Manners and etiquette can be very easily misleading. It's one thing to learn which fork is a salad fork, and quite another thing to know when using a fork might offend the person you're visiting. Different countries have different rules of etiquette. Sometimes what sounds like rudeness in one country may be the most polite and courteous gesture in another.
10. Spitting
It is likely that your parents scolded you as a child if you spit on the sidewalk. In general, people are not very good at spitting. Spitting in someone's direction is regarded as one of the most serious insults you can think of. The police consider such actions as assault. However, members of the Maasai tribe, who live in Central East Africa, see things quite differently. They spit at each other for the same purpose with which we shake hands with each other. Speaking of which, they spit on their own hands before shaking another person's hand, just in case they forget to spit on them later.
Most of us have to endure talking to elderly relatives who salivate when they talk, but the children of the Masai tribe have a much more unpleasant burden. Polite children who greet elderly relatives when they meet may expect a huge spit to fly in their direction. Of course, this is done with the best of intentions, because adults wish young people a long and happy life. Friends and family members sometimes come from distant areas to spit on the newborn for the same reason.
Members of the tribe spit on almost any occasion. They spit on the gift they are about to give. When they are about to move into a new home, the first thing they do is come out of the new home and spit in all four directions. They spit on everything they have never seen in their lives because they believe that in this way they will protect their eyesight.
9. Loud squelching / champing / smacking
In most countries, slurping soup loudly in front of people would either result in a slap in the face from your mother, or in the fact that the person with whom you went to a restaurant would pretend not to know you. However, in many Asian countries such as China and Japan, slurping or slurping while eating soup or noodles is considered high praise. This means that the food is so delicious that the guest could not even wait for it to cool down to eat it. Anyone who has ever burned their mouth with a slice of pizza with lots of different toppings will probably agree that there is some truth to this.
If in Asian countries you eat without loud squelching / champing, then other people may think that you are unhappy with your food. In Japan, the same applies to tea. The loud squelching of the last sip of tea indicates that the guest drank his mug and was satisfied with the tea. This cultural difference has led many Japanese tourists to feel uncomfortable in countries where it is customary to eat without making a sound.
8. Tongue sticking out
In many countries, sticking out the tongue is usually associated with the phrase: "Be-be-be." At the very least, this is seen as teasing or defiance. In some cases, even as an insult. That is why in Italy you can be fined for offensive behavior if you start sticking your tongue out. While sticking out the tongue is not illegal in India, it is seen as a negative gesture associated with incredible, barely contained anger.
However, the world is big and in New Caledonia such a gesture means a wish for reason and energy. In Tibet, sticking out the tongue is considered a respectful welcome gesture. It is believed that this custom originated from the belief that the evil king had a black tongue - voluntarily sticking out your tongue is proof that you are not his reincarnation. This may well be the explanation for why in the Caroline Islands, sticking out the tongue is believed to exorcise demons. Although, to be honest, if the person sticking out his tongue has not brushed his teeth, he will most likely be able to drive anyone away from him.
7. Flowers
often seen as a universal gift. They are given on the first date, at the prom, at weddings, at funerals, to sick people whom you wish recovery, and also as an apology. In fact, it is for this reason that flowers can be seen as a rude gesture if you are not careful. Chrysanthemums, lilies, gladiolus and other white flowers are a symbol of mourning and are used during funerals in many countries. Carnations are a frequent decoration of wreaths in cemeteries in Germany and France. If you give someone a bouquet of white flowers in China or a carnation in France, it can be interpreted as a wish to "kick back."
Yellow flowers are associated with hatred in Russia and Iran, while purple flowers are considered unlucky in Italy and Brazil. Red flowers, especially roses, serve exclusively to express romantic interest in Germany and Italy. In the Czech Republic, flowers are generally seen as romantic gifts, so giving flowers to your teacher or boss can get you in a lot of trouble. Even the number of colors can be rough. In some countries, such as France and Armenia, an even number of flowers is for happy occasions and an odd number for funerals, while in countries such as Thailand and China, odd numbers are considered lucky and even numbers of flowers are generally brought to the funeral.
6. Eating all the food off your plate
Yes, we are all used to the fact that our parents forced us to eat everything from the plate so as not to waste food. However, in some countries, a clean plate can confuse or even offend the host. In the Philippines, North Africa, and also in some regions of China, the host puts food on the guest's plate if he eats everything that was on it. It even leads to a kind of North African game: the host offers more, the guest refuses, the host offers again, the guest refuses again, the host offers one more time, and the guest eventually agrees. It is only when the guest leaves some food on the plate that the host realizes that the guest has eaten. Failure to comply with this rule in some situations may offend the owner. He will take the guest's clean plate as a sign that the guest hasn't eaten enough and the host may consider that he is considered greedy.
5. Dinner leftovers at a restaurant that wrap the package so the customer can take it with them.
A person who, during a date, asks him to wrap the leftovers of dinner in a bag to take them with him, may seem stingy. The waiter may even look askance at such a person, returning with his half-eaten food to the kitchen to wrap it up for him, while the restaurant is packed with hungry customers waiting for him to take their order from them. However, in ancient Rome, such bags with the remnants of dinner were considered the norm.
When someone came over for dinner, he or she would wrap the fruit in pretty napkins and give it to their guests to take with them. It was more of a good manner than something that was done at will, and not wanting to accept a napkin and take food home was regarded as an insult. Moreover, such a guest acquired a reputation for being impolite and ungrateful. Such bags with the remnants of food were in ancient China. The host, who hosted guests, had to give them white boxes in order to take some of the food home.
4. Leaving a tip
To leave or not to leave - this question has been tormenting many for a long time. Usually it's all about whether we care that someone thinks we're stingy. The absence of any tip is often the cause of sidelong and vicious glances. This is also the reason why the first date also becomes the last. Some restaurants have even banned the practice to save their customers the hassle of it at the end of their dinner.
The Japanese, as usual, are ahead of the rest in this matter. They are so unaccustomed to tipping that tipping can lead to confusion. The waiter begins to wonder why she or he was left extra money, and this, in turn, can lead to long and awkward conversations and attempts to return the extra amount. Moreover, tipping can be seen as an insult. Sometimes they are seen as a pity handout. If the client wants to express gratitude, it is best to do this with a small gift. Or, if you still prefer to give money, it is best to put it in an envelope and then give it to the waiter.
3. Eating food with your hands
Eating with your hands may well have been the fastest way to piss off your parents at the dinner table. However, in some countries hosts will be offended to the core if you use cutlery. Eating tacos or burritos with cutlery is considered bad manners. This is not necessarily considered impolite, but it does make the person look overly swaggering and arrogant. Using a knife to cut boiled potatoes elicits exactly the same reaction in Germany. Moreover, using a knife to cut boiled potatoes can offend the cook. He will take this as your dissatisfaction with the fact that the potatoes were not cooked properly or that they were not soft enough.
In many countries, such as India, eating with your hands is the only acceptable way to consume food. Indians consider this way as the only natural way of eating and the least distorted. India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, once jokingly said, "Eating with a fork and spoon is like making love with an interpreter."
2. Punctuality
We have all had elderly relatives or teachers who scolded us for being late and told us that: "You only arrive on time when you arrive ten minutes earlier than the appointed time." While this is good advice for a job interview or date, in some parts of the world, punctuality can make you the most impolite person in the room.
In Tanzania, arriving on time for the evening can be seen as a rude gesture. All polite, well-mannered guests show up 15 to 30 minutes late. This is partly due to the fact that not all citizens have cars or even access to public transport. Insisting that guests arrive on time is seen as tactless and rude. In Mexico, it is considered polite to be moderately late for a meeting or party. If you arrive on time, the host may not yet be ready to receive guests. He may feel like you are rushing him and resent that you took him by surprise.
1. Compliments
When you see someone for the first time in your life, or visit someone's home for the first time, it's not easy to start a conversation. The most common tactic is a compliment that you can build on and build on. “Beautiful shoes”, “Great tie”, “I really like the way you arranged the furniture in the room”, “What a comfortable sofa”. In most countries, such compliments make a person smile, maybe blush a little and say thank you. Thus, the conversation begins naturally.
However, such compliments would be unwise to make in the Middle East, as well as in African countries such as Nigeria and Senegal. In such countries, a compliment of some thing is easily interpreted as a desire to possess this object. Because of their customs of hospitality, the host will feel obligated to give the guest an item that he or she has praised. In addition, according to tradition, when you receive a gift, you must respond with an even more expensive gift. We can only hope that the custom does not extend to complimenting one's spouse or children.
In which countries is champing encouraged, how to show the Mongol that you are full, and what to do if you are spit in the back.
PRC, Japan: slurp
Try to eat soup or noodles in a restaurant, sipping, and immediately notice how other visitors start looking at you askance. And a cook in China and Japan, noticing this, would be pleased. After all, here sipping soup or noodles means that the food is so tasty that you do not have the strength to wait until it cools down. A quiet meal means that you are not satisfied.
“Despite the fact that there is a cult of food here, despite the fact that Chinese cuisine is incredibly diverse and, I would even say, incomprehensible, there is no culture of food here. Perhaps, in some individual metropolitan restaurants, its rudiments can still be found. But in general, it doesn't. The Chinese are very pragmatic about food. For them, this is by no means a process, but only a result. Food is consumed rapidly, recklessly, with concentration, with loud champing, burping and spitting bones on the floor or directly on the tablecloth. At the same time, all those present are talking loudly, shouting over each other, exposing bad teeth and half-chewed food, ”writes Grigory Potemkin, who has been living in China for about eight years, in his blog.
Kenya: spit
In tribal Kenya, each community has its own rituals, but the custom of spitting at the oncoming one is valid for at least 40 of them. So, in the Akamba tribe, they spit on the oncoming one as a sign of deep respect. Masai, before shaking hands, moisten them with saliva. Children who greet elders may get a ball of saliva in the back. You can’t be offended - this is how they wish a child a long life. For the same reason, it is customary in the tribe to spit on the newborn. However, the Maasai generally love to spit on everything and everyone: a gift that they want to give, a new home in which they are going to live. This is a wonderful amulet. According to a resident of Kenya with the nickname kawira, there are many other tribes (there are 42 in Kenya alone) whose representatives spit. So, members of the Ameru tribe thus bless each other. However, only seniors are allowed to do this.
Germany: blow your nose heartily
In Germany, you should not be surprised if a decently dressed German at the next table in a restaurant finishes his dish, puts his fork and knife on a plate, after which he takes out a handkerchief from his pocket and ... blows his nose loudly. “What is natural is not ugly,” the German believes, and blows his nose wherever circumstances require. “I was very surprised to hear at a lecture how someone, sorry, blows his nose loudly. it's the same at their universities.Google showed that before me, many people were interested in this issue.<...>They might be chewing on an apple under your ear for the entire lecture or blowing their nose at the table. I'm still getting used to these things. Cultural features,” writes Sabina Serikova, who has been living in Germany for more than a year and studying cognitive science.
PRC, Tibet: show language
In the remote villages of Tibet, the custom, when greeting each other, is still preserved, sticking out the tongue - as a sign of openness of one's intentions. According to one version, a passer-by thus shows that he is not a reincarnated demon.
Another theory is related to the last king of Tibet named Langdarma. He went down in history as a persecutor of Buddhism, a defiler of shrines and a murderer of monks. He was so evil that even his tongue was black. And since reincarnation is quite real for Buddhists, they do not discount the possibility of a monster reappearing.
True, lately Tibetans show their tongue at a meeting less and less. This is evidenced by the responses of travelers. "I've met a lot of Tibetans, but I rarely see them stick out their tongues when they meet," user Klein notes on the Buddhism forum Rattle that Cage.
Nepal, India: eating with hands
In India and Nepal, eating with your hands is often the only possible way to eat. In the cafes of the most remote corners of the country, where no tourist has set foot, there are no cutlery at all. Although in most catering establishments foreigners will still be offered a fork. But the Hindus themselves will eat with their hands, and always with the right, since the left is considered unclean. “This is because it is customary to wash with the left after using the toilet,” explains the Indian Archana. “Although lately, many Indians use cutlery.”
In other countries, some dishes are also eaten with the hands. For example, tacos are a Mexican flatbread with a spicy filling. If you decide to eat it with cutlery, do not offend anyone, but they will look at you with disapproval. And Italian pizza, the food of the poor, in fact, was also always eaten with their hands.
Ethiopia: hand-feeding
Southeast Asia: leave leftovers
If you don’t want to be fed endlessly, in the Philippines, China, Cambodia, Thailand and other countries of Southeast Asia, you can forget about the Russian rule of politeness “ate to the end - showed respect”. An empty plate here is a symbol of the fact that the guest has not eaten enough and asks for more. The meal usually begins with a full spoon of ordinary rice - the most important, almost sacred product of the region. Portion on your plate from the serving dish is shifted in parts. Some of the food (but not rice) and drink are left at the end of the meal in your plate. So pay tribute to the generosity of the owners of the house.
PRC, Mongolia: burp
In China and Mongolia, the degree of satiety is determined by belching. It means that your stomach is full and you liked everything. The guests are full - the hosts are happy. Especially this rule adheres to the older generation. The young tend to absorb Western norms of behavior.
“I would never have known about this if it had not been for a trip to China and a trip to a restaurant with a Chinese woman who knows the customs and speaks good Russian. The waitress, serving us food, relish burped after her dinner. It was unpleasant, they wanted to go to another place, but our companion explained that such things are not considered bad manners - on the contrary, it means that the person ate very tasty and satisfying, and for the owner this is like a compliment, ”writes user angren on the Big question".
Georgia: empty a glass of wine in one gulp
In one gulp, they usually empty a glass of vodka, and in Russia they drink wine, stretching out the pleasure. But, going to Georgia, be prepared to drink wine to the bottom right away. True, only after you finish listening to the toast. It is customary for Georgians to drink to the bottom “For God”, “For the Motherland”, “For those who are no longer with us”. In other cases, you can just sip and put the glass on the table, and finish it with the next toast.
“Defiantly refusing to drink is not accepted. Better just sip a little glass, and everything will be fine. ”, writes the user Vytas on the Vinsky Forum in a topic dedicated to the culture of drinking in Georgia.
To follow them is to look in the eyes of others at best an eccentric, at worst - ignorant
Pietro Longhi, Fainting, circa 1744. wikimediaA man who eats lying down, blows his nose on the tablecloth and forces latecomers to drink the penalty at all costs will be considered ill-mannered today. But there were times when this was considered in the order of things.
Lose feelings at the slightest excitement
“Here she turned deathly pale and fell unconscious” - how many similar phrases are found in European and Russian literature of past centuries! And it would be nice if we were talking about the times when young ladies wore tightly laced corsets, which can really lead to hypoxia and loss of consciousness. However, corsets either came into fashion or went out of it, and women's fainting spells did not lose popularity. Beauties fell unconscious in any unpleasant or incomprehensible situation - this allowed them to look fragile and helpless. If, having received unwanted news or being in a delicate position, the lady did not sink, rolling her eyes, into the nearest easy chair, she could be considered callous, soulless and poorly educated.
Eat food lying on your left side and throw leftovers on the floor
Why on the left? Yes, so that the right hand is free - otherwise how to take food. In addition, the stomach is on the left. This is exactly how the ancient Greeks reasoned, laying down before the feast on special seats-beds - apoclintra, equipped in such a way that the feasting could remain motionless. Apoclintra shifted with the letter P; slaves approached from the free side with small tables laden with refreshments. The noble Greeks ate with their hands, and threw the leftovers on the ground - then the slaves would clean up.
The last tradition existed for a long time. For example, medieval knights and nobility successfully sent gnawed bones and other scraps under the tables. What the dogs didn't eat was then taken away by the servants.
Wipe your hands on the tablecloth
In fact, the tablecloth was originally invented just for this purpose - and was thought of as something like a large napkin. Not about clothes, in fact, to wipe your hands with which you just held a piece of lamb oozing fat! For this there is a tablecloth. By the way, blowing your nose into it is also more convenient than, say, into the hem of a dress. And the courageous medieval knights, and their beautiful ladies - they all wiped their hands on the tablecloth, because it was customary.
Closer to the XIII century, beautiful embroidered napkins began to be laid out on the tables. But they lay for beauty - or were used to wrap food in them and take them home. This was also considered good manners. By the way, in the Middle Ages, many guests came with their own spoons, which were real works of art. Or they did without them - for example, soups and sauces were sipped directly from the dishes.
Forcing you to drink a penal
And this rule has not completely outlived itself yet - but, fortunately, decent people try not to follow it. In Russia, this custom was introduced into use under an enlightened monarch PetreI. Yes, introducing the rules of etiquette at his court, the tsar initially pursued good goals - so that the gentlemen of the boyars would not publicly spit and delve into their noses - however, over time, he became somewhat carried away. So, latecomers to the ball assembly - including ladies - were supposed to drink the "Big Eagle": a goblet with a capacity of one and a half liters, filled with strong wine or vodka. Once the tsar did not want to release the pregnant noblewoman from this rule. Olsufiev despite her pleas. A few hours later, she gave birth to a dead baby.
Challenge the offender to a duel
How to respond to someone who offended your honor if you are, say, a Russian nobleman of the early 19th century? Of course, challenge the scoundrel to a duel! This, however, applies only to scoundrels equal to you in position. It is not a sin to endure an insult from the king, you can complain about a peasant or a merchant to the police, and you should insult your nobleman’s brother and entrust it to your seconds.
If you yourself have been challenged to a duel, do not hesitate to refuse! Better to be shot than to be dishonored!
The man follows the left side of the lady
Today, this rule of etiquette seems like nonsense. But this is not nonsense - after all, the man himself has a sword on his left side! If a woman goes to the left, she will be terribly uncomfortable. More precisely, it would be - in time immemorial.
Later, when men stopped carrying edged weapons on their left side, another rule appeared: a representative of the stronger sex while walking with a lady should walk ... from the side of the roadway. And then suddenly a lady will be splashed with mud by a passing carriage or, worse, a violent horse will hurt her.
In fact, the echoes of the “rule of the sword” are still alive today - during official receptions hosted by dignitaries, women walk exclusively to the right of men. For the military, however, an exception is made - they can go to the right of the woman in order to be able to salute with their right hand.
If you dream of traveling a lot, you should know that people from other countries are very different from Russians. And this applies to almost everything: from clothing to the rules of etiquette. Therefore, in order not to get into trouble, we suggest that you study some rules of etiquette from different countries (we warn you, they are often strange).
In France people who eat quickly are treated with contempt. It is customary to enjoy food there. Maybe that's why the French have such tiny portions...
And in Korea it is unacceptable to start eating before the oldest person sitting at the table does it. If you start without waiting for the others, you run the risk of missing dinner.
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AT Italy asking for more cheese with the dish is an insult to the cook. Although no one has yet complained about the amount of cheese. Putting Parmesan on pizza is like putting jelly on chocolate mousse. Even many pasta dishes are not designed for Parmesan. Yes, in Rome, for example, pecorino is considered a traditional cheese, which is added to many classic pasta recipes. Rule number one: if it's not offered to you, don't ask.
AT Kazakhstan It is customary to serve cups of tea only half full. It is not worth commenting on this and asking for topping up, because a full cup means that the owner is looking forward to your departure.
AT Nigeria young children are not fried eggs, as it is believed that if they are fed with eggs, they will begin to steal.
And on Jamaica babies are not given chicken until the children can speak. It is believed that because of the meat of chickens, the child may not speak.
As for tips, Japan, for example, never leave them at all. Most often, the waiter begins to wonder why he was left extra money. Moreover, a tip can be seen as an insult or as a pity handout. If the client wants to express gratitude, it is best to do this with a small gift. Or put money in an envelope, and then give it to the waiter.
Also in Japan between snacks, the sticks should lie together right in front of you, parallel to the edge of the table. In no case should you stick chopsticks directly into a bowl of rice. The fact is that during the funeral in Japan a bowl of rice of the deceased is placed in front of his coffin, sticks are stuck directly into the rice ...
AT China do not cut long noodles while eating, since noodles are the embodiment of longevity, and cutting them shortens your life.
The Chinese will consider you rude if you point your chopsticks at someone while eating.
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Parents from childhood forced us to eat up to the end. However, in some countries, a clean plate can confuse or even offend the host. On Philippines, in North Africa and also in some regions China the host is obliged to refill the guest's plate if he has eaten everything that was in it. Only when the guest leaves some food on the plate, the host realizes that he has eaten. Failure to comply with this rule in some situations may offend the owner. He will take a clean plate of a guest as a sign that he is considered greedy.
In which countries is champing encouraged, how to show the Mongol that you are full, and what to do if you are spit in the back.
"My Planet" tells what features of etiquette should not surprise you when traveling. What is impossible in Russia and what is possible in some other countries?
PRC, Japan: slurp
Try to eat soup or noodles in a restaurant, sipping, and immediately notice how other visitors start looking at you askance. And a cook in China and Japan, noticing this, would be pleased. After all, here sipping soup or noodles means that the food is so tasty that you do not have the strength to wait until it cools down. A quiet meal means that you are not satisfied.
“Despite the fact that there is a cult of food here, despite the fact that Chinese cuisine is incredibly diverse and, I would even say, incomprehensible, there is no culture of food here. Perhaps, in some individual metropolitan restaurants, its rudiments can still be found. But in general, it doesn't. The Chinese are very pragmatic about food. For them, this is by no means a process, but only a result. Food is consumed rapidly, recklessly, with concentration, with loud champing, burping and spitting bones on the floor or directly on the tablecloth. At the same time, all those present are talking loudly, shouting over each other, exposing bad teeth and half-chewed food, ”writes Grigory Potemkin, who has been living in China for about eight years, in his blog.
Kenya: spit
In tribal Kenya, each community has its own rituals, but the custom of spitting at the oncoming one is valid for at least 40 of them. So, in the Akamba tribe, they spit on the oncoming one as a sign of deep respect. Masai, before shaking hands, moisten them with saliva. Children who greet elders may get a ball of saliva in the back. You can’t be offended - this is how they wish a child a long life. For the same reason, it is customary in the tribe to spit on the newborn. However, the Maasai generally love to spit on everything and everyone: a gift that they want to give, a new home in which they are going to live. This is a wonderful amulet. According to a resident of Kenya with the nickname kawira, there are many other tribes (there are 42 in Kenya alone) whose representatives spit. So, members of the Ameru tribe thus bless each other. However, only seniors are allowed to do this.
Germany: blow your nose heartily
In Germany, you should not be surprised if a decently dressed German at the next table in a restaurant finishes his dish, puts his fork and knife on a plate, after which he takes out a handkerchief from his pocket and ... blows his nose loudly. “What is natural is not ugly,” the German believes, and blows his nose wherever circumstances require. “I was very surprised to hear at a lecture how someone, sorry, blows his nose loudly. it's the same at their universities.Google showed that before me, many people were interested in this issue.<...>They might be chewing on an apple under your ear for the entire lecture or blowing their nose at the table. I'm still getting used to these things. Cultural features,” writes Sabina Serikova, who has been living in Germany for more than a year and studying cognitive science. About other customs of the Germans - in our article.
PRC, Tibet: show language
In the remote villages of Tibet, the custom is still preserved, when greeting each other, stick out the tongue - as a sign of openness of one's intentions. According to one version, a passer-by thus shows that he is not a reincarnated demon.
Another theory is related to the last king of Tibet named Langdarma. He went down in history as a persecutor of Buddhism, a defiler of shrines and a murderer of monks. He was so evil that even his tongue was black. And since reincarnation is quite real for Buddhists, they do not discount the possibility of a monster reappearing.
True, lately Tibetans show their tongue at a meeting less and less. This is evidenced by the responses of travelers. "I've met a lot of Tibetans, but I rarely see them stick their tongue out when they meet," user Klein notes on the Buddhism forum Rattle that Cage.
Nepal, India: eating with hands
In India and Nepal, eating with your hands is often the only possible way to eat. In the cafes of the most remote corners of the country, where no tourist has set foot, there are no cutlery at all. Although in most catering establishments foreigners will still be offered a fork. But the Hindus themselves will eat with their hands, and always with the right, since the left is considered unclean. “That’s because it’s customary to wash with the left after going to the toilet,” explains Archana, an Indian woman. “Although lately, many Indians use cutlery.” A photography project about a Nepalese tribe of monkey head hunters.
In other countries, some dishes are also eaten with the hands. For example, tacos are Mexican flatbread with a spicy filling. If you decide to eat it with cutlery, do not offend anyone, but they will look at you with disapproval. And Italian pizza, the food of the poor, in fact, was also always eaten with their hands.
Ethiopia: hand-feeding
Southeast Asia: leave leftovers
If you don’t want to be fed endlessly, in the Philippines, China, Cambodia, Thailand and other countries of Southeast Asia, you can forget about the Russian rule of politeness “ate to the end - showed respect”. An empty plate here is a symbol of the fact that the guest has not eaten enough and asks for more. The meal usually begins with a full spoon of ordinary rice - the most important, almost sacred product of the region. Portion on your plate from the serving dish is shifted in parts. Some of the food (but not rice) and drink are left at the end of the meal in your plate. So pay tribute to the generosity of the owners of the house.
PRC, Mongolia: burp
In China and Mongolia, the degree of satiety is determined by belching. It means that your stomach is full and you liked everything. The guests are full, the hosts are happy. Especially this rule adheres to the older generation. The young tend to absorb Western norms of behavior. About the features of the Chinese mentality -.
“I would never have known about this if it had not been for a trip to China and a trip to a restaurant with a Chinese woman who knows the customs and speaks good Russian. The waitress, serving us food, relish burped after her dinner. It was unpleasant, they wanted to go to another place, but our companion explained that such things are not considered bad manners - on the contrary, it means that the person ate very tasty and satisfying, and for the owner this is like a compliment, ”writes user angren on the Big question".
Georgia: empty a glass of wine in one gulp
In one gulp, they usually empty a glass of vodka, and in Russia they drink wine, stretching out the pleasure. But, going to Georgia, be prepared to drink wine to the bottom right away. True, only after you finish listening to the toast. It is customary for Georgians to drink to the bottom “For God”, “For the Motherland”, “For those who are no longer with us”. In other cases, you can just sip and put the glass on the table, and finish it with the next toast.
“Defiantly refusing to drink is not accepted. Better just sip a little glass, and everything will be fine. Everyone understands, ”writes user Vytas on the Vinsky Forum in a topic dedicated to the culture of drinking in Georgia.
