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Etiquette Rules You May Not Know
Safe to say most tourists aren’t going to crash drones into national parks, or kill swans and destroy 126-year-old statues to get a selfie. If you’re polite and sincere about apologizing for unwitting cultural faux pas, most locals won’t hold it against you. But some rules may not be intuitive.
Japan: Don’t Stick Your Chopsticks
It’s called Tsukitate-bashi and it is incredibly taboo because it’s a funeral ritual.
Other things you shouldn’t do with chopsticks:
- Pass food from one set of chopsticks to another, because of a funeral ritual where family members pass bones of the deceased
- Stab food
- Point at someone
Korea: Be Prepared to Sing at Social Gatherings
At parties, the most honored person sings first and then other people get a turn.
Other social rules:
- No hugging; you greet people by bowing, and the more elder or respected the person is, the deeper the bow.
- Take off your shoes before entering a Korean home. Put them in a closet near the door or just leave them by the entrance.
Philippines: Smiles Don’t Always Mean Happiness
Smiles can be used to cover up nervousness, discomfort, or sadness. For example, if a Filipino doctor smiles at you while telling you about a serious health problem, it doesn’t mean they’re being callous.
Italy: Don’t Ask for Ketchup, or Fettuccine Alfredo, or Spaghetti Bolognese
That doesn’t exist. Those are recipes developed for local tastes in other countries.
Germany: Address People Formally Unless Told Otherwise
You can use first names or the informal du with peers around the same age, but an older person is always the one to suggest using du to you instead than the informal Sie. Address people as Herr or Frau So-and-so.
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