New Zealand's etiquette knowledge and customs

New Zealand is a picturesque island country in the South Pacific. Because it is far from other continents and has a beautiful environment, it has the title of "the country on the edge of the world" and "the land of white clouds". New Zealand has developed animal husbandry, so it is also known as "the country of animal husbandry" and "the country of shepherd". New Zealand is mainly composed of North Island and South Island, with a total land area of 271,534 square kilometers and an exclusive economic zone of 1.2 million square kilometers. Wellington, the capital, is the political, banking and financial, cultural and artistic center of New Zealand. It is the southernmost capital on earth. It enjoys the reputation of "port city, mountain city" and "windy city" in the world. The total population of the country is about 4.154 million. The population distribution is uneven, and the overall pattern is that the south island is sparse and the north island is dense. It is a society dominated by immigrants. Among them, the descendants of European immigrants accounted for 78. 8%, Maori accounted for 14. 5% and Asians accounted for 6.7%. The official languages are English and Maori. 71% of the residents believe in Protestantism and Catholicism. The national flag has a dark blue background, a British flag with a red and white rice pattern on the top left, and four red five-pointed stars with white edges on the right side of the flag bottom. The national anthem is God Bless New Zealand. Silver fern is the national flower. Sophora japonica was selected as the national tree. The national bird is kiwi. February 6th is the National Day, also known as Waitangi Day.

New Zealanders are simple and friendly, and they don't have that slick feeling. Even if you meet a stranger on the road, you will take the initiative to say hello, otherwise it will be regarded as rude. New Zealanders keep their word. They seldom beat around the bush, and there are no ambiguous words. What you promised will not change, and you will keep your word. They have a strong sense of time and cherish punctuality. The open market and abundant commodities give people of different classes a lot of choices, and people's life is slow and leisurely. The quality of life is generally high, and people usually pay attention to clothing, food, housing and transportation. Shopping tends to be famous brand and fashionable. New Zealanders advocate equality. People can make appointments with mayors and ministers at any time. As long as there are sufficient reasons, anyone can see the Prime Minister. New Zealand is the only country with kiwi in the world, so New Zealanders regard it as a national symbol.

New Zealand is a multi-ethnic country, and European descendants are dominant, especially descendants of British immigrants account for the vast majority of the population. Therefore, the communication etiquette in mainstream society has distinct European characteristics, especially British characteristics.

1. Meeting etiquette

When New Zealanders meet guests in social occasions, they usually shake hands. When you meet a woman, wait for the other person to reach out and shake hands. New Zealanders sometimes bow to their elders, but the way of bowing is unique, and they should bow with their heads held high and their chests held high. When others in Lu Yu, including strangers, New Zealanders often pay attention to each other, that is, look at each other with a smile and say hello! When we meet for the first time, people with the same status call each other by their surnames, adding "Mr.", "Mrs." and "Miss". After getting to know each other, we call each other by their first names. New Zealanders pay attention to politeness when they communicate with men and women. They advocate equality, civilians can ask senior officials to meet them, and superiors are sincere to subordinates. Very opposed to talking about identity and putting on airs. In New Zealand, people from all walks of life are proud of their jobs. When addressing New Zealanders, special attention should be paid to: first names are often popular, and titles are often eye-catching.

When welcoming visitors, Maori often adopt their own traditional etiquette. Among them, the famous one is what the world calls "touching the nose". "Touching the nose" is called "Hongji" in Maori. Its specific practice is: when greeting guests, the host and guests should use their noses to touch each other two or three times. According to Maori, the longer the two sides touch their noses, the higher the courtesy the guests receive. In order to make the child's nose grow taller to facilitate the salute, Maori mothers often hold the child's nose with their knees. In Maori's view, touching the nose and forehead not only means sincere greetings from Maori, but also means that when touching the nose, you can feel each other's breathing, indicating that the subject and the guest are breathing together.

When welcoming distinguished guests, Maori usually hold certain ceremonies in line. In this welcoming ceremony, in addition to singing and dancing, Maori often intentionally stick out their tongues, stare at their eyes and make faces at the guests. It is said that doing so can not only exorcise evil spirits and avoid disasters, but also check whether people are friends or enemies.

2. Visiting etiquette

Appointment must be agreed in advance and be punctual. It is impolite to leave without appointment, and people may not necessarily receive it. Guests can arrive a few minutes early to show their respect for the host. Talk about climate, sports, politics at home and abroad, tourism, etc., and avoid talking about personal affairs, religion, race and other issues. New Zealanders especially like rugby and cricket. Visits are usually held in the office. When you are invited to visit a New Zealander's home, you can give the host a box of chocolate or a bottle of whisky and the hostess a bunch of flowers. Gifts should not be too many and expensive. New Zealanders attach great importance to privacy, especially their home life, salary income, spouse and children, and so on. Unless they tell you on their own initiative, it is generally impossible. Because it doesn't conform to their culture.

3. Catering Etiquette

The eating habits of New Zealanders are basically the same as those of the British, and the diet is mainly western food. The taste is light, and there is a great demand for protein, an animal. Beef, mutton, chicken and fish are all their favorites. I especially like to taste China's Su cuisine, Beijing cuisine and Zhejiang cuisine. New Zealanders eat in the continental style, that is, they always hold the fork in their left hand and the knife in their right hand. They don't like talking at dinner, so they usually wait until after dinner. I like to drink beer, and the per capita annual beer consumption reaches 111 liters. The state strictly restricts liquor, some restaurants only sell wine, and restaurants that specialize in liquor only serve one glass of liquor for each dinner. In addition to eating lean meat, the descendants of European immigrants also like to drink thick soup, which is indispensable for black tea for a day. Influenced by British customs, drinking tea is also a hobby of New Zealanders, at least seven times a day, namely morning tea, breakfast tea, lunch tea, afternoon tea, afternoon tea, dinner tea and evening tea. Tea shops and teahouses are all over the country, and many institutions, schools, industrial and mining enterprises have special tea time. Every time they drink tea according to the rules, they will be step by step and meticulous. New Zealand is one of the regions that drink the most tea in the world. Tea accounts for a considerable proportion of imported goods. The special varieties of New Zealand diet are fish and chips and Pavlova sweets.

In general, Maori people like to eat a kind of food called "Hunji", which is beef, mutton and potatoes steamed by geothermal heat. The most distinctive "stone-roasted rice" can be described as New Zealand's "ethnic rice", which, like Maori wood carving, has a long history and enjoys a good reputation in the world. Its production method is: firstly, a lot of pebbles are burned red in the ground stove, and then a ladle of cold water is poured on them, and then an iron wire basket containing food is put in the stove. Generally, the food in the iron wire basket is pork and cattle, fish is placed in the middle, taro, pumpkin, sweet potato, etc. are placed on it, and the food is covered tightly with taro leaves or linen. The wire basket is covered with wet soil, and finally coated with mud, so that it is completely pasted. After four hours, it is taken out, sprinkled with salt and pepper and eaten.

4. Dress etiquette

New Zealanders are descendants of European immigrants, and they usually wear European clothes in their daily lives. They pay attention to the quality of clothing, pay attention to solemnity, prefer comfort, and emphasize that it varies from occasion to occasion. Most formal grand gatherings wear dark suits or dresses, but in general, people tend to dress simply. Women wear skirts when they play golf. When going out for social intercourse, New Zealand women should not only dress up; And make up. In their view, putting on makeup when attending social activities is a basic courtesy. On weekends and holidays, people go out for an outing in another way, which is very casual.

The traditional costumes of New Zealand Maori are bright, simple and full of national characteristics. There are shawls, bras, waists and short skirts. The most common one is the "Piupiu" short skirt, which is woven from flax plants and people are used to calling it Maori grass skirt. This skirt, regardless of gender, is now used as a prop for performances. What Maori pay most attention to is the feather coat, which used to be worn by chiefs, but now it is put on to welcome distinguished guests when there are grand celebrations. To show solemnity and majesty. Today, Maori usually wear suits and ties, and there is no difference.

5. Travel etiquette

New Zealand is located in the southern hemisphere, and the change of seasons is opposite to that in the northern hemisphere. In May, when Beijing is not far from the hot summer, winter has arrived in New Zealand. In October, Beijing is approaching winter, but New Zealand is sunny, and a beautiful summer has just arrived. There is no obvious rainy season here, and it will rain all year round. Tourists must prepare rain gear. There are not only four seasons in a year, but also four seasons in a day: morning is like winter, noon is like spring, afternoon is like summer, and evening is as cool as autumn. For tourists, when they travel to New Zealand, they must prepare clothes for all seasons, from bathing suits to sweaters.

To travel all over New Zealand, it is ideal to take the train. There are no classes of trains, only sleeping berths and dining cars. There are public telephones on many streets. To make a call on a pay phone, you have to put in a coin and then dial the number. In New Zealand, there is no need to tip, and restaurants and restaurants do not have to pay extra service fees. New Zealand has different specifications of hotels for travelers to choose from. There are high-class hotels in cities and tourist areas, and various motels are also suitable for family travel. In the tourist season, it is still necessary to book rooms in advance. When traveling in New Zealand, it should be noted that most of the local residents are descendants of the British. Therefore, the body language and gesture customs of many British people are circulating here. They will be dissatisfied with loud noises and excessive posturing. Chewing gum or using toothpicks in public is considered uncivilized. Be sure to cover your mouth when yawning. Take pictures of others, especially Maori, and you must ask for permission in advance. When traveling to New Zealand, don't bring anything like animals and plants, and don't bring fruit and food. If you bring it, declare it truthfully so as not to cause trouble.

6. Wedding and funeral etiquette

Many wedding and funeral etiquette of British descendants living in New Zealand is similar to that of the British. New Zealanders can choose their own marriage when they reach the age of 21. After getting married, men and women have to go through the engagement ceremony, announcing the wedding date, issuing invitations, church wedding, gathering guests and friends, honeymoon travel and other processes. Weddings of New Zealanders are mostly held in churches and presided over by priests. Nowadays, young people are not limited to religious weddings. They hold romantic weddings: some go bungee jumping, some go skydiving, and some go diving at the seaside. But the local Maori customs are very special. From birth to adolescence, Maori just play naked around their mothers. Maori want to try marriage and feel satisfied with each other after living together. With the consent of both parents, as long as the woman stays at the man's house for one night, she is married. Ordinary Maori families don't pay attention to marriage procedures or hold ceremonies. However, the marriage of the chief's children is different, and it is necessary to discuss with the whole family before marrying off the daughter. Religious Maori also go to church for weddings, just like New Zealanders.

Maori funerals have maintained an ancient tradition, which can be said to be full of memories of the living for the dead. Maori believe that death means that people have finished the last stop of their lives and will enter heaven. So when the Maori died, they immediately informed their relatives and friends. People should immediately put down their work to mourn, no matter day or night. The family members dressed the deceased neatly and sent the body to the Maori Hall of the tribe as soon as possible. Legend has it that the longer you leave the dead at home, the longer it means delaying the pain of the dead. The mourning period is 3 days, and the families of the deceased should entertain the mourners. In particular, women often wear leaves of aromatic plants to symbolize wreaths. Some people even wear seaweed necklaces to wish the souls of the dead cross the ocean and go to the paradise on the other side.

7. Etiquette for studying abroad

The New Zealand government regards the internationalization of education as the foundation of New Zealand's future competitiveness. New Zealand welcomes international students from all over the world to study in middle schools, universities, graduate students or English schools in New Zealand. The law allows international students to work fifteen hours a week.

The main advantages of studying in New Zealand are that New Zealanders are famous for their friendliness and hospitality. A high standard of education and living standards. The school provides special help to non-native English students. Good educational facilities and environment. Tuition and living expenses are internationally competitive. In addition, according to New Zealand immigration law, international students can apply for a work visa for at least two years after graduation. The new immigration policy encourages international students to apply for immigration. International students with higher education degrees can apply for immigration directly, which eliminates the requirement of at least two years of work experience, and their New Zealand education can also get extra points.

In the past, New Zealand's policy on international students in China was a quota system, that is, the amount of international students in China was designated by the New Zealand government until it was full. In October, 1999, the new Immigration Bureau lifted the quota for international students in China. Under the new policy, all applications will be processed according to New Zealand's standard international student policy. As long as the applicants meet the requirements for admission and the requirements of the Immigration Bureau for student visa applicants, the applications can be approved without full quota. All foreign students who apply to study in New Zealand universities must score above 511 in the TOEFL test or above 6 in the IELTS test. In addition, the school will also require foreign students to issue proof of financial guarantee to prove that they have the ability to pay all the expenses during their stay in New Zealand. Shops in New Zealand are generally open from 9: 11 a.m. to 5: 31 p.m., and credit cards and electronic payment machines are widely used payment methods. Most stores provide electronic payment services to customers, and living in New Zealand hardly requires cash.

When studying in New Zealand, we must respect their customs. New Zealanders speak very softly. When you meet a friend in the street, wave from afar. They don't like to use the V sign to show victory. It is impolite to chat in public, pick your teeth, eat, drink, chew gum, scratch your scalp and tighten your belt. Women express their feelings by shaking their hands and other gestures. New Zealanders are reluctant to talk about religion, domestic politics and private affairs. They attach great importance to environmental protection, and they must not pile up waste at will, which will pollute the streets and affect health.

8. Business Etiquette

New Zealanders pursue equality, and they dislike dividing people into grades. According to New Zealand business habits, transactions are based on the principle of fairness. There is no bargaining in business here. Once a price is put forward, it cannot be changed. If the other party asks about the delivery date, quality and payment terms, the business will probably be done. It can't be wrong to think so. The habit of giving gifts to people indiscriminately may not work here, so we should pay attention to it. After the business is concluded, in order to express gratitude, you can entertain the people concerned, which not only has the best effect, but also makes the other party very happy.

According to New Zealand business customs, you will always wear a conservative style suit. Most visits to business or government offices require an appointment. New Zealand's business atmosphere is considered to be close to London, conservative and rigid, and different from Australia. In New Zealand, all products that can be produced locally are not allowed to be imported. Instead of talking about business, you'd better know something about cricket, so that they will have a good impression on you.

The main means of transportation in New Zealand are taxis and buses. Business and sightseeing people had better take a ride.