the for# and #nife on theplate $hen the dish is nished7 theshould &e more or less parallel or elseit e"pressess that one hasn't eatenenough!

/ringing a &ottle of $ine to a formaldinner in some&od's home suggeststhat the hosts are una&le to pro%idetheir o$n $ine! 0ne ma do so if oue"plain our hosts that ou $antthem to disco%er a good $ine that oneli#e and that the do not #no$ ! *0neshould not &ring a 6good6 &ottle if oneis not sure if it is good ) it is not a5uestion of price of the $ine, it is a5uestion of taste!+

4utting a loaf of &read upside do$n! Itis a &ad omen &ecause it is said thatthe loaf that $as put upside do$n &the &a#er $as reser%ed for thee"ecutioner!

.olding one's um&rella open indoors

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine


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ma &e seen as an omen of &ad luc#!

For a man, not ta#ing o one's hat *orcap+ $hen saluting! This $as a

practice of the -ictorian age as it isno$ less practiced!

For a man, gi%ing a handsha#e $hile$earing a glo%e! Coming out of useand $as also present in the earl Ethcentur 2ngland!

For &oth se"es, sha#ing hands $ith a$oman in a casual conte"t introducesdistance! 2m&racing *holding eachother loosel in the arms $hile lightl#issing each other's chee#+ is usualle"pected! The num&er of chee#)#isses%aries from region to region &et$eenX, O or !

Gi%ing the American 60):6 gesture,$hich in France means 6?ero6 or6$orthless6!

German

A rather comprehensi%e introduction on$hat is considered good manners inGerman can &e found in the6:nigge6! The original :nigge is a&oo# on manners & Adolf Freiherr:nigge $ritten in the Eth centur!1o$adas, there are a &unch of &oo#s$ith a similar title, adapted to ne$ertimes! 3uch of $hat is descri&ed in

the :nigge doesn't necessaril applto e%erone, especiall $hen dealing$ith ounger people, the rules are farmore rela"ed!

0pening a door that someone hasclosed for pri%ac $ithout #noc#ing orother$ise see#ing permission is

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand_gesture#OKhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Freiherr_Kniggehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Freiherr_Kniggehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand_gesture#OKhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Freiherr_Kniggehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Freiherr_Knigge


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considered rude and an in%asion ofpri%ac!

In German &usiness dealings, scooting

our chair closer to the host isconsidered an insult!

Germans tend to &e more reser%edthan e!g! Americans! The %alue theirpri%ac more and use phrases li#e6than# ou6 etc! more sparingl! Thedo not hug guests & default or as#e%er&od 6.o$ do ou doN6! To theunaccustomed ear the Germanlanguage perhaps sounds 6harsh6

*this also applies to 1ordiclanguages+! This does not mean,ho$e%er, that the are in fact lessfriendl!

As is the case in man languagesfeaturing a T)- distinction, addressingsomeone $ith the familiar secondperson pronoun *du+ $hen theshould &e addressed $ith the formalform *Sie+!

4lacing a phone call to some&odafter E p!m! *XX8+ , unless &pre%ious appointment or calling afriend! Furthermore, do not call seniorciti?ens &et$een p!m! and !EV p!m*X8 ) X8EV+, as man of them$atch the prime time dail ne$s atthat time!

The tapping of one's inde" nger onthe side of their head, or the $a%ingof one's hand up and do$n in front oftheir face *palm of the hand to$ardsthe face+ are &oth consideredoensi%e gestures! /oth of thesegestures, along $ith the phrase, Sieha&en einen -ogel *lit!8 ;ou ha%e a

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-V_distinctionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tagesschauhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-V_distinctionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tagesschau


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&ird+, insinuate that the other personis cra? or deranged! The sameapplies to pointing one's inde" ngerto one's temple, and imitating a

scre$ing motion! The correspondinge"pression in german is eineSchrau&e loc#er ha&en *lit!8 to ha%e aloose scre$+! In some cases,especiall regarding police o^cers or

=udges, the oense ma &e ned! These%erit of this oense has lessenedto some e"tent in the last decades!

Displaing a s$asti#a and other 1a?ism&ols as $ell as certain 1a?i)

gestures is illegal in German andconsidered e"tremel rude and $ill &ened! It can &e considered rude tomention or refer to 1a?i Germanduring normal con%ersation, unlessthe topic $as started(oered & aGerman! 2%en for Germans, this topicis often considered thin ice! Althoughmost Germans do not feel responsi&lefor $hat happened se%eralgenerations ago, the feel that it is

important to sho$ a sensiti%e andmature approach to their past! So,&efore ta#ing part in discussionsa&out fascism and the Third Reich inGerman, ma#e sure that our#no$ledge of the historic past issu^cient!

When eating, starting to eat &eforethe hostess or eldest lad on ta&le isconsidered rude! This also counts forta#ing the last &it of a dish $ithoutas#ing if an other person $ould li#eto ha%e some, or ta#ing a secondportion $hile other people ha%e notnished their rst et!

0ering ello$ roses to a married

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastikahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_symbolismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_symbolismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastikahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_symbolismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_symbolism


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$oman, since ello$ roses areconsidered as a sm&ol for adulter& some people!citation needed

As#ing an unfamiliar $oman for herage *especiall if she appears olderthan ourself+ or $eight!

In German, as $ell as in Austria, it isimpolite to &egin eating &efore othersha%e &een ser%ed! Also it is impoliteto &egin eating $ithout $ishinge%er&od Guten Appetit *lit!8 goodappetite+ rst!

During a meal, crossing our cutleron the plate means that ou areta#ing a &rea#, &ut ha%e not nishedeating! If ou are nished, place ou#nife and for# parallell on the plate!

If ou ser%ed ourself, or had theopportunit to tell the ser%ing personto stop ser%ing ou *so, almost al$ase"cept in a restaurant+, it isconsidered rude to not nish ourplate! :ids are told that not nishingour plate causes &ad $eather thene"t da!

2speciall in the north of German,using a candle to light a cigarette issaid to #ill a sherman! The reason forthis is that in former times shermenearned their li%ing during $intertime& producing matches!

4utting our glass do$n on the ta&leafter clin#ing glasses *and &eforedrin#ing+ is considered rude in someparts of German! It is said to6in%alidate6 the 4rost *cheers+!

When clin#ing glasses ou are

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sourceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources


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supposed to loo# into the person'sees $ho ou are toasting! 1ot doingso results in se%en ears of &ad luc#*or, more specicall, &ad se"+!

1ot closing our um&rella &eforestepping inside an &uilding, e%en ifthere is more than enough room for itopen! *It is considered &ad luc# toopen an um&rella indoors+

It is considered impolite to not co%erour mouth and nose $hen snee?ing,coughing or a$ning!

Ketting one or &oth hands rest underthe ta&le or on our lap during eatingis considered rude!

Addressing someone & their rstname $ithout mutual agreement isconsidered o%erl familiar!

1e%er touch someone $ho is not anintimate or %er close friend! It is

considered %er rude! When eating, use a #nife and for#!

1ormall the for# is held in the lefthand throughout the meal, &ut the1orth American custom of holding afor# in the right hand and s$itching$ill &e o%erloo#ed pro%ided a #nife isheld at all times! The 1orth Americancustom of eating $ith =ust a for# isconsidered &ad ta&le manners!

It is good manners to greet strangers$hen entering an ele%ator, a $aitingroom, and $hen sharing ta&les, and tosa good&e! It is not customar togreet strangers on the street!

It is not common in German to tal#


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a&out someone's income or nancialsituation!

4eople normall don't tell their

political preference or e%en their%oting decision! As#ing for this isconsidered %er nos and intrusi%e,especiall & elder people!

German is a smo#ing societ, andnon)smo#ers are e"pected to acceptthis! It is considered gauche to ma#ea fuss or o&=ect to someone smo#ing!Simpl remo%e ourself 5uietl!

In the $or#place, ou are e"pected to&ring ca#e or &u lunch for colleagues$hen it is our &irthda, or $hen ouare lea%ing the compan!

Ireland

Referring to /ritain and Ireland as the/ritish Isles, or to /ritain as the63ainland6! 3ost Irish people $illconsider this oensi%e!

Referring to the Repu&lic of Ireland asa part or special case of the United:ingdom rather than the independentnation that it is!

Referring to the Repu&lic of Ireland asìre can sometimes &e ta#en as aninsult! Although ìre is the o^cial titleof the state, it can &e considered a

patroni?ing term $hen used & the2nglish media *see ìre for furtherclarication+! It is more common torefer to the countr as 6Ireland6 or6the Repu&lic of Ireland6 in e%erdacon%ersation!

Referring to Derr cit or count

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irelandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Isleshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Irelandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89irehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89irehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_peoplehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89irehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irelandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Isleshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Irelandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89irehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89irehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_peoplehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89ire


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Derr as Kondonderr among thenationalist communit, including theRepu&lic of Ireland7 0R referring toKondonderr as Derr among the

unionist communit!

When out for drin#s $ith $or#colleagues or friends, it is sometimesconsidered rude not to pa for a6round6 of drin#s *i!e! each indi%idualpresent pas for a set of drin#s for allpresent+! .o$e%er this practice ismost common amongst groups offriends! Should the rst set of drin#s&e &ought & a single person, then it

is polite to continue that practice!This usuall does not appl if it isunderstood that ou are onl going to&e ha%ing one or t$o drin#s or if ouare in unfamiliar or casual compan! Itma still appl if ou are not drin#ingalcohol &ut still staing for more thant$o or three drin#s!

It is illegal to smo#e indoors in an$or#place in Ireland including all&ars, restaurants and o^ces! This isalmost uni%ersall o&ser%ed! Smo#ingindoors is &ecoming increasinglfro$ned on, especiall in the presenceof others $ho do not smo#e or inanother person's home! It is notconsidered rude to as# permission,&ut it is often considered more politeto go outside to smo#e!

The Repu&lic of Ireland shares manfau" pas in common $ith the United:ingdom, man of $hich are listed&elo$ under the title United :ingdom!

Ital

It's for&idden to enter a church if ou

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don't ha%e our upper arms and*male+ legs co%ered & clothes7 for$omen a s#irt $ithin a couple ofinches of the #nee is accepta&le! ;ou

$ill &e sho$n outside if ou $ear %ershort slee%es or short pants in church!Kocals often complain a&out tourists&rea#ing this rule!

Ki#e in man languages, there are t$odistinct $a of addressing people7 onefamiliar used $ith friends andrelati%es *6tu6+, and one formal used$ith strangers and *usuall+ co)$or#ers *6lei6+! Thus, it's considered

impolite *or e%en aggressi%e+ toaddress people $ith the familiar one$hen the formal one is seen asappropriate!

/iting into the piece of &read directl*&utter, p_t[, etc should &e placed ona small piece &ro#en o, and then put$hole into one's mouth+!

/read must &e &ro#en $ith hands andnot $ith a #nife or other cutler! Thisis &ecause hungr peasants crammedtheir mouths $ith food7 the &etter&red $ere less hungr, and displaingteeth tearing o chun#s of &read isnot attracti%e to &ehold!

Crossing the for# and #nife on theplate $hen the dish is nished7 theshould &e more or less parallel *at the

6four o'cloc# position6+!

After entering, lea%ing one's coat$ithout &eing in%ited to do so! 0nemust as# rst!

4utting one's hat on a &ed is


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considered ominous & some!

2ntering into a shop $ithout greetingthe proprietor! A friendl 6/uona

Sera6 or some other polite greeting ise"pected, e%en if =ust &ro$sing!

As#ing for the chec# immediatl afternishing one's meal is generall seenas rude, ta#e the time to rela" anden=o our surroundings and 6uncappucino6!

Wearing $hite soc#s is seen as a signof $ea#ness or of &eing a 6mamma's&o6!

1etherlands

Addressing the countr as .olland isconsidered incorrect in most parts ofthe 1etherlands, since .olland onlco%ers t$o of the pro%inces of thecountr! Although it is consideredformall incorrect, fe$ people $illo&=ect to it in informal speech!

Addressing a stranger, especiallolder person $ith the familiar secondperson pronoun instead of the formalform, is considered as a friendl form!Addressing someone in a formalmanner is considered too formal!/usiness people in general al$as usethe formal form in initialcorrespeondence and formal

correspondence, &ut in directcommunication people $ill 5uic#linsist on using rst names!

1ot closing our um&rella &eforestepping inside an &uilding, e%en ifthere is more than enough room for itopen! *It is traditionall considered

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlandshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlandshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holland


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&ad luc# to open an um&rella indoors,a &elief onl still held & the %er fe$Dutch people $ho are superstitious+

Unli#e in other countries li#e Russia,&eing as#ed to come and %isit in theafternoon does not include anin%itation to dinner! Staing longer inthe e"pectation to &e ser%ed dinner isconsidered rude! In general ou $illal$as announce our %isit and it isconsidered rude to &e late e%en Vminutes, $hile it is consideredunpleasant to &e earl more than Vminutes!

0pening the door for $omen oroering to help and carr luggage for$omen, is considered o%erlconsiderate and as se"ist & most$omen!

3a#ing fun of people is considered a$a to &rea# do$n formalit &et$eenpeople, so to &eha%e in a too formalmanner &eing o%erl polite isconsidered a refusal to reach morefriendl terms! Formalit in general isconsidered as #eeping our distanceor e%en as coming across hpocrite!

It is considered o&ligator to #issfamil and friends three times on thechee# $hen meeting!

4ortugal

As#ing an unfamiliar $oman for herage!

Spain

At Spanish restaurants it isconsidered rude for the sta to &ring

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portugalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portugalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain


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a customer the chec# $ithout thecustomer rst re5uesting it!

Using the pronoun 6t6 instead of

6usted6 *formal ou+ $hen tal#ing toan elder stranger might &e seen asimpolite!

Kea%ing a tip at restaurants and &aresis a common practice, though notal$as necessaril o&ser%ed, andusuall a lo$ amount! 1ormall ou$ould lea%e the minor coins of thechange $hen paing the &ill $ithcash, and no tip at all $hen paing &

credit card!

There are at least four distinctlanguages *Galician, Catalan, Spanish,/as5ue+! 1earl e%erone spea#s thedominant language, Spanish*Castellano+, &ut &etraing ignoranceof the su&cultures *especiall the oneou happen to &e in+ $ill appear rude!

;ou should not 5uestion the political&eliefs of those $ho $ant their state*usuall one of the former #ingdomscon5uered & Castile+ to &eindependent from Spain! Although itma sound unfamliar, this is a %ercontro%ersial issue in Spain no$adasand ou should sho$ some #no$ledgeas $ell as respect for their intentions!

There are some traditional issues that

ou should a%oid to discuss a&out8ghting &ulls *6Toros6+, religion andfascism(nationalism! Regarding thelast one, Spain is still di%ided after arelati%el recent Ci%il War!

3ost spaniards ha%e %er lo$ spo#en)2nglish s#ills and some of them e%en

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-V_distinctionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Castilehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-V_distinctionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Castile


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refuse to tr to spea# it and as#foreigners to spea# spanish! ;oushould a%oid in an case argueing$hether Spanish or 2nglish is a &etter

language, and put all of our eorts intring to e"press ourself $ithgestures if it's needed!

/e %er o&ser%ati%e

Countries Customs Around the World Pags. 41

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