Cultures- practices, beliefs, values, gestures, language.. can someone help?

Question

What are some common practices, words, gestures, beliefs, and/or values that are part of at least one culture but are often considered impractical, irrational, misunderstood or offend at least one other culture?

For example, in England a fag is a cigarette, here, it is a mean term for homosexual men.

Thumbs up here in the U.S. is something good, but in Islamic countries, it means "up yours"... can you give me more examples like these? I just cannot think of anything else.

Thanks!

In England a faag is a cigarette.. yahoo deleted the other word for obvious reasons.. sorry.

Answer 1

Hmmm.... good question...

Don't give a Chinese person a clock or a knife or scissors as a gift- it signifies the stopping of a friendship

Asian people think of the number 4 as bad luck since its character signifies death or bad luck- much like our number 13, they don't have a fourth floor or a room 4 in a hospital...

Do not open a gift from an Asian person in front of them- wait until they are gone and thank them later.

Do not wrap a gift in white in Japan.
Give money in red envelopes in China.

Don't stick your chopstick up in the middle of the rice in Asia.

Cover your shoulders and arms and wear long pants in Islamic countries if you are a western woman not Muslim.

Thai people greet each other with a wei, or hands poised in prayer to reflect the divine in you.

Europeans greet each other with cheek kisses, coming from Jesus: "Greet each other with a holy kiss."

Japanese people greet each other with a bow (the younger person bows first and lower) and proffer business cards before speaking.

Don't give a person chrysanthemums as a gift in Italy unless that person is dead.

In Spain, coger means to pick up, like at the airport or picking up toys from the floor. In Mexico, it means sex. So don't tell a Latin American person you will coger them in the airport or on the floor unless you mean it.

In Italy, do not eat pasta hanging off the fork as if you were a trained seal- use the tines to twirl and eat small amounts.

In Italy, do not tell anyone you want to dip the cookie- this means you want to have sex.

In England, you can asked to get knocked up in the morning as a wake-up call- in America it means to get pregnant.

"Blow me," means "I am surprised or amazed," in British English. In American English, it is a request for oral sex.

"Bollucks" are testicles in England- people use this as an American might use the word "F**K!" to express negative feeling.

In England you can ask for a rubber and get an eraser, but in America the other person will think you want a condom and want to make love.

That is all I can think of for now- there is a book called "Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands" that you might want to read for more info.

Answer 2

Muslims can have up to 4 wives. Other faiths believe that is bigamy.

In some Nepalese tribes women have more than one husband - also considered bigamy in other parts of the world.

Dress varies widely from one culture to another. What is normal swimwear in the west is considered obscene in the Middle East.

Showing the soles of ones feet in many countries is an insult but in others is not even noticed.

Ruffling the hair on the head of children is considred a sign of affection in some cultures and an insult in others where it is disrespectful to touch someone on the head.

Hindus place a small amount of food on the table to honor their ancestors before eating. They also eat food that is freshly cooked (not leftovers). Both of these practices seem wasteful by American standards.

Answer 3

These are from what i learned school a long time ago, it's accurate to the best of my gold-fish-like memory.

in muslim countries u never eat with ur left hand..

Indians or Hindu (can't remeber which) leave food on their plate to show that the guest has given them too much food.

I think in Chinese or Japanese culture the family does not start eating until the eldest member of the family starts.

Theresa is more likely to be right about the Hindu food thing.

Answer 4

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